In the rise of Spoken Word’s popularity, the genre cannot be discussed without saying the name Shane Koyczan. In 2010, the world caught a glimpse of Koyczan’s prodigious talent with his presentation at the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. His stand-out performance helped shine a light on this street poet from Vancouver’s downtown east side.
This prolific artist has seen his books and videos used worldwide in classrooms and adapted by Vancouver Opera. His voice has been sought by luminaries like George Miller of Mad Max: Fury Road fame and David Suzuki as part of the environmental Blue Dot Tour. Shane’s fiercely honest TED Talk highlighted the kind of humanity he brings to each performance — tackling trauma, vulnerability, bravery, and even laughter in a way that viscerally connects with audiences.
Thank you to Paula Palyga and David Demers for sponsoring this performance.
