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Artists Ottawa
"Creativity in every cell"
Artists Ottawa
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"Young, Gifted and Black" in The Spectrum ...

I was invited by Ewart Walters to be a columnist for The Spectrum, Ottawa's Black community newspaper in 2003 to write a new op-ed from the perspective of a young person living in Ottawa during the paper's 20th year. The column, called "Young, Gifted and Black", ran for the first time with the title "Dreamweaving" in the December 2003 edition of The Spectrum.

To view the most recent edition available online, please visit Black Ottawa 411.

Capital Slam

Since October 2004, Capital Slam has been running in downtown Ottawa on a monthly basis.  It is Ottawa's slam-tastic monthly poetry seriesseries – now the second longest running poetry slam series in Canada.

Artisits Ottawa Every month, local poets come to the show to participate in two rounds of no-holds-barred slam poetry with a featured artist and a short open mic session rounding out the schedule. Fantastic local poets such as Elissa Molino, Kevin Matthews, John Akpata, the late Steve Sauvé, DJ Morales, Matt Peake, Festrell, Q the Romantic Revolutionary, Doretta Charles, Danielle K.L. Grégoire, Poetic Speed, Marcus Jameel, Chris Tse, OpenSecret, Hodan Ibrahim and Brandon Wint have performed their work on stage at Capital Slam.

For more information about showtimes, admission, featured artists and more, please visit the Capital Slam website.

AAMH Canada

Artisits Ottawa Using his art to educate and inform people, as well as to project the voices of people dealing with mental health issues in a way that is respectful to the dignity of survivors, Ritallin has posted important info about mental health on his page. Look out for more information on this in the coming months ...

Are you an artist? Then join the movement to create the Artists' Alliance for Mental Health Canada by adding your name to the Facebook group.

You're not an artist but you know one? Then let them know - spread the word!

MASC

Artisits Ottawa MASC brings the arts and culture alive for nearly 150,000 children and youth each year in eastern Ontario and West Québec. Professional artists, working out of diverse cultural traditions, deliver workshops and performances and Artist-in-Residence Programs (Extended Projects) in music, dance, drama, literary, visual and media arts to children and youth in school and community settings. MASC, a registered charity, has been in operation since 1988.

Ritallin has been a member of the MASC artists’ roster since 2006. Click here to book today!

Ottawa Youth Poetry Slam

The Ottawa Youth Poetry Slam is a new initiative under the leadership of Co-Coordinators Greg Frankson and Danielle K.L. Grégoire, in partnership with MASC. The mandate of OYPS is threefold:

• To create a forum in the National Capital Region for young people aged 12 to 19 to learn about and expand their knowledge of literary art, and spoken word poetry in particular;

• To connect young writers with experienced spoken word performers in a mutual process of learning and teaching; and

• To expose the talent of youth in the NCR to audiences in the local, regional, national and international communities.

The project has an innovative delivery design that includes educators, students, community members, community organizations and professional spoken word artists in this exciting initiative.  Ottawa Youth Poetry Slam emphasizes the importance of mentorship by professionals for other professionals and emerging artists, the importance of artists remaining connected to local youth and to local community organizations, creating linkages between local and national-level professional artists, and the power of spoken word to motivate and inspire young people to openly express their feelings about the world around them.  For more information, contact OYPS at ottawayps@gmail.com.

Spoken Word Canada

Artisits OttawaSpoken Word Canada, also known as SpoCan, is our national organization of poetry organizers and spoken word / poetry slam artists from coast to coast. SpoCan is responsible for the annual Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. The SpoCan website is under construction, but in the meantime you can keep up to date by checking out their Facebook group.
 

Poet Psychology

On July 25, 2003, Greg Frankson took to the stage for the first time as a spoken word artist.  Ritallin the Cerebral Stimulant was introduced to the world at the iconic Golden Star Lounge poetry series by host Anthony “the nth digri” Bansfield.  The first poem Ritallin ever performed live was an anti-Bush critique entitled “Circus Without Bread” – and his words were warmly received by an appreciative and supportive Ottawa audience.

Seven years later, the writer, social activist, arts educator, columnist and poetry organizer takes stock in a series of spoken word CDs – Poet Psychology – that chronicle the career to date of A. Gregory Frankson, also known as Ritallin.

Poet Psychology is a three CD concept that showcases Ritallin in the three forums where spoken word artists most frequently operate – in the studio a cappella, live on stage, and with musical accompaniment.  Volume I was released in October 2010 and features a cappella versions of many of the poems that put Ritallin on the map as a socially conscious, rhythmic and lyrically proficient performance personality.  Volume II, focusing on live recordings from Capital Slam, and Volume III, featuring poetry with music, will follow in 2011.  All of Ritallin’s best known poems, rap-poems and songs will be part of the three-CD collection.

The mindset and opinions of a poet in all its complexity – get a glimpse of Ritallin’s Poet Psychology … now available, with more to come!

For your copy of Poet Psychology Vol. I, send your order request to cytoinfo@cytopoetics.ca today!

 
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