<div><strong>Plane Tickets, Poetry &amp; Pasta: My Journey from Montreal to the World</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>My name is Kym Dominique-Ferguson. I'm a spoken word artist, writer, and teacher based in Tiohtià:ke—colonially known as Montréal—on the traditional lands of the Kanienʼkéhaka (Mohawk people).
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I've been blessed with two extraordinary opportunities this year, and I'm reaching out to invite you to be part of the journey.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img class="text-editor_textEditorImage__43_GE" alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/101802965_177487435079086_r." width="100%" />
<div>Pictured above: My first one-man show performance, Born Jamhaitianadian.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>The Opportunities</strong>
</div>
<div><strong>Vancouver, BC | Canadian Individual Poetry Slam | April 29 – May 2, 2026</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I recently won the Throw Poetry Collective's Montreal Slam Championship, which means I'll be representing my city at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam (CIPS)—the nation's national poetry competition. This is a huge honour. CIPS brings together 24 poets from across the country to compete as part of the Verses Festival of Words. The top poet earns the chance to represent Canada at the World Slam Championship.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I'll be performing poems across two preliminary bouts before (hopefully) advancing to finals on May 2nd, where Spin El Poeta will be featuring. This isn't just a competition—it's a chance to connect with this generation of spoken word artists from coast to coast, and stamp my name into the annals of Canadian Poetry History.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img class="text-editor_textEditorImage__43_GE" alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/101802965_1774876167478979_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div><em>Pictured above: Five of my students </em>from our workshops <em>and I take a picture together at the Throw Poetry Slam finals, celebrating my win!</em>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Rome &amp; Florence, Italy | La Dolce Vita Program | August 2 – 9, 2026</strong>
</div>
<div>I was selected to participate in an immersive writing, language, and culinary program in Italy. This isn't a vacation—it's a creative deep-dive.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The program combines guided writing sessions, Italian language exposure, hands-on cooking classes, and cultural immersion rooted in place-based storytelling. It's a chance to feed my craft from two directions: words and food.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>About Me</strong>
</div>
<div>I'm a writer, spoken word artist, actor, and mentor raised in the Caribbean with Jamaican and Haitian roots. That cultural foundation runs through everything I create.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I founded <strong>Madpoetix Productions</strong> to help shape Montreal's spoken word scene, curating events like The Phenomenal 5IVE and the Madpoetix Soirée Open Mic. So far we've platformed over a thousand artists, and featured well over 300 in the 19 years since this all first started.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I've co-written for the historical play BLACKOUT: The Concordia Computer Riots, developed my solo play Dear Black Man (supported by the Canada Council for the Arts), and am currently writing a Caribo-futuristic novel, Echoes of Anansi, and a theatre piece titled Uncle Jimmy: A Discussion between James Baldwin and Trayvon Martin.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I am a co-host of CKUT's Soul Perspectives, which earned me a Community Radio Personality of the Year award at the Gala Dynastie in 2019. I mentor emerging artists through my Unleash Your Voice writing and performance workshops, among others, and am committed to creating space for voices that need to be heard.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Why I'm Fundraising</strong>
</div>
<div>Here's the reality: grants are never guaranteed, and even when they come through, the funding often arrives after the project is already done. I'm applying for every grant I can, but both of these opportunities are happening now—I can't wait for funding cycles that may not align with my travel dates.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>My goal is $9,500 to cover flights, insurance, accommodations, and program fees.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Expense &amp; Estimated Cost</strong>
</div>
<ul>
<li>Montreal → Vancouver flight:	$800+
</li>
<li>Vancouver accommodation (April 28 – May 3):	$2,000+
</li>
<li>Montreal → Italy flight: $1,800+
</li>
<li>Italy program fees: $4,500+ USD
</li>
<li>Insurance &amp; miscellaneous: $400+
</li>
</ul>
<div>Total	<strong>$9,500</strong> CAD
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>With fuel prices fluctuating wildly due to the state of the world right now, these numbers could climb at any moment. I'm setting aside what I can from my own income, but I can't do this alone.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Deadlines &amp; Urgency</strong>
