Badilisha Poetry X-Change
Celebrating the spoken and written word through online radio and live performance.
Badilisha Poetry X-Change was conceived to celebrate the diversity of languages, cultures and styles of presenting poetry and to platform poetry as a performance art. Its mandate is to expose and support aspirant, as well as established, poetic voices, grow audiences and their appreciation for divergent poetic forms, facilitate networking, dialogue and learning opportunities between African and African Diaspora poets and poetry lovers, and to provide the means and opportunity to platform poetry focused on and dedicated to social change.
Badilisha Gallery
(Click images to enlarge)
Badilisha Video
New voices in African poetry have historically gained their global exposure and documentation through foreign publications and academic research. These narrow channels have extremely limited the plethora of African writers, poets, and academics from being read and heard throughout the world. This lack of publication and recording has meant that most young African poets and writers are exposed to and primarily influenced by the work of literary icons from the Global North through what they have been taught in school, read about, seen and heard. Their knowledge of African authors and poets is limited, preventing the inspiration and influence vital to their growth, development, self-confidence and sense of place.
The issues are not confined however, to simply the lack of access and outlets. Equally important is what Pan-Africans have to say. The contribution poets and writers have made to social change throughout history is immeasurable. The poetic medium provides an extraordinary tool to define, expose and fundamentally shape our perceptions of the worlds we occupy. Bringing these Pan-African voices beyond their localities can make a vital contribution to social change both in Africa and beyond.
To-date, Badilisha, has produced four large-scale international poetry festivals in 2008, 2009 and 2010, as well as a series of related poetry interventions e.g. seminars, workshops and training programmes. Its engagement with poets from Africa and its Diaspora has been primarily through hosting poets on its platforms and networking with South African poetry groups to extend their interaction beyond public performances.
Expanding and growing in scope and reach beyond the constraints of physical, live events, the Badilisha Poetry format now features a year-round, internet-based radio station that releases two podcasts every week. The podcasts profile a range of poets from Africa and its Diaspora. The objectives of the radio station are to:
- Enhance the platforms and deepen the nature of engagement with Pan-African poets and poetry organisations;
- Create new and viable opportunities for the promotion and sustainability of Pan-African poetry;
- Present a diversity of poetic voices, genres, languages to reflect contemporary trends and evolutions in the medium; and
- Draw attention to the social and political activist voice, present in the work of participating poets.
Badilisha Poetry X-Change is curatored by Ingrid Masondo.
To listen to the poetry podcasts or for more information and access to footage and the archive of the previous live events, please go to: www.badilishapoetry.com
