Beat St this Thursday

Beat St Sessions this Thursday 17 November @ Beat St Cafe, cnr Barbadoes & Armagh Sts  Sign in & schmoozing from 6pm + live music by bad boy busker Jon Adams  Open mic poetry from 7pm + guest poets Joanna Preston and Sean Joyce  www.facebook.com/BeatStSessions

Christchurch gets a Zinefest

Yup. It's happening and we're proud to promote such a great event. All you need to know is right here. We'll be there celebrating eight long years of publishing (even though I'm sure purists probably don't consider Catalyst a 'zine', we're still stalwarts of self-published literature - Neoismist Press has published 17 book projects including Catalyst in 8 years and done production duties on a further 4 including a novel). So yeah, we'll be there alright!

The deets are:

Zinefest Christchurch
Saturday 3rd December - 11am - 4.30pm
The Archive
336 St Asaph St

Beat St Sessions this week!

But wait, there's more!

For those whose taste for spoken word is simply insatiable like us Catalyst heads then it's been a veritable feast over these two weeks with 3 nights of poetry within 8 days! For a city that's been (un)quiet for so long, it's virtually screaming poetry right now.

It's already the week of the third Thursday of the month and that means it's time for Beat St Sessions at Beat St Cafe.

There's music from 6pm and sign up for the open mic - the poetry kicks off at 7pm.

Be there - coffee. eats. music. poetry.

word.

Beat St Sessions
Beat St Cafe - cnr Barbadoes & Armagh Sts
6pm music +open mic sign up
7pm - The Poetry!
$5 on the door if you can

Canterbury Poets Collective Starts This Week!

Wow, time sure does roll around like a 33 on 45rpm doesn't it?

This Wednesday (tomorrow!) is the first night of the Spring Season of Canterbury Poets Collective readings. And it's a fairly handy line up too with Vincent O'Sullivan, Jan Hutchison, Christina Stachurski + an open mic. It's also the launch of VoicePrints3 and apparently it's BYO this week!

Wednesdays 6.30pm $5
CPSA building, CPIT
5 Madras Street
Open Mic + Guest Poets

Slam on! More images...

Natalie Good

Eli Litzelman (4th)

Andrew Coyle (2nd)

Danielle O'Halloran (3rd)

Barry Southam

A Loft-full of Poetry - ChCh Poetry Slam Final 2011

The Housewife from Hell lights up the room.

Oh, and slam we did! Great turn out at the loft upstairs in the Pegasus Arms for the inaugural Christchurch Poetry Slam (Poetry Idol is dead - long live the Slam!). Check out the images (apologies for the artiness, Kez was enjoying a night off MCing duties rather too much!) A full complement of poets entered the fray and the standard was excellent - our audience judges had their work cut out for them - it was close run thing too, but alas, only the mighty would go through to the national final in Wellington on 29th October - and they are: Danielle O'Halloran Andrew Coyle Ben Brown plus wildcard entry: Eli Litzelman A formidable team indeed - look out NZ, the south will rise!

Josephine Parsnip

Slam Master Mike (he's on fire!) For many the anticipation was too much as they attempted
to look like they were having a good time

Regan Stokes

Christchurch Poetry Slam tonight!

At last, the wait is over! Be there tonight - slammers unite!

Thursday 13th October, 7pm for sign up, 7.30 kick off!
Pegasus Arms upstairs, 14 Oxford Terrace
Free entry

ChCh Poetry Slam Poster

Canterbury Poets Collective returns! Spring Season announced

Canterbury Poets Collective (CPC) presents

Poetry in Performance the 2011 Spring Season

The new big fat comfortable venue is the CPIT Students Association (CPSA) Hall, at 5 Madras Street and about 300 meters south of our well loved Madras Café and Book Shop.

Open mic and guest readers. Wednesdays at 6.30 pm
Audience vote for the Best Open Mic Poet, see 7 December below.


19 October Vincent O'Sullivan, Jan Hutchison, Christina Stachurski,
Launch of VoicePrints3, featuring BYO & Visiting poets from 2010.

