Poetry Night / Discovery Poetry with D Fretter

On Thursday, March 17 at 6pm, join Massy Arts, and Surrey-based poet/spoken word artist D Fretter for an in-person event to investigate poetry and its cathartic powers. “Discovery Poetry’, a hybrid between an open mic and a workshop intended for BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, will also present readings from poets Nadia Alikashani, Alisha Davidson, and Anahita Monfared.

As D Fretter says, “while poetry may be on the rise in popular culture, there is still an err of mystery and a stigma surrounding the art form. Many are missing out on the healing powers of the written and spoken word”. In this event, he invites the audience to come hear powerful voices as they share their work and journeys through literature – engaging in conversation about how writers can discover (or rediscover) their own voices through poetry.

The event will be hosted at the Massy Arts Gallery, at 23 East Pender Street in Vancouver.

Covid Protocols: For all in-person events, attendees must provide proof of vaccination, wear a mask (N95 masks are encouraged and recommended as they offer the best protection), and consent to having their temperature checked at the front door. We kindly ask that if you are showing any symptoms, that you stay home. Thank you kindly.

Click here to purchase tickets

Click here to purchase D Fretter’s book “Joy & Misery”

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The Poets

D FRETTER / After stealing his older sister’s guitar, D Fretter (he/him) began writing songs at the age of 17. Since then, his songs have amassed tens of thousands of streams across various DSPs. D’s lyricism has often shone through his music, and he decided to focus more on the words and found his way to poetry. Sometimes, the truth sounds sweet enough without a melody. As a poet D has been described as “…like a hip-hop Andrea Gibson…” and has received praise from poets like In-Q, Sabrina Benaim, and Brandon Leake. D writes introspectively about life, love, and his own personal narrative.

ANAHITA MONFARED / She is an Iranian actor, writer and spoken word artist. A mental health and consent advocate, Anahita is passionate about centering radical self love, intersectional feminism and sexual liberation in their work. Pursuing a degree in Theatre, with a minor in Psychology- Anahita spends her free time making the perfect playlist for every occasion.

NADIA ALIKASHANI / She is an interdisciplinary artist who primarily works with painting and poetry. Through her art, she examines how mental illness and intergenerational racial trauma affect youth, including herself. In their performance they will delve into the feelings, frustrations, and love in the long, everlasting process of healing.

ALISHA DAVIDSON / They are a performance artist of Jamaican decent living on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories. Alisha navigates their artistry through theatre, dance and most recently through writing. Alisha participated in the 2020 Director’s Lab unit with Rumble Theatre. In 2021 Alisha participated in Green Thumb Theatre’s Summer Playwright’s Gym, read at the 2nd annual Unbound reading series at the Shadbolt Center for the Arts and completed The Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University. Alisha strives to grow their written craft in the 3 P’s: poetry, prose and plays. They’re in the slow process of writing segments for an eventual solo show /slash short memoir. Alisha also seeks to better understand themself as they journey through their ‘healing crisis’ and find ways to intertwine their authentic self and purpose with their artistic practice.

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