October 7 Westheimer: Improv, Social Justice & Collective Poetry

Please be sure to register for the session using the OneStop APP

Session description:
In the first half of this session, Wes will guide you through an interactive poetry clinic centered on meaningful conversation their results in the creation of a shared poem. Using that poem as the foundation, Kevin will teach an improv/sketch workshop that helps participants build characters and cohesive scenes.  Through these seemingly different approaches, participants will collectively develop language and ideas through poetry and then use themes, situations or lines emerging from that process as material for improvisation, performance and further conversation.

Facilitator/presenter bios: 
Kevin Ballou is a performing artist whose work spans improv theater, scripted theater, stand-up comedy, film, poetry, and mixed media. A member of the Returning Artists Guild since 2020, Kevin uses humor and storytelling to explore the complexity of human relationships while creating opportunities for audiences to laugh, reflect, and connect. Through performance, he believes the arts can foster empathy, joy, and meaningful conversation.

Wesley "WallStreet Wes" Robinson is a professional poet, educator, and creator of Poetry Clinics. Drawing from his lived experience, including incarceration, he uses poetry as a tool for dialogue, healing, and social change. Through workshops and performances, Robinson works alongside overlooked communities, listening to their stories and transforming those conversations into original poems. His work encourages meaningful conversations about justice, humanity, and collective responsibility.

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