</div>
<div>Your support at this moment makes all the difference. Here's what I'm working toward:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Vancouver:</strong>
</div>
<ul>
<li>Flight must be booked by April 15
</li>
<li>Accommodations must be confirmed by April 20
</li>
</ul>
<div><strong>Italy:</strong>
</div>
<ul>
<li>Program deposit of $750 USD due May 5
</li>
<li>Remaining residency balance due June 9
</li>
<li>Flights to Italy must be booked by July 9
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Every contribution gets me closer to hitting these deadlines. Thank you for helping me get there on time.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>What You'll Receive</strong>
</div>
<div>I believe in reciprocity. Here's how I want to thank you for being part of this journey:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Tier 1 – $50 and under</strong>
</div>
<div>A thank-you mention on the Madpoetix About Us page as a valued donor.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Tier 2 – $51 to $100</strong>
</div>
<div>Everything in Tier 1, plus a large jar of unscented body butter, and your name (or a name of your choice) on my Madpoetix-branded sweater that I'll be wearing throughout the Vancouver competition.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Tier 3 – $101 and up</strong>
</div>
<div>Everything in Tier 2, instead of one, you get two large jars of unscented body butter, and a personalized, handwritten thank-you letter mailed to you.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>What Folks Are Saying</strong>
</div>
<div>"I just love the energy that the facilitator and participants bring to every session—in sickness or health, high vibes or low—it is just about creating in community, connected creativity where we can show up as we are in that moment."
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>"We were spoiled one evening with leftover snacks from an event prior to our session. I greatly appreciate how Kym picked up on how snacks added to the ambiance, and without a miss, he would bring them for us every week. This also encouraged others to bring in abundance. This gesture helped form the solitude in unity and a shared space that belonged to us all."
</div>
<div><em>— </em>Workshop participants
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Why This Matters</strong>
</div>
<div>This isn't just about travel. It's about showing up—for Montreal on a national stage, for my craft in an international creative community, and for the young artists who look to see what's possible. Representation matters. When I step onto that stage in Vancouver, I'm carrying more than my own poems. When I sit down to write in Rome, I'm bringing my Caribbean roots, my Montreal community, and every story that's still waiting to be told.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>If you've ever believed in the power of words, in the importance of showing up, or simply in me—I'd be honoured to have you along for this ride.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Share This Campaign</strong>
</div>
<div>Even if you can't donate, sharing this campaign with your network means the world. Word of mouth is its own kind of currency. A share, a text, a post—it all helps me get one step closer to the stage.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for reading. Thank you for considering. And thank you for helping me get there.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>With gratitude,
</div>
<div><strong>Kym Dominique-Ferguson</strong>
</div>

A Goin

Khaleefa Hamdan

Michael Clarke

Katherine Blenkinsop

Anonymous

Patrice Fouché

Roseanna Veeren

Yvelande DHaiti

Neiliane Auguste

Whyz Panthera

Dmitri Dawkins

Diane Gistal

Brooke Robitaille

Maguy Métellus

Sascha Hamilton-Miller

Omari Newton

Plane Tickets, Poetry & Pasta - A Spoken Word Artist Flies

Support urgent earthquake relief and past recovery in Venezuela.

Apoya la ayuda urgente tras el terremoto y los esfuerzos de recuperación en Venezuela.

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

currencyCode

Money Box Donation List Prompt Experiment Audience

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

Eligible for Profile Share Badge

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

Support Comments Allowlist

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

NPO upsell education category

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

NPO recommendations prod

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

control

manual_entry

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

isEligibleForProfileBadge

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

categoryGroup

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.3.0 and above

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

NPO upsell animals category

NPO upsell disaster relief category

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

NPO upsell essential needs category

NPO upsell medical category

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

NPO upsell cancer category

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Just $450$ to go! Make an impact.

Plane Tickets, Poetry & Pasta - A Spoken Word Artist Flies

Just $450 to go!
Make an impact.