From Pen to Mic Workshop w/ Xénia Gould

Join drag artist and poet Xénia Gould for a workshop about how to take your writing from the page to the stage. This workshop is part of the Inspired Word Cafe's New Leaves Festival.

Xénia Gould est une artiste et poète bien connue en Acadie pour son recueil de poésie Des fleurs comme moi.
Xénia Gould is a multidisciplinary artist and poet, well known in Acadia for her poetry collection Des fleurs comme moi, and her colorful character of Jas Sainte and her drag personna Chiquita Mére.

“From pen to mic” is a performance workshop aimed at people who want to be more comfortable on stage and behind a mic. The workshop offers a supportive environment where participants will share, learn, and grow as they uncover the power of their authentic voices, bridging the gap between their written word and the captivating performance abilities that hides within. Participants will delve into writing exercises and learn tips and tricks to enhance their performance skills. Together we’ll explore the differences between style & nervous tics, the concept of apologizing, and the presence of choice. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting, this workshop welcomes all who want to better their skills in front of the mic.

We know this free workshop will book up quick, so be sure to register your spot!

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New Leaves Festival of Arts and Culture

Inspired Word Cafe has always put the needs of our community first and foremost. After the Fireweed Eco-Fest, we wondered, would we do another Eco-Fest or create something unique? We wanted to continue with festival programming, but we needed to create programming that aligned with our values, listened to the needs and interests of the community, and could change alongside it. The inaugural New Leaves Festival of Arts and Culture takes the idiom “turning over a new leaf” as inspiration to focus on an annually changing theme speaking to expressed/urgent needs of the community.

Responding to a recent rise in anti-LGBTQ2SIA+ sentiment in the Okanagan and beyond, the 2024 New Leaves theme is “Queer Art as Resistance,” focussing on celebrating queer arts through drag, poetry, music, comedy, dance and more. For three days in Kelowna’s downtown core, a host of artists from from the Okanagan and across Canada will perform (in both French and English) and put on workshops.

Queerness isn’t always about gender or sexuality, rather, as scholar Janet Jakobsen writes, it’s also “resistance to norms and normativity.” Following this, New Leaves 2024 will not just celebrate LGBTQ2SIA+ voices, but explore art’s potential for resistance and change. In gathering for New Leaves 2024, we ask: How might art shift long-held societal perceptions of LGBTQ2SIA+ and other resistant communities? How might coming together to celebrate the contrast in our community help grow it into a safe and inclusive space for people from all walks of life?

For more event listings and to check out the full Festival offerings: https://www.inspiredwordcafe.com/new-leaves-festival-of-arts-and-culture

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Accessibility: TBC

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Thanks to our sponsors and funders:

The University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies

Okanagan School of Education

City of Kelowna

British Columbia Arts Council

The Government of Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage

Espaces Francophone

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Land Acknowledgement

Inspired Word Café acknowledges that this festival is being held on the unceded ancestral lands of the Syilx Okanagan Peoples. For more information, please visit https://www.syilx.org.