OVERLOAD NEWS

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Amir Sulaiman in Australia – 17 December

A message from our friends at the Naxariis Foundation Inc

presenting…

Amir Sulaiman’s ‘The Meccan Openings’ Melbourne Tour

Come along and witness DEF Jam Poet Amir Sulaiman’s first ever Australian tour as he takes Melbourne through his poetic pilgrimage.

Amir Sulaiman is an accomplished poet, activist, recording artist and a 2 time HBO Def Poet. Host and performer for national Breed Love Odyssey Tour with Mos Def and Talib Kweli and special guest on KRS-ONES Hip Hop Lives Tour there is a steady but ever increasing buzz building around Amir quickly gaining the attention of everyone from Kanye West and Russell Simmons (who referred to Amir as “blessed”), to Dave Chapelle. In addition, organizations such as the ACLU, Amnesty International and Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition have used Amir’s poetry and voice to bring life to multiple campaigns dealing with social justice and art. Consistently working across the United States and Canada, Amir has shared the stage with artists such as Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, Common , Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Pharoah Monch, Floetry, Black Thought of The Roots, Goapele, Stevie Wonder, The Last Poets, Dead Prez, Ghostface of Wu-Tang Clan, MOP, and more.

Hosted by Luka Lesson and featuring a line up of amazing Melbourne based, talented poets:

Alia Gabres
Nour Abouzeid
Sara Mussa
Xaamud Aden
Zoe Hendrix Newport
Abshir Ahmed
Salim Mohamed

Poetry and art are historically significant part of East African and Somali culture and to highlight the strength and perseverance of the East African people we aim to positively inspire the youth and showcase their talent while raising funds for the drought stricken victims in East Africa. This night will also feature elements of East African culture such as dance, story telling, and so much more.

Proudly brought to you by the ‘Strength Not Silence’ campaign

Saturday 17 December
Carrillo Gantner Theatre
Sydney Myer Asia Centre
761 Swantson St (cnr Monash Rd)
Parkville

For info on tickets, or reservations email bookings.naxariis@gmail.com, or call Ahmed Shide on 0401 876 778 or  Halima Fiqi on 0401 124 670

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Queensland Poetry Festival open for submissions

A message from our friends at QPF for all you Melbourne poets seeking winter respite in 2012:

Queensland Poetry Festival invites expressions of interest and proposals from poets, performer, and artists interested in being part of the 16th annual three-day festival spoken in one strange word. QPF 2012 will run from 24 – 26 August at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

We are keen to hear from all individuals and groups interested in performing at QPF 2012, or who have projects to pitch that can be run in association with the festival. While all projects should have a relationship to poetic language, we encourage applications from artists wishing to explore the relationship between poetry and other art forms. If you are programmed to perform at QPF 2012 flights, accommodation and performance fees will be provided.

Submission deadline: Wednesday 22nd February, 2012

For submission form & guidelines please visit www.queenslandpoetryfestival.com 

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Word is born – 10 November 2011

A great gig coming your way, featuring some of Overload’s best friends. Check it out:

Entering its 3rd event, Word Is Born joins the poetry and hip hop communities of Melbourne together, showcasing spoken word pieces on the topic Revolution: A Tribute To Gil Scott-Heron.

Hosted by Omar Musa (08’ Aus. Poetry Slam Champion, ‘The Massive’ E.P, ‘World Goes To Pieces’ L.P, MoneyKat, Scott-Heron German tour support act) and Joelistics (TZU, Elefant Tracks, ‘Voyager’ L.P) will speak on Revolution as it’s obvious global and personal manifestations in our time.

Also to pay tribute to the ‘Godfather of Rap’, one of the world’s greatest pioneers of the spoken word. Poet, author, activist, song writer and musician Gil Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011). Scott-Heron is best known for his song The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Melbourne Poetry heavyweights performing include Emilie Zoey Baker (winner, 2010 International Slam Review), Steve Smart (Founder of Overload Poetry Festival), Sean M. Whelan & Isnod (‘Tattooing the Surface of the Moon’ book, 2010 winner of the Moving Galleries People’s Choice Award), Michelle Dabrowski (Throw Poetry Collective, Montreal), Joel McKerrow (Centre for Poetics and Justice, Global Poetics Tour), Nour Abouzeid (State Champion 2010 Aus. Poetry Slam), Randall Stephens (Sweetalkers) and Meena Shamalay (Centre for Poetics and Justice, Aus. Poetry Slam finalist, ‘Best Performance’ at Poetry Idol).

