Ghosts Prelude
Lunch & A Show with The Literatti
August 8th, 1 pm @ Salute Bar, Bank St, Whangarei
The Literatti present a prelude of Echoing The Ghosts, taking the Ghosts Project on the road and into the North. Join us for an afternoon of spoken word poetry written to and performed with music on Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts I & II albums. Over 6 months of workshopping the group has written 18 poems that confront characters from history, making 'the ghosts of the modern age' dance to the music that has evolved out of it.
Literatti @ ZineFest
8:00 pm August 14th @ Whammy Bar & Wine Cellar, St Kevins Arcarde - FREE
Literartists Daniel Larsen & Christian Jensen perform alongside a range of other musicians and artists for Zinefest. Will post exact performance time when we know it.
Echoing The Ghosts
September 18th, 7pm @ Corbans Estate Chapel. In association with the Going West Festival & Metonymy.
September 25th, 7 pm @ Galatos. In association with the Moving Image Centre.
The Literatti have been working with the music Nine Inch Nails released onto the creative commons since November 2009, in a process they came to call The Ghosts Project. Riffing to the theme 'the ghosts of the modern age', the five poets crafted performance poetry that would take a character from history and interact with them in some way. Poets selected tracks to write to, from the first two albums in Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts collection, building an eclectic mix of poetry that spans every genre and emotion.
The outcome is a 60-minute show called Echoing The Ghosts.
Echoing The Ghosts confronts characters that have shaped our world/view such as Lewis Carroll, Te Whiti, Kate Sheppard, Alfred Nobel, The Wright Brothers, Madonna, Sigmund Freud, Voltaire, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rosa Parks and more. Poetry is performed to the music on the album that inspired the project, thanks to the freedom provided by Nine Inch Nails' decision to release the music under a creative commons, Noncommercial-Share-Alike agreement. You can download & listen to the albums by following the links on the Nine Inch Nails website www.nin.com.
With a cast comprised of slam winners, musical-poets and the odd Poetry Idol champion, and a year spent workshopping since Growl and the Def Jam collaboration, Echoing The Ghosts is set to take things to a whole new level.
Cast: Miriam Barr, Christian Jensen, Daniel Larsen, Sabrina Muck & Anna Kaye Forsyth.
Directed by Miriam Barr - her last stint as creative director
Co-directed by Christian Jensen - his first stint as creative director
Supported by First Scene
Literatti @ Cutting Edge Conference's Night Out
10:30 pm, September 23rd, Bacco Room, 53 Nelson Street, CBD
The Literatti perform at Cutting Edge, the Drug & Alcohol conference's Night Out alongside bands Puddle and Surf Friends at the Bacco Room in the city.
Past Shows
2010
June 23-25, 9:30 - 11:30 am, Auckland Central Remand Prison Workshops & Performance Showcase
Literartists Miriam Barr, Christian Jensen, Daniel Larsen & Shane Hollands are joined by Michael Rudd to run workshops with youth inmates at Auckland Central Remand Prison, rounded off with a joined performance showcase for other prisoners.
The Literatti presents... SIDE STREAM POETRY BROTHEL: February 28th, 9:30 pm @ Forde's Bar
Inspired and supported by the New York originals, this was New Zealand's first ever Poetry Brothel. Set in the 1930's, a range of poets dressed up and sold themselves off for poetry lap-dances (1-on-1 private readings), poetry peep-shows (watching two people make poetry) and poetrty three-ways (joining in with two other poets). All in the name of raising money for Side Stream, an independent, free poetry zine. Side Stream Poetry Prostitutes included Literartists Miriam Barr (who started Side Stream back in 2007 & organised this gig), Shane Hollands and Daniel Larsen.
In Association with First Scene, Titirangi Theatre Company & Bright Yellow Beetle Records.
2009
December 1, 8pm, Poetry Live, at Thirsty Dog, Koha Entry.
Literartists Miriam Barr and Daniel Larsen have been collaborating together with DJ Steve Riley to create a very special 30 minute performance specifically for the Poetry Live stage. Poetry Live runs from 8 - 11 pm, with a musician starting off the evening, and open mic as well.
November 24 8 pm, Poetry Live, at Thirsty Dog, Koha Entry.
Don't miss literartist Christian Jensen and ex-Literartist Murray Lee in their joint guest poet spot at Poetry Live. A rare opportunity to see more of these two poets.
