Presented in partnership with the Adams County Cultural Arts Division, Body of Words is a one-of-a-kind performance by Stratus Chamber Orchestra inspired by the poetry of the current Adams County Poet Laureate Aerik Francis and their acclaimed collection Bodypolitic alongside other works. Through live poetry readings, newly commissioned music by Colorado composer Nathan Hall, and visual projections by talented mixed reality artist Richard Mapes, words, music and visuals will come together in a powerful exploration of identity, belonging, and the human experience.
Featuring world premiere compositions, appearances by Aerik Francis and guest poet Suzi Q. Smith, and performances by outstanding local musicians, Body of Words offers an unforgettable evening of artistic collaboration and discovery.
Artist Richard Mapes will creating an immersive projection-mapped scenic installation that transforms the Waymire dome into shifting environments, using spatial storytelling to turn live poetry and orchestral music into a shared spatial experience.
Note: This performance presents Aerik Francis's poetry as written and may include mature language and themes that some audience members may find challenging. In honoring the poet's artistic voice, the poetry will not be altered or censored for performance.
FEATURED POET
Aerik “phaentompoet” Francis (they/them/he/him) is a Queer Black & Latinx poet based in Denver, Colorado, USA. They are a 2020 Canto Mundo poetry fellow and a 2019 Amiri Baraka Scholar for SWP at Naropa. They are also a poetry reader for Underblong poetry journal. They have poetry published or forthcoming in Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Wildness, Santa Clara Review, Ghost City Press, Kissing Dynamite, and others. Find them on IG/TW @phaentompoet.
Guest Poet
Suzi Q. Smith is an award-winning artist, organizer, and educator who lives in Denver, Colorado. She has created, curated, coached, and taught in Denver for over 20 years, managing the largest poetry festivals that Denver has seen to date. A TEDx speaker multiple times, Suzi has performed throughout the United States for over a decade, and has shared stages with Nikki Giovanni, the late Gil Scott Heron, and many more. The author of poetry collections Poems for the End of the World, A Gospel of Bones, and Thirteen Descansos, Suzi is also a singer-songwriter, playwright, and multi-disciplinary creative. Currently, she is a mentor in the Poetry Collective, the Portfolio Year, and teaches regularly in Lighthouse Writers Workshop's year round programming. She's also served as conference director for The Word, as faculty at Regis's Mile High MFA, as is currently chair of the Denver County Cultural Council.