Our mission is fostering and sustaining the growth of spoken word community rooted on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus. This happens through organizing regular slam poetry events on campus including but not limited to poetry slams and poetry workshops, an annual campus spoken word festival, and a poetry collective that engages the campus community and beyond.
The KINETIC POETICS PROJECT is an annual festival of poetry and spoken word at UCSC's Porter College Theater. Each night, the Kinetic Poetics Project provides a space for local and student poets to showcase their work for the community and highlights an established poet. As a supplement to the featured poets' performances, the Kinetic Poetics Project has arranged free poetry and writing workshops facilitated by the poets themselves.
Inclusion in the Kinetic Poetics Senate, whom vote on major festival decisions, is decided by attending regularly scheduled weekend meetings (1:30pm, Sundays @ Cafe Pergolesi). Currently the Senate includes: Dana Campbel, Brandon Campbel, Jack Rusk, Richard Roberts, Sara Yalon, Amanda Chamberlain, Elaine Levia, Andrew Lowe, Bryan Gigantino and Kevin Holmes.
Kinetic Poetics would not be possible without strong support from its community, alumni, and collaborating campus organizations. Just because somebody's name is not listed in the Kinetic Poetics Senate does not mean they haven't provided critical advice on the current festival. This list includes but is not limited to Don Williams (faculty sponsor), Natalie Bulkley-Ashodian, Christine Hatch, Evan Rosen, Jeremy Karafin, and Dagny Brown.
Funding for the 2008 Kinetic Poetics Project is supported by UCSC Porter College Senate, Cowell Senate, Kresge Senate, Crown Senate, Core Council, The SUA, The Hitchcock Poetry Fund and the Porter Creative and Innovative Fund.