26 October Diana Bridge, Rodney Foster, Helen Bascand.

2 November Selina Marsh, Mark Raffills, Helen Jacobs.

9 November Bill Manhire, Steve Thomas, Dina Durrer.

16 November David Eggleton, Poets of The Hagley Writers' Institute.

23 November Vana Manasiadis, Gail Collier, James Norcliffe.

30 November Sarah Broom, Catherine Fitchett, Sandy Bain.

7 December Winning Open Mic Poets from the season.

Get Ready to Slam

Announcing the Canterbury heat of NZ POETRY SLAM!

That's right, Aotearoa is organisin' and rising up to meet the challenge of Australia's best slam poets. Who will represent NZ in the first ever trans-tasman poetry slam?

This being it's first year there are finals only in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The winners from each region will face off in Wellington on 29th October to find the best of the best to take on the Aussies.

Keep up with the latest news here: NZPOETRYSLAM

Canterbury - one night only! Come one, come all
Thursday 13th October
7pm sign up - 7.30pm start
Upstairs at the Pegasus Arms
14 Oxford Terrace
Entry is FREE!

Numbers to compete are strictly limited - first come etc etc.
Have 3 poems ready
You must be prepared to travel to Wellington on 29th October (flights covered)
Check out the Slam Rules here.

US Poetry Slam Champions visit ChCh

Kia ora fellow poetic travellers. A little late notice here but we only just found out about this today...

As part of the UCSA Summer Sessions and in association with Musoc and Dramasoc, the UCSA presents a performance by two visiting US Poetry Slam champions.

Carrie Rudzinski and Ken Arkind will be at the Undercroft (under the James Hight Library, University of Canterbury) performing TOMORROW (Thurs 22nd Sept) from 12.30pm to 1.15pm for FREE. Nice!

Here's Carrie performing "Open Letter to the Last Person I Will Ever Love"

And here's Ken performing "For Wes"


NOTE: This is happening TOMORROW! The details again:

US Slam Poets
Thursday 22nd September
12.30pm - 1.15pm
The Undercroft
(James Hight Building, University of Canterbury)
and it's FREE

Beat St Sessions - get rhythm!

Beat St Sessions returns for more following its triumphant debut at Beat St Cafe in August.
Spring is here so get along for some poetry and tunes and yummy temptations courtesy of Beat St Cafe.

Guest poets this month are the mesmerising Danielle O'Halloran and the globe-trotting Doc Drumheller (that's right folks, Doc is back and hitting da mic!)


Beat St Sessions (Third Thursday of the month)
Thursday 15th September
Beat St Cafe cnr Barbadoes & Armagh Sts
$5 if you can

Sign up from 6pm
with live tunes by Andy Coyle

Poetry from 7pm
open mic plus guest poets
Danielle O'Halloran
& Doc Drumheller with support from Aaron Boot

Beat St Sessions - Live Poetry+Music - Third Thursdays

Feature Poets & Open Mic
Third Thursday of the month
Beat St Cafe - cnr Barbadoes & Armagh Sts
6pm - Music & sign up for open mic
7pm - Poetry kicks off
$5 door if you can

true flowers by dYLAN kEMP is launching this week!

Our good mate dYLAN kEMP has arisen through the dust and rubble with a bunch of true flowers for everyone. Come and support him and check out the very much alive Christchurch poetry community this weekend. Media release follows:

Gap Filler is proud to support another literary event on a gap site - the launch of local poet dYLAN kEMP's third book, true flowers, featuring performance poetry by the author and other local poets. dYLAN has been writing and performing poetry for 20 years, all over New Zealand. A powerful and consummate performer, dYLAN's work is accessible, rich, and fun. He has been published in Takahe, Kokako and Catalyst magazines, and has featured in the Phantom Billstickers poetry on posters project.


The launch will feature performance poetry by dYLAN kEMP as well as Christchurch poets Tusiata Avia, James Norcliffe, Andy Coyle and Laura Tomlin – all accomplished performers and masterful craftspeople in their own right. An open mic session will follow for other poets out there who wish to present some of their work. dYLAN's book will be available for purchase on the day for $20.

Date: Saturday, 13 August (postponed in case of rain by one week – check gapfiller.org.nz or Gap Filler's Facebook page if unsure).

