{"id":2860,"date":"2013-11-18T17:08:52","date_gmt":"2013-11-19T01:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/onelife\/?p=2860"},"modified":"2013-11-18T17:08:52","modified_gmt":"2013-11-19T01:08:52","slug":"2013-visible-verse-festival-advancing-kinetic-poetry-since-1999","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/?p=2860","title":{"rendered":"2013 VISIBLE VERSE FESTIVAL-Advancing kinetic poetry since 1999"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Alright! I still reside within a whirlwind but the mania has ebbed enough that I am finally able to report on this year’s Visible Verse festival<\/a>; unpacking but most of the boxes are gone. I worried that I wouldn’t pull it off in the middle of moving house but apparently I did, according to the feedback. “Magnificently curated” and “best one yet” typical of the response.<\/p>\n

Well, I better know what I’m doing after 14 years. And I can’t believe it’s been that long! Visible Verse started out as the Vancouver Videopoem Festival and a program of the Edgewise ElectroLit Centre way back in 1999, our first outing at Video In, now known as VIVO. We moved to Pacific Cinematheque the next year and begot Visible Verse as the Edgewise ElectroLit Centre expired in 2002. \tVideopoetry and poetry film festivals and sites continue to pop up all over the world. In addition to the esteemed Zebra Poetry Film Festival in Berlin and Video Bardo in Buenos Aires, the Filmpoem Festival and Liberated Words have recently emerged in the UK, along with \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al International Poetry-Film Competition in Ireland, Motionpoems in Minneapolis, Cyclops Poetry Film Festival in Kiev, Ukraine and the Body Electric Poetry Film Festival<\/a> in Fort Collins, Colorado. Visible Verse is proud to maintain our position as North America\u2019s sustaining venue for artistically significant videopoetry and film.<\/p>\n

Organizing the festival is a painstaking process which involves previewing over 200 entries. Thus, the cull begins. We always get heaps of experimental film and many submissions that are too long. I can’t understand why people take the time to submit their work but not to read the\u00a0guidelines, because it’s obviously a waste of time, for everyone. And money, if we charged an entry fee.<\/p>\n

We’re populist and strive for inclusiveness but the work must must meet the criteria, a wedding of word and image, in essence. Innovation, authenticity\u00a0and a strong voice are more vital than a big budget. Treatments run the gamut and videopoems are as diverse as the poets that create them. Every year we are in danger of getting bogged down in semantics and a long discussion of “What is a videopoem”? Doesn’t “videopoem” say it all? Seems pretty clear to me but hey, I’m no expert, nor arbiter. I just know what I like and always reply, when asked to define the term “videopoem,” that I know one when I see one. I could theorize ad nauseum but simply don’t have the luxury or time. Another question that came up; is it possible to convey a narrative through images alone? I think it’s difficult but certainly within the realm of possibility, though again, may or may not constitute a videopoem or poetry film.<\/p>\n

The selection process involves more viewing to the point where I’m familiar with each selection. Only then can I program the programme. Bearing in mind the tone, theme and length of each videopoem, I put them in order, the most critical part of the process. With the festival’s growth it’s becoming more difficult to include everything that I would like, so, I agonize and make some very tough decisions.<\/p>\n

The 2013 programme included national and international poets and artists \u00a0including Shane Koyzan, Kathryn MacLean, Taien Ng-Chan, CR Avery, Kirk Ramdath and Swoon Bildos. We received a lot of excellent work from the UK and Ireland. The visible<\/em> word must have gotten out over there in a big way. We were fortunate to host poet, filmmaker and founder of the Body Electric<\/a> Poetry Film Festival R.W. Perkins<\/a>, who travelled from Colorado to facilitate Literary Movement<\/em>, an engaging and informative artist talk on process and the integration of filmmaking techniques. Later we screened his more recent work, \u00a0Morning Sex & Blueberry Pancakes<\/em> and Small Talk & Little Else<\/em>, RW’s droll sense of humour enthusiastically received.<\/p>\n

Maybe I’m getting better at delegating but I was relieved to receive a lot of support and encouragement. The staff and volunteers at the Cinemathque were outstanding, especially Shaun Inouye who made sure everything was transferred properly and looked and sounded well on the big screen. Several people volunteered to document the event. Tom Weibe kindly lent his talents and took photographs<\/a> as did poet Wally Keeler,<\/a> visiting from Cobourg, Ontario, who videotaped\u00a0Literary Movement <\/a>. My\u00a0son helped immensely with the arduous task of downloading all the selections and edited the festival trailer <\/a> as well. \u00a0We have our own website at last, thanks to Monica Miller<\/a>. Visible Verse.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We must work on promotion as well. Social media helps and the festival was listed well in the local papers and featured in the North Shore News, lovely weather and a pretty good turnout, “the best yet,” including featured artists, Blair Dykes, Ray Hsu, Michael James Park, Soressa Gardner and Daniela Elza. Poetry is such a hard sell and the festival is actually more well known internationally than in Vancouver where people tend to take for granted the city’s art and culture. And I’ll never understand why cinephiles and filmmakers wouldn’t be intrigued by the idea of a poet working with moving images. Surely it could inform their own work. C’est la vie. <\/em>I persist. I’m stubborn, “weed-ish” as renowned filmmaker Al Razutis<\/a> says. He also remarked that the festival and its rich content is an “amazing gift to Vancouver.” And that is one of the major perks, the opportunity to meet and work with incredible artists from all around the world.<\/p>\n

