La Mama Poetica Online
La Mama has presented poetry in a live format since 1967 and is one of the many traditions that form part of the La Mama project which nourishes emerging and talented artists. As with many other Arts enterprises, this event has been forced to pivot online. Unlike more performative Arts events, adapting to the online format for poetry readings is daunting. They are, by their very nature, much more intimate events that rely heavily on the physical presence of the audience.
La Mama Poetica Online rises to the challenge and continues to provide the opportunity to celebrate new and established artists. Each artist recorded readings of their work which is then followed by a fascinating live Q&A with presenter Amanda Anastasi. Here the audience is invited to join in and ask questions and this established some of the intimacy that characterises such events. Each performer is a renowned poet in their own right and their words and their work are a pleasure to savour.
Jocelyn Deane (above) opens the event and includes a series of poems which focus on the film actress Scarlett Johansson. They have some great irony and sometimes read like a film script in the way they evoke imagery. Deane seems less comfortable in the digital space, but their words are, nonetheless, fascinating. Anne Elvery is known for her environmental and ecological themes which also feature in this reading. Elvey’s language is very rich with strong narrative and stories easily unfold from her writing. Her command of rhythm allows the words to float beautifully and she creates intimacy by working closely to the camera.
Anisa Nandaula (above) is totally in command of this platform. Her work is more performative by nature and the vigour and enthusiasm imbued in her performance is easily transposed on screen. Nandaula’s exuberance is also expressed in the way she works with the camera, establishing a connection that makes her words irresistible; her gestures, her gaze, her animated expressions and delivery, combined with the stylised control of her voice, are all effectively deployed. David Stavanger (below) incorporates some basic but effective visual effects to accompany his dramatic reading. His work is compelling in the way it conjures up physical places but especially landscapes of the mind.
Some consideration on how to make the online space a more homely one for the artists and a more interactive one for the audience would be useful. However, La Mama Poetica online undoubtedly shows that a digital context can be a genuine and authentic way to keep artists and their audiences truly connected.
Patricia Di Risio
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