to bring issues pertaining to their countries circumstances to light. The oral tradition panel discussed classic and contemporary ways of expression. We also talked about building sustainable communities through strong networks as well as how to grow the 100tpc movement which encompasses every continent around the world. We're having our global event on the 26 of September. This event will take place all over the world on the 26th check out [ http://100tpc.org ]. We also discussed fundraising for artists to pay Visa fees. Several artists were denied Visas due to conflict and one of my brothers from Uganda said a few of the African poets could not come because they grant Visas based on income.
Did you have some great networking/collaboration opportunities?
I definitely made connections with people and was offered open invitations to quite a few countries abroad and definitely plan to bring my style overseas again. One of the best parts of the trip was being able to collaborate artistically. We marched through the streets of Italy bringing poetry to the people. I couldn’t believe the love that displayed for the words we left on the streets! It was an incredible experience.
Share with us your fondest memory from the trip.
My fondest memory of the trip was on the first day. I started to recite a piece in front of a church from the 16th century in the middle of a neighborhood. People started coming out of their windows to listen and when I was done they cheered. It was surreal. One of the men was yelling at me to say it in Italiano.
ELEVA8UP {September 2015}