November 15, 12 noon - 4:30 pm, Mt Albert War Memorial Hall, all ages event
Literartist Sabrina Muck performs alongside Stephanie Johnson, Tim Heath, Jai MacDonald, Serie Barford and John Pule for the Courage Day event for imprisoned writers.
GLOBAL EYES / FEET / VOICE Performance Evening, October 24, 8 pm, Thirsty Dog. $5 on door.
Literartists Miriam Barr, Daniel Larsen, Christian Jensen and Sabrina Muck perform alongside Genevieve McClean and other poets involved in the Global Eyes Feet Voice exhibition at Te Karanga on K Rd (open until October 22nd). Under the coordination of Christian Jensen the poets will be accompanied by Jonathan Besser on piano and later in the evening the Literartists among us will perform with semi-improvised music by Craig Humphries and Paul Williams. Copies of the full colour book featuring the poetry from the project, images of the object art we made, and Chan Andreassend's light sculptures, and a multimedia CD including audio recordings of the poetry.
OCTOBER GIG, Kings Arms Tavern, October 8th
The Literatti perform among a line up including Karen Hunter, Reb Fountain and Trimz for Mental Health Awareness Week at The Kings Arms. October 8th. $5 door charge. Cast: Miriam Barr, Christian Jensen, Daniel Larsen and Murray Haddow.
RHYTHM & VERSE, 7:30 pm Thursday August 20th @ Lopdell House
Overlooking the Waitakeres, The Literatti join a line up of established poets and musicians on the top floor of Titirangi's Lopdell House for Rhythm & Verse. Tickets $10 on the door. Cast: Miriam Barr, Christian Jensen, & Daniel Larsen with Craig Humphries - Live and Improvised.
DIRTY WORDS LIVE SESSIONS 3:00 pm Sunday May 17th @ Thirsty Dog
An afternoon of improvised jazz music with winged poetry and a sprinkling of poetry sports (theatre sports with poems). The musicians have never heard the poetry before and the poets have never worked with the musicians before. Christian Jensen has already partaken of the experiment and next month Literartists Miriam Barr and Murray Lee join the ranks and take the plunge.
BANG BANG CARAVEL@ Cross St Studios, 9 pm, March 21st
Literartists Miriam Barr and Christian Jensen are joined by Texture (Edinburgh) to perform as part of the Cross St Studios Auckland Fringe showcase, Bang Bang Caravel - they turned the entire venue into a tent made out of sheets and blankets. Like a giant version of what you built when you were a kid.
GROWL @ London Bar w/ Def Jam poet Nikki Patin (USA) & Fiona Holding (Cello) March 7th
Literartists Miriam Barr, Murray Lee, Christian Jensen & Sabrina Muck collaborate with Chicago-based poet Nikki Patin (HBO Def Jam season 4) and cellist Fiona Holding to bring you Growl. Utilising technology, the poets swapped words with Patin over distance and spent a week workshopping in person when she arrived on New Zealand shores for the show and her national Phat Grrrl Revolution Tour. GROWL was part of the Auckland Fringe Festival. Supported by Gravity.
Inhibition Exhibition @ Te Karanga March 6th & @ Galatos March 20th
2008
Poetry Live @ Te Karanga Gallery , December 08
One Foot Forward @ The Lady Fisher Auditorium, November 08
Mental Health Awareness Week gig @ The Wine Cellar October 08
NZ Book Month @ The Art Lounge September 08
Winter Warmers @ The Art Lounge August 08
Word of Mouth Auckland @ TAPAC July 08
The Montana Poetry Slam @ The London Bar July 08
Word of Mouth @ The Dunedin Fringe Festival April 08
The Kerouac Effect @ The Wine Cellar March 08
Rhyme or Reason @ Wine Cellar February 08
Parihaka International Peace Festival January 08
2007
Parnell Festival of Roses 07
Wallace Trust Art Gallery 07
Ubud Readers and Writers Festival in Bali 07
Observations from the Poetry Factory book launch @ Shanghai Lils 07
The Montana Poetry Slam @ The London Bar July 07
A New History of Poetry @ The Whangarei Midwinter Arts Festival July 07
The Kerouac Effect 07 @ Shanghai Lils
The Literatti Roasted I, II, & III @ Roasted Addiqtion 07
The Parihaka International Peace Festival 07
2006
Tangents Booklaunch @ The Classic 06
Happy's in Wellington October 06
RadioActive in Wellington October 06
the Purple Duck's CD Release @ Shanghai Lils September 06