After the launch of a European tour, Poems on the Underground made its first Asian stop in Beijing. As part of this endevour, meetings with poets, Spoke'n'Word festival, slam poetry workshops and a haiku competition take place in 8 different countries across the globe, promoting Polish poetry and inciting international exchange among young poets
The main goal of the campaign is to popularise contemporary poetry by showcasing it on the underground and in urban spaces. The first three editions, which took part in Warsaw in 2008-2010, focused on modern European poetry. In 2011, within the framework of the Polish EU Presidency, contemporary Polish poets and their poetry will not only be present in Warsaw, but will also visit 8 cities outside Poland: London, Paris, Madrid, Kiev, Beijing, Tokyo, Brussels and Luxembourg.
Poetry exhibitions on the underground are accompanied by meetings with authors, happenings, a haiku competition, Spoke’n’Word on Tour performance poetry festival, slam workshops and a promotional campaign.
"The Wiersze w Metrze" / "Poems on the Underground" campaign was initiated by the Book Institute in Warsaw and British Council. The Warsaw campaign was inspired by similar projects taking place in Dublin, Paris, New York, Barcelona, Stockholm, Stuttgart and Moscow, and above all Poems on the Underground, which has been regularly taking place in London since 1986.
The campaign, taking place as part of the Polish EU Presidency, enjoys the Honorary Patronage of the Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw, Ms Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Radosław Sikorski.
The campaign partners include: City of Warsaw Promotion Department, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Polish Cultural Institute in London, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London, Polish Cultural Institute in Paris, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Paris, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Madrid, Polish Cultural Institute in Kiev, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Beijing, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tokyo, the European Commission and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Date: 24th of October- 6th of November, 2011
Venue: underground system and public spaces in Beijing
Organised by: Warsaw Destination Alliance
Project cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
Source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute