To captivate an audience for two hours of poetry is no mean feat. Ampersand – a new spoken word group of poets that writes and performs their own original work in English – managed to do so in its very first show.
If you missed their first dynamic performance, you can catch them at “100 Thousand Poets for Change,” today at 6:30pm at Red Shift Cafe in Gulshan.
People kept streaming in through the doors that rainy Saturday two weeks ago at Longitude Latitude in Banani. The audience kept inching closer and closer to the front of the stage, where the 11 poets were pouring their hearts out.
In addition to the “rapt attention and gaze of the audience, lifting and craning their necks towards us like heliotropic plants,” performer Shammi Huda was stuck by “the seemingly impossible number of people that fitted into the room. It added to the intimacy; we breathed, smiled, sighed, cried as one.”
Naomi Hossain, one of the audience members, was impressed by “the sheer courage” the performer exhibited. “It is not easy to go up in front of strangers and share your private feelings. I admired how they owned their work, and the audience devoured every word that came out.”
Naomi, who is also a writer, said the event encouraged her to share some of her own work. “Maybe, in the next open mic I might.” Ampersand plans to have an open mic after each performance to invite other brave souls to take the stage.
“I couldn't believe the response,” said performer and Ampersand co-founder Samira Sadeque. “I never thought so many people in Dhaka would show up for poetry, which is often termed geeky and boring.”
“I saw people with tears in their eyes during some of the pieces,” said Namira Hossain, performer and one of the learning supporters for the Ampersand writing workshops. “Poetry can do that. It moves you. It shakes you to your very core in a way you didn't even think was possible.”
Performer Shaan Rahman, also an actor, leads the Ampersand performance workshops. He said he was drawn to the group because of “the energy of the people involved. They're very supportive, mindful, encouraging and emotionally intelligent. I've been wanting to find people like this and surround myself with them since coming to Dhaka.”
Ashna Chowdhury, performer and co-founder of Ampersand, brought the group together for similar reasons. “I myself was craving for intentional creative community, mostly because I have experienced how transformative it can be.”
The 11 poets come from a variety of experience levels and professional backgrounds: wellness coach Ashna Chowdhury, journalist Namira Hossain, actor and teacher Shaan Rahman, Dhaka Tribune journalist Samira Sadeque, accountant David Browne, education specialist Shakil Ahmed, writer Taufiq Sufi, businessman and comedian Shammi Huda, literary magazine editor Shehzar Doja, energy and infrastructure specialist Irfan Ahmed, and architect Nafis Salman.
In today’s show, “100 Thousand Poets for Change,” the group will perform a set of new poems addressing the issues that are part of Dhaka life. This event is part of a global movement, where poets, musicians, photographers and performance artists across the world have staged demonstrations of poetry to promote serious social, environmental, and political change.
The cause fits in well with Ashna’s vision for the Ampersand, as “a platform to start telling our stories, which are hopefully relatable and inspiring for our listeners. The idea is to have a pulse of what's going on in Dhaka, and talk about the issues that matter most to us and touch our lives personally.”
“We all have really big dreams,” Namira added. “All of us care about social issues and social change. All of us feel frustrated about not being able to speak out. We will have some phenomenal pieces talking about a variety of issues, and we can’t wait to see how people will respond.”