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Chilling with a Poet, a monthly initiative aimed at cultivating and exposing hidden talent, will host a special edition of the event this Thursday.
The monthly showcase, hosted every last Thursday of the month, offers a platform for artists such as poets, singers, rappers, dancers, actors and musicians to showcase their talents.
The initiative was launched in May this year and has seen talent grace the stages since.
The event is hosted at the Alliance Francaise and was founded by Cape Groove in association with the Blaqpearl Foundation and the host, singer/songwriter Lady K Soul, to give back to the community.
“This event is based on getting every poet out there, to come out of their comfort zones and portray their poetry in the manner that they see fit. It’s also a platform for fellow artists to express themselves through dancing, singing, rapping, storytelling, acting or playing an instrument,” says Kristen Fortuin of Cape Groove.
“The event is based on showcasing your poetry and other forms of the arts, such as singing, rapping, dancing, storytelling, acting and playing an instrument. With so many amazing artists out there, with limited stages or opportunities to portray their talents, we created Chilling with a Poet: Open Stage for artists to showcase their talents and for people to support local arts.”
This month at Chilling with a Poet, the event will be in celebration of women.
The theme is “Queens” and the event will include a women-only lineup.
“All women are queens and we encourage you to come through and participate in our event. We will be having a best dressed competition where you can win a wonderful prize,” says Fortuin.
The initiative was started in Mitchell’s Plain because of a lack of opportunities for artists and their work, with the BlaqPearl Foundation being based in the area, Fortuin says.
“The reason we named it Chilling with a Poet is because it’s an intimate event, intimate spacing and we are involving the patrons with the artists. We want everyone to feel as one and feel the positive emotions out of everyone’s performances,” says Fortuin.
“So far [the initiative] has caught a lot of people’s attention. Every month we are receiving more and more artists interested in the Open Stage and patrons who love supporting local talent.”
The events are open to artists from all over the city. This month, the line-up will feature Lady K Soul as the headliner, supported by Blaq Pearl, Gertrude Conrad, Aphrodite Belly? Dance Studio and more.
