Woman Scream 2013 New Zealand

Catalyst Road Show 2, 3^rd Woman Scream International Poetry Festival, 14th March

Gap Filler Summer Pallet Pavilion, Christchurch, New Zealand

As part of the 3rd Woman Scream International Poetry Festival, the Catalyst Road Show rolled on in to the incredible space of the Gap Filler Summer Pallet Pavilion. A visually engaging and dynamic space, the Summer Pallet Pavilion is built from over 3000 wooden pallets and is a showcase for the possibilities of innovative transitional architecture in a city that is ready to embrace new ideas, after the loss of clubrooms and community halls demolished as a result of the earthquakes.

This is the first time New Zealand has been represented in this international celebration of women’s voices. We were proud to showcase a line-up of some of Christchurch's many talented emerging poets and musicians as one of more than 30 countries linking up for the festival throughout March. The all-women programme featured:

Marisa Cappetta, Helen Back, Kimberley Holmes, Sarah Amazinnia, Rosa Hughes-Currie, Rebecca Nash and musicians Courtenay Stickels and Kate Anastasiou.

An open mic section was open to all poets, male and female. The ticket price included a free, limited edition chapbook featuring the poems and songs of the nights programme:

Knitting Lessons

My mother’s left hand

is an anarchist.

My mother’s left hand

holds a cigarette

like a movie star.

My mother’s left hand

teaches a stroke patient

to button her shirt.

My mother’s left hand

peels an orange

for her daughter.

My left hand is a goat

useless except for

the subversive underground

knitting my mother’s

left hand taught me.

-Marisa Cappetta

We donated $370 NZD from the door sales to Christchurch Women’s Refuge here in New Zealand in honour of the themes of Woman Scream. Christchurch Women's Refuge is an independent Canterbury-based charity which provides specialist family violence services to women and children living with and surviving family violence.  We are very proud that we could make a donation and at the same time raise awareness to domestic violence issues. It was a great privilege to be able to participate in this worldwide event and to be able to honour women through such a worthy and noble cause.

--Doc Drumheller, Editor for Catalyst

 

To check other countries events go HERE