Time: 12pm sharp til approx. 2pm

Location: Former site of Herbal Dispensary and Williamson Picture Framing, cnr Kilmore and Barbadoes streets, the home of Gap Filler's Think Differently Book Exchange. If you haven't yet contributed a book that made you think differently to the fridge that is the book exchange, here's your chance!

Bring a plate of food to share and/or a chair if you like.

This event has been made possible by the generous support of Gap Filler, Creative Communities, and Phantom Billstickers.

Hope to see you there...

Poetry for Pudding returns!

The rumours of their demise having been very much exaggerated - Poetry for Pudding rides again!

Recommencing at UBS (University Bookshop) on Friday 12th August at lunchtime (12pm - 1.30pm) Poets of any age or stage are welcome - bring a poem to share - yours or someone else's.

Keep it alive Christchurch!

Poetry for Pudding

UBS bookshop

University of Canterbury

Friday 12th August

12pm to 1.30pm

Final Poetry for Pudding at Borders!

Could this be the end? Say it ain't so!

But come and show your support and celebrate a beautiful run at Borders Bookshop one last time.

Poetry for Pudding

Friday 15th July 7pm

Borders Bookshop

Rotheram St,

Riccarton

National Poetry Day in Christchurch

National Poetry Day is Friday 22nd July

Received from Canterbury Poets Collective (thanks Sean!):

Canterbury University Bookshop invites you to come and enjoy some literary life in our recovering city.

Friday 22nd July

12pm - 1.30pm

Canterbury University Bookshop

Patrick Evans will chair a session with poets James Norcliffe, Tusiata Avia and students from the Hagley Writers Institute and the School for Young Writers.

Also appearing will be singer/songwriter Adam McGrath of The Eastern.

FREE tea & coffee, bring your lunch and a poem to add to the Poetry Wall.

Catalyst on The Green Fuse radio show!

The Gate-Crashers Who Refused to Leave.

Typical poets, for the past month or so we have moved from occasional guest poets, crashin' on the sofa of the Green Fuse radio show (Volcano Radio 88.5 - streaming live to the world at http://www.volcanoradio.co.nz/) to taking over the helm of the good ship, drinking all the wine and monopolising the stereo while erstwhile poet-sojourner Ben Brown takes up his Maori writers residency at the Michael King Writers' Centre. Media release on that here.

You can tune in to the show via the miracle of the world wide interweb unless you're blessed to be living in Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupo. Click on the link above to Volcano's website and you click on the link to stream to your favoured player there.

Be sure to drop by here and let us know what you'd like to hear. We're planning some cool shows for the near future along with some special guests. And we'll do our best to keep the place tidy for Ben...

Redwood & Rhythm in CHCH!

Redwood returns to her roots! Aka Rebecca Reider is a previous winner of Catalyst's Poetry Idol and was a regular face at the open mic nights. See her perform works from her recently released album Poetree. More info below:

Poetry & music duo Redwood & Rhythm are coming to Lyttelton and Christchurch to culminate their tour of the South Island with a performance at The Loons in Lyttelton on Sat., April 30th and a community workshop/open mic/performance evening at Sand Dance Cafe in New Brighton on Sun., May 1st.
Redwood & Rhythm is the fusion of performance poet Redwood Reider and guitarist/mandolin player Rhythm Raniera.

Sat., April 30th, 8pm
The Loons, Lyttelton.
$10 donation requested,
but all welcome regardless of ability to pay

Optional poetry writing workshop with Redwood:
Sun, May 1st
Sandancer Cafe,
New Brighton Mall (formerly Space of Love; across from Paper Plus).
Bring notebook at 7pm, followed by open mic poetry night at 8pm,
with a shorter performance by Redwood & Rhythm.
$5-10 donation requested / all welcome

Redwood (aka Rebecca Reider) is a spoken word poet known for inspiring audiences with her energetic performances set to live music. Born of the California slam poetry scene, this is poetry for the stage, not the page, ranging from the intimate to the political (and sometimes both at the same time). Rhymes of inner & outer revolution, of the individual's quest to achieve peace in a sometimes maddening world. Redwood has performed at festivals and venues across Aotearoa and has just released her first studio album, Poetree, featuring collaborations with a dozen musicians from NZ and beyond, ranging from meditative compositions set to flute and string trio, to live rapping and electric guitar loops. (Hear the album on http://redwoodthepoet.bandcamp.com/) She also teaches poetic creation workshops.

