A event held at Arnolfini on Sunday 19th April. The event starts at 13:30.
Date: Sunday 19th April 2026
Venue: Arnolfini (Community Workshop)
Time: 13:30 - 15:30
Tickets: £8 (£10 solidarity, £6 concessions)
✅ All Lyra Fest venues are wheelchair accessible. Access Information Pack available at www.lyrafest.com.
Inspiring Poetry: with Shane Koyczan
Writing Workshop
Join Lyra’s international headliner Shane Koyczan for 2 hours of writing and discussion with one of the world’s leading spoken word artists. Winner of the US Slam Poetry Championship and the Canadian Spoken Word Olympics, Shane Koyzan creates poetry that dares to belong to the people and speak directly to them in their own voice. This workshop will encourage you to write in your own bold and unique voice to bring your poetry to life.
Shane Koyczan:
Internationally recognized author and spoken word artist Shane Koyczan has emerged as a creator of poetry that dares to belong to the people and speak directly to them in their own voice.
In 2013, he collaborated with animators to make the anti-bullying viral video To This Day which has had over 13 million views, and he performed a customized version For the Bullied and the Beautiful to acclaim at the 2013 International TED Conference in Long Beach, California. Shane shapes his words and delivers in multi mediums from authored, video, spoken word, operatic, and musically performed.
Shane Koyczan performed at the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics. With his rhythmic verse in high gear, he navigates his audience through social and political territory with a furious honesty and a tender humanity that has brought audiences to their feet in New York, London, Edinburgh, Sydney, Stockholm, and Los Angeles, to name a few. He has received 5 star reviews for his performances around the globe. Winner of the US Slam Poetry Championship and the Canadian Spoken Word Olympics, Koyczan is truly an extraordinary talent that has blown the dust off of the traditional designation “poet”.
“Homer must have sounded [like this]… or Ginsberg or Kerouac” Amy Brown, The Lumiere Reader
“his profile continues to drill through the traditional poetry and spoken-word barriers.” Winnipeg Free Press
“Koyczan’s passionate poetic slice of life lessons have garnered him a global audience for his uplifting performances.“ The Record
Part of Lyra – Bristol Poetry Festival 2026
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Entry requirements: 18+, any under 18s accompanied by 21+ adult 1:1 ratio
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