Spoken Words for the Future

On the second day of the 'Word Of Mouth' festival, we dive deeper into the history and purpose of the festival, with an evening of fascinating conversations about the origins of spoken word in Belgium. How did spoken word find its way to our country? What was the tipping point, and who played a key role in this development? We will also compare the growth of spoken word in the US and the UK with its evolution in Belgium.

The evening begins with a brief review of the history of spoken word, after which we invite co-curator Samira Saleh, co-organiser of Mama's Open Mic, to give a keynote based on her thesis. We will then delve deeper into our questions with founders of the movement and builders of the art form, hoping to find some answers. Marc Kelly Smith from the United States, founder of the global poetry slam movement, and Elten Kiene, spoken word artist, presenter, organiser, workshop teacher and co-founder of ‘Words Become Phrases’, Patrick N'Siala Kiese en Joëlle Sambi.