Shane Koyczan

$40 Adult
$30 Student
Includes fees & charges

The world caught a glimpse of Shane Koyczan’s prodigious Spoken Word talent with his presentation at the 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver. This stand-out performance shone a bright light on this street poet from Vancouver’s Downtown East Side.

Shane, an artist, inches away from living on the street and even in those troubled times, was putting out work like “To This Day”, a video that’s garnered 24 million views and used worldwide in classrooms as a teaching tool, as well in speech and forensic competitions. His second book, “Stickboy”, was adapted by Vancouver Opera. His voice has been sought after by luminaries like director George Miller, who worked with Shane on “Mad Max: Fury Road”. Koyczan also created the piece, “Shoulders”, which he toured with David Suzuki as part of The Blue Dot Tour, a movement to enshrine environmental rights in the constitution.

A collaborator with artists such as Ani DiFranco, Dan Mangan, Tanya Tagaq, and others, Koyczan has elevated the Spoken Word art form, from its humble beginnings in after-hour cafes to stages both grand and distant. Shane brings an authenticity to his work that connects with audiences, as evidenced by his fiercely honest TED Talk, which highlights the kind of humanity he brings to each performance.

Not just a poet moving from one subject to the next, Shane weaves his pieces together in a spellbinding narrative that show audiences themes that stretch over our lives. Koyczan continues moving through the difficult parts of our existence with humour in heart, and a notepad in hand; he scribbles down the whispers inside us and uses laughter as a poultice to press against our wounds.

In 2017 Shane invited us deep into family trauma with the documentary “Shut Up And Say Something”, an emotional trip through his past as he comes to terms with his estranged father. The film won Most Popular Documentary at Vancouver International Film Festival, moving audiences with its bravery and vulnerability.

An artist whose work has transgressed genres and given breath to a new generation of voices, Shane Koyczan wears the mantle of human and dares others to discover what that means.

Shane Koyczan – “We Are More (Define Canada)”