Poetry at the Park

Success behind Poetry at the Park show

By Erick Diang'a

Poetry at the Park Show is a breed of Just a Mic programe which was a musical, spoken word and poetry show founded in Zetech College by young multi-talented media students, with great visions to take the show to greater heights. In a period of six months after inception, the show hosted renowned poets and media personalities like: Dan Mwangi of NTV, Antony Ndiema- KTN, Specifyd-K24, DJ Krowbar-KTN, Larry Madowo-NTV, Kevin Oluoch of GBS, Kenet B, and winners of Slum Africa among others.

Due to passionate increase in audience, the crew had to seek for a spacious venue; organisers approached the August 7^th Memorial Park management which partnered with them to provide venue, hence show re-branded to Poetry at the Park. The show was launched on Friday 10^th May 2013 at the August 7^th Memorial Park and was attended by an audience of more than two hundred with little invitations.

The event hosted some of the finest spoken word celebrities in the country including: DJs 21 and Krowbar (KTN), Specified (k24), Ayak (UN Radio), Mukangai and Velma (Radio Maisha), Consumator (KTN) among others.

PAP is unique since it’s the first poetry show to be held in the Memorial Park; the event fuses poetry with music, dance, instrumentals and comedy which makes it different from other poetry shows within Nairobi County. It provides platform to almost all genres but poetry remains main item. This Christian based event happens every second Friday of the month from 2:30pm-6:00pm. Audience meet the event on facebook page called “Poetry at the PARK”, twitter handle “@poetryatthepark”.

The core objectives of the movement is to make PAP the biggest and paying poetry event in east and central Africa that incorporates all young talents, help them grow not only talent-wise but also market themselves, dwell in the entertainment industry and make a living or take poetry as a career job.

Memorial Park’s General Manager Ms Brenda Selebwa, “I am optimistic that PAP will accomplish its objectives due to change of venue. Most of the youths will develop their talents if they continue attracting the public’s attention as indicated in our attendance records. The program has shown massive progress since its inception at the Park.”

Due to overwhelming reception and acceptance of musical spoken word and street poetry, poetry at the park has a dream of developing the standards of musical spoken word and street poetry in this country and globally. Poems recited create interactions during the event thus instilling good morals in young Christian generation.

Another objective is being the best entertaining, informing and educating event in the entertainment sphere. Venue (Memorial Park) corroborates exciting way of having fun outdoors due to its artistic and ambience nature that depicts peace.

Poetry at the park has a reverie of managing their own film and audio production house to facilitate poets tell their stories visually to the world. Most extremely talented youths are financially challenged to record quality audiovisuals embraced by universal audiences. Most poets are good film script writers ready to convey good stories of culture, love, peace, unity, governance and life eternity.

“Upon further growth of the event, we have a strategy of being the first institution to initiate poetry awards. In a nutshell, entertainment industry ran void of poetry and such an event is of essence and inevitable.” Said PAP founder member, Juma Wafula.