They will be joined by local Melbourne hip hop icons Candice Monique (& The Optics), Marlon ‘Elf Tranz’ Porter (Combat Wombat, Metabass’n'Breath, ‘Ethereal Lotus Fleet’ L.P), Lotus, Ee’da (‘Holographic Love’ E.P), Ollie MC (‘Battlefield Of Distraction’ E.P, ‘Navigate The Crosswind’ L.P), Link McElvenny (Inkstain Pro, Squid Squad), Vytal One & Muma Doesa (Blunt Paper Massive) and Ali MC (New Dub City Sound). Word Is Born aims to merge the Melbourne communities of hip hop and poetry to be entertaining, informing and inspiring to all lovers of words under one umbrella. Handouts on the night will contain affiliated events, gigs and artist information that acts are involved with to help connect the scenes with the public, especially the new-commers.

Word Is Born will be held at Bella Union (Level 1 Trades Hall, Cnr. Lygon & Victoria Streets, Carlton) on Thursday November 10. Doors from 7pm. $12 tickets available at www.bellaunion.com.au

www.facebook.com/TimHelmyPresents

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Thank you!

It’s hard to believe that almost two weeks have gone by since the end of the Overload. After a break (sort of), we’re back on the treadmill rying to dream up what to do next year. Sounds crazy? Always is. On to number 11!

A big thank you must be said to heaps of people:

The Overload family – Ashley Molese (couldn’t have done it without you), Steve Smart, Denice Smart, all the Overload volunteers, Eleanor Jackson, Michael Reynolds, The Global Poetics Tour and Centre for Poetics and Justics crew, all the Melbourne regular poetry reading convenors and anyone who organised a one-off gig. Our sponsors and event partners – City of Yarra, Arts Victoria, Brooklyn Arts Hotel, Monash Radio, Fed Square, NGV, The Wheeler Centre. Anyone who helped spread the word: Aural Text on RRR, Maxine and all the crew at Slamup.blogspot.com, Little Girl with a Big Pen, Benjamin Solah, David McLaughlan @ Red Lobster TV, and our awesome designer, the man responsible for this website Mik Efford.

Stay tuned because we’ll be posting some photos soon, as well as keeping you up to date with what’s happening in Melbourne poetry. If you’ve got gigs you  want to promote, hit us up, and we’ll try to help you spread the word.

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Closing Night

New Shane web

So this is it. The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Is it possible to have two of the most amazing nights in Overload history on the same weekend? I’m sure it is.

It’s an absolute pleasure to host what will be an unbelieveable night of poetry and performance by the cream of poetry in this country, with a very special overseas guest. A truly stellar lineup:

Canadian spoken word virtuoso Shane Koyczan sits at the crossroads between fine writing and superstardom. Authentic, genuine and powerful, he navigates his audience through social and political territory with a furious honesty and a tender humanity that has brought audiences to their feet in New York, London, Edinburgh, Sydney and Los Angeles.

Sean M Whelan and the Interim Lovers – a post-rock/spoken word collaboration. Their album Softly and Suddenly is a mysterious love story written by Whelan inspired on Lewis Carroll’s Hunting of the Snark, beautifully instrumented by the Interim Lovers.

Emilie Zoey Baker – an internationally acclaimed poet and slam champion, winner of the Nimbin Performance Poetry World Cup, the Berlin International Literature Festival’s International Slam Review, and a guest of literary festivals in North America, Europe and Asia.

Eleanor Jackson – a poet of poignant, conversational style and the creator of a unique experiment in poetic storytelling, the Melbourne Poetry Map.

Allan Boyd and Maitland Schaars – The Antipoet and The Enforcer, described as 21st century performance poets in your faces. Raw and political spoken word by two seasoned performance poets from WA.

Lapkat (Lisa Greenaway) works with multilingual spoken word and minimal global beats in DJ sets featuring spoken word artists, poets, storytellers, MCs in all languages mixed with eclectic music styles, from old treasures of the world to the new sounds of the global electronic movement.

SOME DISCOUNT TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE through Rushcrowds. An absolute bargain.

If all else fails, Trybooking is your way to go, or of course at the door. Fitzroy Town Hall, (Main Hall) 201 Napier St Fitzroy.

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