The 'SPAZIO GRIOT 'Rage & Desire' R.A.P. Party'
Channel: GRIOT
Date: 12/01/2023

Hosted by SPAZIO GRIOT and Inua Ellams, The SPAZIO GRIOT Rage & Desire R.A.P Party is an event that took place in the heart of Rome, at Caffè delle  Esposizioni / Palazzo delle Esposizioni, on Ocotber 28.

Ten poets and writers took to the stage to share specially commissioned poems responding to the 'Rage and Desire' prompt. Saleh Addonia, Yonas Aregay, Mohamed Amine Bour, Cora Dessalines, Asmaa Jama, Mbaye Gueye, Alessia Petrolito, Asha Salim and Val Wandja.

The event also hosted the launch of the limited edition zine 'Rage and Desire', a collection of the poems and a foreword by SPAZIO GRIOT Artistic Director Johanne Affricot, by artist, poet and playwright Inua Ellams, and an editorial written by poet, artist and writer Wissal Houbabi. And a dj set with Roman twins DJ Mary Gehnyei and Karima 2g.

The event was a collaboration between SPAZIO GRIOT, Inua Ellam and Orbita | SpellBound and was supported by the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants.

WHOSE WOR(L)D IS THIS? – DIVERSE VOICES IN URBAN LITERATURE IN THE UK AND ITALY

Rage & Desire is part of 'Whose wor(l)d is this? – Diverse Voices in Urban Literature in the UK and Italy', a project conceived and developed by SPAZIO GRIOT and Inua Ellams' Ohhfive, in collaboration with Orbita | Spellbound. The project aimed at promoting multidisciplinary works in Urban Literature by bringing together diverse and artistic voices in Italy and in the UK. 

This cross-arts project had three key strands: 'Come as you are', a three-day workshop held by Inua Elllams in Rome in July 2022 at SPAZIO GRIOT @ Mattatoio museum; a Poetry + Film / Hack event in London in October 2022, with the screening of the critically acclaimed Italian cult film 'Mamma Roma', by Pier Paolo Pasolini, in celebration of the director's centenary; and the SPAZIO GRIOT Rage & Desire R.A.P. (Rhythm And Poetry) Party in Rome in October 2022. Each part included live literature practices (spoken word, creative writing, essay writing, playwriting) in relation to music, film and other artistic expressions to nurture a new, bold, socially engaged artistic language for new generations of diverse voices. 

'Whose wor(l)d is this?– Diverse Voices in Urban Literature in the UK and Italy' is funded by the British Council's International Collaboration Grants, designed to support UK and overseas organisations to collaborate on international arts projects.