Take a gander at the “wonderful program.” Most of these can be found on the Internet with a little googling. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

Underground <\/em>No One Famous\/Blair Dykes\tVancouver, BC\t2011<\/p>\n

Language of Desire<\/em> Kathryn MacLean\tEdmonton, AB\t2013<\/p>\n

When Walt Whitman Was a Little Girl <\/em>Jim Haverkamp\tDurham, NC\t2012<\/p>\n

Lapis and Centaurs<\/em> Frank M\u00fcller\tHamburg, Germany\t2013<\/p>\n

Something<\/em> Keith Sargeant\/Charles Bukowski poem\tLondon, UK\t2012<\/p>\n

Day Is Done<\/em> Swoon Bildos\t Mechelen, Belgium\t2012<\/p>\n

Textual Assault Placards<\/em> Wally Keeler\tCobourg, ON\t2012<\/p>\n

Last Words of the Condemned <\/em>Diane Arterian Los Angeles, CA\t2013<\/p>\n

‘1-poem-6′ <\/em>Pablo L\u00f3pez Jordan\/Vangelis Skouras \u00a0 \u00a0London, UK & Murcia, Spain<\/p>\n

Like So<\/em> Alan David Pritchard \u00a0 Isle of Wight, UK\t2011<\/p>\n

I thought I was more memorable <\/em>James O Leary \u00a0 Cork, Ireland 2013<\/p>\n

Camel<\/em> Matt Robertson\tVancouver, BC\t2013<\/p>\n

Suburban Sylph of Crying Owls<\/em> Gavin Jones\tNorth Yorkshire, UK\t2013<\/p>\n

PDA<\/em> Kal Estrel \u00a0 Kingston, UK\t 2012<\/p>\n

Onion of Love<\/em> Kirk Ramdath \u00a0 Calgary, AB<\/p>\n

Covered In Grass<\/em> Aaron Samuels \u00a0 \u00a0Cranston, Rhode Island<\/p>\n

expect something and nothing at once <\/em>Michelle Elrick \u00a0 Winnipeg, MN<\/p>\n

Morning Sex & Blueberry Pancakes <\/em>R.W. Perkins \u00a0 Fort Collins, Colorado<\/p>\n

INTERMISSION<\/p>\n

On Meeting A Fox <\/em>Janette Ayachi\tEdinburgh, Scotland<\/p>\n

Full English<\/em> Christopher Stewart\tMiddlesbrough, UK<\/p>\n

Not Death but Love: Tracing the Heart of Elizabeth Barrett Browning<\/em> Gerard Wozek\/Mary Russell
\nChicago, IL<\/p>\n

With Only My Hands<\/em> Sergej Bezuglov\/ Zakaryia Amatoya\/Cece Nobre\tBangkok, Thailand<\/p>\n

Crow Morphologies<\/em> Tara Flyn\/Daniela Elza\/Soressa Gardner\tVancouver, BC\t2013<\/p>\n

Through The Eyes of the Wind<\/em> Adam Jacobs\/Forrest Casey Golden Valley, MN\t2012<\/p>\n

Futures of the Past <\/em>Ray Hsu\/Michael Parks\/Chloe Chan Vancouver, BC\t2013<\/p>\n

To This Day<\/em> Shane Koyzan\t Pentiction, BC\t 2013<\/p>\n

Requiem for Lithium<\/em> Jason Staggie\tCapetown, South Africa\t2012<\/p>\n

Small Talk & Little<\/em> Else\u00a0R.W. Perkins\tFort Collins, Colorado 2013<\/p>\n

Thief Behind The Mask<\/em> CR Avery\tVancouver, BC\t2013<\/p>\n

Love Gang<\/em> Tara Evonne Trudell\tLas Vegas, NM<\/p>\n

The Poet Is Artificially Removed<\/em> Jordan Abel\tVancouver, BC<\/p>\n

I Love The Internet <\/em>Kevin Barrington\tDublin, Ireland<\/p>\n

Rhythm of Structure<\/em> John Sims\tNew York, NY<\/p>\n

Appraisal<\/em> Melissa Diem\tDublin, Ireland\t2013<\/p>\n

From Within<\/em> Alexandre Braga\t Lisbon, Portugal\t2013<\/p>\n

Orange<\/em> Taien Ng-Chan\t Montreal, QC\t2005<\/p>\n

Innisfree <\/em>Don Carey Dublin, Ireland\t2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alright! I still reside within a whirlwind but the mania has ebbed enough that I am finally able to report on this year’s Visible Verse festival; unpacking but most of the boxes are gone. I worried that I wouldn’t pull it off in the middle of moving house but apparently I did, according to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2860"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2860\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heatherhaley.com\/hh2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}