9 June 2004

Media Advisory

Poets in Parliament

Green MP Mike Ward is teaming up with Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) to host an event promoting local poetry and art in the workplace.

"Art should be experienced at all levels of life, so the space that a lot of people spend most of their week is an obvious candidate for more culture," said Mike, the Green Party's Arts and Culture Spokesperson.

"Offices such as the one hosting this event do have their decorative embellishments, but all workplaces should be enriched by relevant and engaging aesthetics. I dream of a time when art and artists are part and parcel of the lives of all New Zealanders everyday."

Poems by Airini Beautrais and Morgan Lawrence-Bach have been painted on canvas by Mike and the resulting artworks will be unveiled on the night.

Airini, who graduated in 2004 with a BSc in Ecology and Biodiversity, and Morgan, who will complete a BA Hons in English Literature this year, attended the first Writing the Landscape workshop offered by the IIML at Victoria in 2001.

The IIML is a non-profit literary activist organisation based in the United States of America. Victoria University was chosen to be its New Zealand headquarters and the Institute opened in March 2001. There are a number of co-centres at major universities in the US.

The poets will give a reading of their work and speakers will include Mike and well-known poet and Institute tutor Dinah Hawken.

What: Poets in Parliament. When: 6.00pm - 7.30pm, Wednesday, 16 June. Where: Green Party parliamentary office, 14th Floor, Bowen House, cnr Lambton Quay & Bowen St.

ENDS

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