Writing at the cradle of civilisation
18-25 February 2023
NAIROBI, KENIA
Workshop
masterclass
Writing at the cradle of civilisation
18-25 February 2023
NAIROBI, KENIA

Supervised by Philip Meersman
Philip Meersman performs worldwide and teaches experimental, visual and performance poetry workshops.
Being a multilingual poet, he pushes the boundaries of written and spoken poetry based on the news, socio-political or environmental topics.
He curates the Brussels Planetarium Poetry Fest (http://poetryfest.brussels) and coordinates the European and Worldwide slam competitions.
He coordinates the itinerant organization of the inclusive European & World Championships Poetry Slam.
He is the artistic coordinator Creative Europe project “Urban Time Machines” which combines slam poetry with the technology of planetarium dome projections and creating a live-virtual performance portal.
In this workshop we will cover
Masterclass
At the end of this workshop/masterclass you will have improved your writing techniques, you will be able to use writing prompts to kickstart your writing processes, you will be aware of the impact different writing tools and resources have on the way you write, you will be able to write site specific poetry and will have explored performance techniques and audience interaction strategies to be used on stage.
This is a mixed local and international poets workshop where the interaction of cooking together is part of the whole workshop experience.
Provisional program
Saturday: Nairobi
Arrival, transfer to hotel and welcome pack
Sunday: Nairobi
Writing prompt, breakfast, introductions & presentation of the program, group visit to the Nairobi National Park, lunch, writing & feedback session, dinner, poetry show with local poets, late nite open mic.
Monday: Nairobi - Naivasha
Writing prompt, breakfast, writing & feedback session, trip to Naivasha, arrival with room division, contemplative walk with observation techniques, preparing dinner, dinner, writing prompt & performance session, story telling around the fire place
Tuesday: Naivasha
Sunrise writing prompt, preparing breakfast, breakfast, writing prompts, collaborative writing exercises, midday snack, visit to local national park with performance sessions, preparing dinner, dinner, late night writing prompts, feedback session around the fire place.
Wednesday: Naivasha
Free reading & writing, preparing breakfast, breakfast, collaborative writing & performance exercises, midday snack, contemplative walk, deepening observation techniques & fine tuning of writing, preparing dinner, dinner, late night performance, story telling & feedback session around the fire place.
Thursday: Naivasha - Nairobi
Sunrise writing prompt, preparing breakfast, breakfast, performance writing & stage exercises, packing, trip to Nairobi, transfer to hotel, fun time, dinner & local poetry show.
Friday: Nairobi
Breakfast, interactive reading program, lunch, sound check, rehearsals with feedback session, dinner, final workshop performance, party.
Saturday: Nairobi
Breakfast, packing, evaluation and feedback session, lunch, cosy sharing experiences afternoon, transfer to airport, return home.
Subscriptions
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690€ early bird (till October1st)
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790€ normal price (after October 1st)
100€ discount for WPSO members*
*If you are a formal member of the World Poetry Slam Organization (WPSO), please check the box in the application form below.
Prices include transfer airport - hotel & hotel-airport, a hotel room in Nairobi and quality lodging at Naivasha lakeside, meals in Nairobi and ingredients in Naivasha, water, soft drinks, coffee and tea, transfer Nairobi- Naivasha and back, workshop teacher, welcome pack with course material, a best off chapbook, a personalised feedback session, performance opportunities with video capture, entree fees to national parks, shows and venues.
Not included: Travel to Nairobi, souvenirs, alcoholic drinks and other personal expenses nor single room occupancy.
Payment instructions will follow after validation of your application.
Subscriptions are only valid when the subscription fee has been received.
What people said after attending the workshop
"Thanks for all the resources"
"There are so many ways to express yourself in poetry"
"I can co-write a poem that's not a duet"
"It's entirely possible to write a poem by joining random non-sense words"
"There are so many techniques to help you pass writer's block"
"Your poetry career might take whole new turn"
"The workshop was so amazing"
"Amazing food!"
"You get to learn so much"
