Jennifer Alicia's Poetry Journey to Banff

My name is Jennifer Alicia and I am a spoken word artist based out of Toronto, ON, originally from Ktaqamkuk (Newfoundland).

I was recently given the opportunity to attend the Indigenous Storytellers and Spoken Word Residency at the Banff Centre in Alberta, March 4-23, 2019. I believe this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to grow as an artist. The residency will include in-depth writing practices involving visual, research, and meditative exploration, as well as Elder teachings and land based outings.

The goal of my campaign is to raise 1500 dollars Canadian to attend this residency. These funds would go towards the travel costs from Toronto to Banff (flight and bus), as well as the tuition costs for the residency.

I have been involved with spoken word for about a decade. I was on the Toronto Poetry Slam (TPS) team in 2017 and 2018, winning the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word both years. I have also attended the National Poetry Slam in Denver, CO (2017) and Chicago, IL (2018) with the TPS team. I have also been featured at various events mostly within the Greater Toronto Area. This residency is an exceptional opportunity for me to learn and grow as an artist and as a person. To have the chance as a mixed (Mi'kmaq/Settler) person to learn from other Indigenous folks in this field is a dream. I plan to bring  what I learn from the residency back and share with community in any way I can.  

I have never really taken a chance on my art. I have never really taken a chance on myself. This is one of the biggest decisions I have been faced with. I am choosing to take a chance on my dream.

Thank you for any help you are able to provide. I truly appreciate it.