Festivals

[Sean]

Is it time Vancouver hosted another festival? Do we want to make a bid for the Women of the World poetry slam, The Canadian Festival of Spoken Word (canadian nationals) or perhaps host something new?

[sue]

I vote for Women of the World because...

We know we can successfully run a festival of this size and nature, based on our success with the 2007 individual World Poetry Slam

The Vancouver poets and friends who attended WOWps have told us that it was an experience unlike any other, and one for which our community is well-suited

We have tons of remarkable women poets here in Vancouver who would benefit from having the festival here

We haven't done WOWps yet, and I like to do new things

Thanks Sean, for posting this in the forum for responses. Hey everyone else, please chime in. I'm sure there are lots of good reasons for the other possibilities and I am curious to learn about all of the options.

sue

[ms_spelt]

I agree with sue.
time for WOWPS for all the reasosn she noted and more.

[Lisa]

Yes yes yes yes yes to WOW.

[Shannon]

You mean for 2010?  2009 WOW is in Detroit

[Lisa]

We would probably be bidding for the 2011 WOWps. It doesn't make sense to try to host a major tournament in Vancouver the same year as the Olympics. Sponsorship, venues, etc would be challenging. I think Columbus and Denver have expressed interest in 2010, but nothing certain.

Planning on bidding for it for 2011 would give us tons of lead time to work it all out. I think it's doable, and would be fantastic.

[sue]

Sound reasoning, Lisa. We could have a wonderful WOWPS in 2011.

sue

[ms_spelt]

I agree on the timing.
because while the olympics creates a mess during the olympic year it does leave some tasty stuff in it's wake to avail ourselves of.
for one-the RAV line will be built and fully operational.which means all our guests can catch skytrain from the airport to the host hotel/s wherever we decide on.and i expect there will e a bunch of other infrastructure to take adavantage of.
i think 2011 gives us the time to ready ourselves and the tools at our disposal.
bring on wowps 2011-vancouver.

[Sean]

Here's food for thought...I have been spending time trying to help out with the organization of CFSW in Calgary this year. Inevitably I think the best way to show a group of people how something can be done is to do it. "You feed a man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

I wonder whether it is better for slam within Canada for us to host CFSW and set the template or whether its better for us to do something else. As big brother/sister to all the other slams in the country, what is our obligation?

[sue]

This is an interesting question Sean, and one that puts CFSW on the table for our consideration.

I think the time is right (sometime in the next couple of months) for Poetry House people and Van Slam people to sit down and talk about "what next?" There are lots of ways of evaluating the choices available, and pros and cons for each choice. It will make for an enlightening process to discuss these things, and quite likely help us see our values and priorities more clearly.

One thing I feel sure of: we are ready to get to work on some festival or other. In fact, it's kind of like being at that gelato place and knowing we have to narrow it down, but whatever we choose, it will be delicous.

[Shannon]

Can you please make your subject headings more detailed.  There is so much going on this site that more detail in these subjects would help us select what we need to read.

'festivals' is quite different than 'should Vancouver host the 2010 CFSW?'

I no not wish to read about festivals in general because it doesn't affect me, but I certainly care about the other, it would have been good to have known about this earlier.

[ms_spelt]

I hold the opinion that Vancouver grew to become a leading light in slam in this country because of our longstanding involvement in PSI.and while us hosting the CFSW would defintely showcase all we have to teach,i think that a PSI tournament not only showcases what we have to teach but brings PSi's leading luminaries-on stage and off- to town as well.benefitting us and the country.This was one of the prime reasons i lobbied hard for and directed the IWPS.And why I support WOWPS. We'd put on a helluva festival and we'd bring some amazing women to town.We's shine our light and the light of those outstanding women as an example not only locally but nationally.
we've done CFSW and it'd be nice to do another.It'd also help for us to play a key role in Victoria's hosting of a CFSW.But I believe strongly that vancouver hosting the WOWPS is a plus in several columns.And ardently support it.