Spoken Word of Tulsa
was started in roughly 1997 / 1998 by Nancy Harris - with the vision to form an organization which could support the forming of a Tulsa poetry slam team to compete at the yearly National Poetry Slam event held by PSI.
Over the next 7 years, Nancy and I, as well as an entire community of local poets, writers, and performers would work tirelessly to bring poetry to the masses.We held open mics and poetry events at the Deleware Playhouse, Mayfest, the Nightingale Theatre, Harwelden Mansion, Club One, Curly's, Tulsa Arists Coalition, Gypsy Coffee House, The Bowery, Living Arts of Tulsa, All Souls Unitarian Church, the Transit Bar, the Loft Coffeehouse, Greenwood Cultural Center, just to name a few of the local venues.
Our youth program gained much praise and respect in the Tulsa Community and continues to be a source of inspiration and education for young Tulsans.
SWOT's last official event was held in conjunction with the Tulsa Peace Fellowship and Market on 18th on June 28, 2003 on the bank of the Arkansas River, at the field near west Tulsa's skateboard park, and was called, "RiverJam". We brought together folks of all walks of life, and celebrated diversity and culture with an outdoor arts&crafts fair, and a full day of music from latin and afro-cuban beats to exotic middleastern dancing, to folk, hip-hop and spoken word.
This event was the culmination of what is possible in Tulsa - all cultures and people from everywhere in the city coming together in one place enjoy life, culture, the arts, and to communicate with and learn from eachother.
I'll never forget the event, nor those who helped make it possible. |
Where is SWOT?
Well, about 15 years after its inception, SWOT lies dormant, waiting for the right conditions before it rises from the ashes again.
In the meantime, I continue to support local spoken word, music, literature, art, and all of the great talent that exists in the Tulsa area.
You may see me at a Nimrod workshop, or hanging around one of the local poetry events / open mics advertised by the Urban Tulsa Weekly and This Land Press.
Those of you looking for current poetry, spoken word, and art scene support might want to check out the Gypsy Coffee House, the Nightingale Theatre or Living Arts of Tulsa.
So what's going on now?
Most recently I have plunged headlong in to a few other groups / projects which hold up my original vision of self-created art, DIY creativity and forever eliminating the phrase, "There's never anything to do in Tulsa" from all its citizens.
TULSA+
Tulsa+ was a grassroots campaign begun in the spring of 2011 by a group of individuals who came together to help celebrate Tulsa — for what it already is and what we know it will be. We had a bold idea to host an event bringing together the average citizen, the elected official, the passionate philanthropist, the non-profit servant and more -- all in the name of a collective brainstorm of ideas and expressions for what Tulsa is, how it works and most excitedly -- where it should go.
Native Language Project
is a personal endeavor started in 2009, but its roots and ideas go back to when I was doing some freelance work for the native american times in 1999/2000. we'd envisioned a website where the younger generation could find stories, songs, and knowledge from the elders in their native tongue...thereby creating a digital space for passing down oral history.
downtown Tulsa
downtown Tulsa is coming alive again with a new indoor arena, baseball stadium, lofts, hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops. With all the changes it is important to have an easy system for winding your way around Downtown Tulsa. The Downtown Tulsa website, originally created as a printed map by TulsaNOW, is now run by the Downtown Coordinating Council and features detailed business listings, directions, reviews and photos to help you whether you're just trying to find a new lunch spot, plan an evening out, or just wow someone with your limitless knowledge of the downtown tulsa scene.
YP Tulsa - 2004-2007
was started in Sept. 2004 and is a group of artists/designers and creative people from all professions connecting, coordinating with eachother and working together to make Tulsa the great place to live that we all envision. The group preceeded the Tulsa Chamber's TYPROS group, and did a lot of important and amazing things but finally dissolved in late 2007. some day i hope to bring back the mosaic cafe project i worked on...
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