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For Immediate Release: 25 September 2011

Poetry Beats the Auckland Streets

The Literatti, a group of Auckland’s leading performance poets, are changing the world one word at a time. Saturday the 24th of September saw The Literatti taking poetry to the streets for 100 Thousand Poets for Change, the biggest poetry event in history. As part of the global movement made up of over 700 events in 550 cities across 95 countries, The Literatti chalked messages of hope and protest through central Auckland.


The Literatti have been working on reTHiNK Possible Worlds since May when they were awarded a reTHiNK Grant to use creativity in all its forms to change the way the Auckland public thinks about mental health. Creative director and grant recipient Christian Jensen says, “When we heard of 100 Thousand Poets for Change, we couldn’t wait to add the reTHiNK Possible Worlds message to the global mix of voices. A guerrilla-style poetry event seemed the ideal way to bring it to the street in a way that would get the public interacting with what we are saying.”

Along with established Auckland chalk artists The Guerrilla Poets, The Literatti started in Myers Park on the Rugby World Cup Fan Trail, armed with chalk and poetry banners, and moved down Queen St, Wellesley St and on to Albert Park gathering in members of the public along the way. People were photographed holding banners showing their choice of a selection of poems, allowing them to add their support to the global call for change. Literatti member Miriam Barr says, “The banners are great. People expect to see a political slogan on a placard, which at first draws them in. But then they find poetry asking them to reconsider the way we see each other, as fellow human beings responding to the world, and they light up for a moment.”

On reaching Albert Park, the groups got down and filled the walkways with colourful impassioned poetry. Crowds drawn in by the 350 Sustainability Rally lingered over the poems, which echoed philosophies such as sustainability and prevention of cruelty to animals in addition to messages about acceptance and mental health. Photographs from the event are on the official 100 Thousand Poets for Change website and will be preserved as an historic record by Stanford University. Mr Jensen comments “what a powerful way to lead in to a show that tries to change social attitudes.”

reTHiNK Possible Worlds is a cross-genre theatre show of ambitious proportions. For months spoken-word artists from The Literatti have been collaborating with dancers from Etched Dance Productions, alongside live musicians and moving-image artists to create the story of seven characters navigating their way through the maze of life. The characters find and create new opportunities; they rethink their possible worlds. The reTHiNK project is part of the Like Minds, Like Mine initiative to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. Taimi Allan from Like Minds, Like Mine at Mind and Body Consultants has expressed her excitement over the show, “It has been truly inspiring to see so many artists from so many different art-forms coming together to contemplate these messages and communicate them in such innovative ways. I can’t wait to see the final product!”


reTHiNK Possible Worlds will be performed at Galatos, 17 Galatos St, Auckland, at 8pm on Friday the 14th of October, and again at 1pm and 5pm on Saturday the 15th of October. Tickets are on sale now from www.theliteratti.com for $10, with limited sales available on the door.

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