March 2007

Jacob Sam-La Rose – animating literature through spoken word

Poetry is back on the menu as we welcome British poet and writer, Jacob Sam-La Rose, to perform and conduct workshops in Klang Valley from 7 to 11 March.

A former Poet-in-Residence at BBC London, he has taught creative writing internationally, and has facilitated and taught workshops and extended projects through institutions such as the National Theatre, the Arvon Foundation, Spread the Word, the Roundhouse, the Barbican, as well as a range of schools across England.

Jacob is also the Artistic Director of an annual teenage poetry SLAM project that works across London schools. Check out Jacob’s website and note the dates below to catch him performing alongside Malaysian poets!

WAYANG KATA III: AN EVENING OF SPOKEN WORD
Jacob and our own local poets take the stage.

Date: 7 March 2007
Venue: No Black Tie, 17 Jalan Mesui off Jalan Nagasari, KL
Time: 9:00 pm
Admission: RM5 at the door

SPOKEN WORD AT THE FOOD FOUNDRY
Come watch Jacob perform alongside participants of his workshops.

Date: 10 March 2007
Venue: Food Foundry, http://www.foodfoundry.us/
BG-8, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Petaling Jaya, Selangor (next door to Dram Projects)
Time: 4pm to 6pm
Admission: Free

PERFORMANCE POETRY WORKSHOP WITH JACOB SAM-LA ROSE

Date: 9 and 10 March 2007
Venue Dram Projects, BG-6, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

For more information on any of the events above, email us at arts@britishcouncil.org.my

Say It On The Sidewalk

We have done spoken word, music and indie films. And now we are looking into how we can incorporate visual art into our projects and gigs. Yes, something new for the new year.

To start off we had two graphic artists to do some chalk drawings on the sidewalk outside the studio we call home. The theme was anti-valentine's and my favourite is the sawed-up bunny with its brains and guts exposed. The pictures do no justice to the stretch of concrete they made into a canvas.

If this kind of thing is your kind of swing, drop us a comment or an email! We would love to hear from you, your ideas, or how your art projects can complement our gigs. Best ideas win a bucket of jumbo-sized-chalk.

It Happened Last Sunday


Our emcee opening the night and the stage

Jay Ong reading his piece on broken toys

Patricia Low doing the quirky and random thing

Nicholas Wong on dedicating a poem to a nearly extinct bird, and snippets from his journal

Elza Irdalynna said, 'Valentine's can go stuff itself'

Sharanya's poems are rich and sensuous with allusions to myth and the Hindu gods

Reuben Kang with the opening set

Gary Ooi dramatised his poems

Nick Davis with songs about the other sex in mellow, jazzy tunes

Ian Theseira/Pass Caring closed the night with an intimate and melancholic selection


Thanks to everyone who came for our (anti) Valentine's gig! Hope you had fun, and see you at our next outing (check our blog for updates) :)

And as usual, thanks to The Dram Projects and the Food Foundry for generously sponsoring the event.
And to Rachel and Rebecca Chew for photography and the amazing sidewalk art.

*For more pictures click on our photos link