The nimble-fingered traveling musician Rhythm Raniera creates musical landscapes using string instruments, voice, and a loop pedal, voyaging across the genres from folk to reggae grooves. Together Redwood & Rhythm cocreate lively flows and spontaneous improvisations -- the words riding on Rhythm's melodies -- aiming from the heart to the heart. Audiences have found themselves listening deeply, singing along and dancing in the rain; it's always a varied and dynamic show.

For more info: www.myspace.com/rebeccapoetry

Let us rise! Gap Filler #3

Ready....Steady....GO!
Good morning!

You are warmly invited to come to Gap Filler #3 at 276 Colombo Street, Beckenham from tomorrow (Friday)! I dare say it shall be rather far from warm, so rug up, bring a cushion/chair, an extra blanket and come and watch a film. There will also be live music from 5pm each night. The Eastern, Run Around Sue, Blues Professor, The Cracks in Everything, Darren Tatom, Lupis Luna, Plasticine Heroes, I Gave These Guys 5 Bucks, Sebastian Warren and Dr Sanchez confirmed thus far! Think of the site being a place to socialise, catch up and enjoy offerings from ChCh's creative community.

Films are free, but we would gratefully appreciate it if you drop a little something in our koha box on your way out to help us cover our costs. Here is what's on offer:

Friday, April 1, 8pm: Gordonia, (Tom Reilly, NZ, 2010, 80mins).

"One of the most extraordinary NZ documentaries in recent times, or perhaps ever" -Marcus Lush.
A community of wild West Auckland men fight for their right to live rough in a "designated scenic area" in the Waitakere Ranges. Gordonia featured in the 2010 International Film Festival. http://www.gordonia.info/

Saturday April 2, 8pm: Four Houses from Four Decades (Zoë Roland, NZ, 2008, 28mins).

Features abodes designed by Paul Pascoe, Don Donnithorne, Don Cowey and Warren and Mahoney. This screening will feature a talk by Dr Jessica Halliday, architectural historian and researcher for the film.

Sunday, April 3, 8pm: A programme of Len Lye's films followed by Roger Horrocks' Len Lye documentary Art That Moves

A celebration of the radically endearing work of New Zealand renaissance man Len Lye, famous for his kinetic sculptures and "direct film": films made by scratching, drawing and painting directly onto the celluloid film strip. We'll show a fair few of Lye's short films and a doco about him. Introduced by Len Lye Foundation director Evan Webb. http://www.pointofview.co.nz/Art_that_Moves.htm

More films will screen from Wednesday April 6 to Sunday April 10 from approximately 7pm (end of daylight savings). These will feature Gerard Smyth's film Barefoot Cinema about legendary NZ cinematographer Alun Bollinger; Candyman, a documentary by Costa Botes (NZ/USA) on the man who lost the Jelly Belly jelly bean empire; NZ short films by Taika Waititi (director of Boy and Eagle v Shark) and others; and classic heritage films of Christchurch and Canterbury in the early days accompanied by live music - Daughter of Christchurch (1928) and Cars to Carrington (1935-40). Plus much more.

Check our website for more information as we will update is regularly. gapfiller.org.nz

The site will open each night from 5pm with live music until dusk. Come early to get a good spot and bring a picnic. There is a Fish and Chip/Chinese take-away next door as well as businesses further along on Colombo Street where food can be purchased.

Location
Next door to Smiths Mitre 10
276 Colombo Street
Beckenham

Getting there
We encourage you to walk, ride or bus to the site or at least share a car with friends. Parking will be limited. There is some parking in the King St Mitre 10 car park. Please be thoughtful of local residents when you park in nearby streets.

Events will be canceled in the event of wet weather - check the website and Facebook page for notification. Please dress for chilly weather. You need to bring your own chairs and cushions as no seating will be provided this time. Site capacity is limited and Gap Filler will close the gate if it gets too full.

See you there!

x Gap Filler

PS: A very, very big thank you to land owner Murray Smith of Smith's Mitre 10, Beckenham for the use of the gap.