Fierce Love & Fresh Air

love, rage & hunger for change.

A poetic reckoning with collective healing and grief. Amongst fires, floods and viruses, the poet’s role is truth-telling and visioning beyond the chaos and pain of the present. Shifting between moments of softness and fast-paced rap, the show insists upon the importance of connection: loving and caring for each other and our Earth Mother.

The show is led by Dunedin poet Kyra Gillies and features some performances by other wonderful local poets. Not one to shy away from tough topics, Kyra has performed at community events such as World Suicide Prevention Day, Rape Awareness Week, (MEN)tal Health: call & response and School Strike 4 Climate.

Gender, racial and environmental justice are at the heart of the show with themes from prison abolition, decolonisation to loving and balanced relationships.

Kyra has previously produced the show Pissed Off! Passionate and Hopeful (Nominated for Best Performance Art and Best Emerging Artist, Fringe 2017) and Flowers Through the Cracks (Community Gallery 2020). The poet was also part of Ten Perspectives: A National Poetry Day Celebration at the Dunedin Public Library (2020).

Kyra is Runner Up of the Dunedin and Central Otago Slam Poetry Competition’s 2020 and came 1st in the Cromwell Slam Poetry Heat. You can find Kyra’s poetry online at AwaWahine.com and Oscen.co but really it’s better live!