Shane Koyczan at Sagebrush Theatre

Shane Koyczan • September 23 • 7pm

Sagebrush Theatre Kamloops 

Tickets at: www.kamloopslive.ca

A collaborator with artists such as Ani DiFranco Dan Mangan Tanya Tagaq and others Koyczan has elevated the art form of Spoken Word from its humble beginnings in after-hour cafes to stages both grand and distant. Shane brings an authenticity to his work that connects with audiences as evidenced by his fiercely honest TED Talk which highlights the kind of humanity he brings to each performance. His work has garnered millions of views and has been used worldwide in classrooms as a teaching tools as well in speech and forensic competitions. His second book Stickboy was adapted into an opera by Vancouver Opera. His voice has been sought after by luminaries like George Miller and David Suzuki.

Not just a poet moving on from one subject to the next Shane weaves his pieces together in a spellbinding narrative that show audiences themes that stretch over our lives. Koyczan continues to trek through the difficult parts of our existence with humour in heart and a notepad in hand; he scribbles down the whispers inside us and uses laughter as a poultice to press against our wounds. In 2017 his documentary “Shut Up And Say Something” (an emotional trip through his past as he comes to terms with his estranged father) went on to win Most Popular Documentary at Vancouver International Film Festival moving audiences with its bravery and vulnerability. After a number of critical successes in the book world Shane chose to depart from convention and carve out his own path as an independent artist. Koyczan launched his own publishing house Stickboy Press whose first collection was brought to life by a Guinness Record breaking crowd funding campaign.

Shane followed this success by publishing two graphic novels Silence Is A Song I Know All The Words To and Turn On A Light. A self-motivating machine Shane also recently released a new collection of poems called The Basement In My Attic and worked with Theytus Books to publish Inconvenient Skin a journey into Canada’s own troubled history with residential schools and the treatment of indigenous people.

It feels safe to say that there seems no territory beyond the reach of Koyczan’s pen or of his heart. An artist whose work has transgressed genres and given breath to a new generation of voices Shane Koyczan wears the mantle of human and dares others to discover what that means.

Host or Publisher melanie bachmann