Class

Poetry as Insurgent Art

This poetry workshop for cultural workers, poets, and dreamers will be focused on the language of political struggle and the responsibility of artists in times of crisis. This workshop will explore the powerful role of poets and artists in revolutionary movements, using historic examples from liberation movements all around the world.

Participants will study the weaponization of language used to delegitimize struggles and the necessity for militant precision and clarity in times of catastrophe. Through writing prompts, attendees will articulate their dreams and visions for justice, learn to use language to bear witness to injustice, indict oppressive forces, and ultimately inspire action.

Through the close reading of work by poets like June Jordan, Mahmoud Darwish, Amiri Baraka, and others, we will learn how to transform poetry into a container spacious enough for all of our wildest freedom dreams.

No class July 2.

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.

Some classes use a supplemental Google Classroom page. Should your teaching artist use Google Classroom, you will be invited to join the classroom via email at least 24 hours in advance of your class (check spam folders if you are not seeing this invitation). Please note that Google Classroom requires a Gmail address to access the Classroom. If you do not have a Gmail account, the email invitation will be sent to the email address we have on file and will prompt you to create a free account or enter an existing account to join the classroom. If we are unable to send an email invitation to your non-gmail account, you will be contacted by a staff member to provide a Gmail address. If you do not have a Gmail account, you can create a free account here. Should you have concerns about this, please contact a Loft staff member at [email protected] or 612-379-8999. For more information on how to use Google Classroom, please see our training manual here.