Des mots qui flow
In collaboration with
Des mots qui flow is a vibrant bilingual project where poetry practices and creative writing come together to offer young people a unique artistic experience. Designed for French- and English-speaking students, it will create a space where words flow freely, languages mix, and ideas come to life.
Led jointly by a slam poet and a video poet, the workshops will immerse participants in the world of collective creation. Together, they will explore themes that are important to them, exchange ideas in their second language, and transform their words into vibrant performances. Each session will become a moment of sharing, discovery, and personal expression.
As the project progresses, the texts will take shape, voices will intertwine, and the creations will come to life both on stage and on screen. Participant performances, to be filmed by professionals, will be shared online and on stage, culminating in a final show at the 2026 Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival. See you there!
Des mots qui flow is about bringing together the energy of words, the power of bilingualism, and the magic of cultural encounters!
The 15 bilingual performances will be broadcast on our website in March 2026.
Stay tuned!
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
Vanguard School
Vanguard School is a private school in the public interest offering adapted educational services in both languages of instruction (English and French). It provides education to students with learning disabilities within the framework of the regular programs of the ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur, both at the elementary and high school levels.
Westwood High School
Westwood High School, with Junior and Senior Campuses located in St. Lazare and Hudson, is unique within the Lester B. Pearson School Board as it is the only secondary school with two separate campuses. Despite the physical division, Westwood High School is united under a common vision. The Senior Campus is comprised of Secondary III, Secondary IV, and Secondary V. The school recognizes that students in the senior school are significant participants in their own educational process.
THE COLLABORATORS
IVY (Ivan Bielinski)
In the world of slam poetry, Ivy, born Ivan Bielinski in Strasbourg, is an essential figure. From the World Forum of the French Language to the Coup de cœur francophone, including the Vancouver Olympics and the FrancoFolies de Montréal, he has performed on a wide variety of stages. His words resonate throughout the Francophonie: in New Caledonia in 2014, then in Paris during a tribute show to Félix Leclerc, in Dakar… With the book-disc Slamérica and the album Hors des sentiers battus, released in 2008 and 2012 respectively, Ivy established himself as an original artist whose lyrics and music surprise and captivate. His album S’armer de patience was released in 2016. Furthermore, Yvan Bielinski continues to play an active role in the slam community; he is one of the co-founders of the Ligue québécoise de slam and regularly hosts evenings dedicated to this art form.
BeWyrd (Michael Clarke)
Michael “BeWyrd” Clarke is a poet based in Tio’tia:ke (aka Montréal). He has performed solo and in collaboration with poets, musicians, and dancers across Canada at poetry slams, live events, and festivals. In 2023, he received QWF’s Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize. His poetry explores the music of the voice, the legacy of trauma, and the hope in every breath. He is the president of the Throw! Poetry Collective which showcases competitive yet friendly bilingual poetry slams once a month. Every year, he helps produce the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam (CIPS) as part of the Verses Festival of Words in Vancouver. He has a Master’s degree in Educational Technology and is currently working on a studio album.
