Tanya Evanson is an Antiguan-Quebecoise Poet, Spoken Word Artist, Vocalist, Whirling Dervish Dancer, Arts Educator and Director of both Mother Tongue Media and Banff Centre Spoken Word. Montreal-born and based in Vancouver, Canada, she has published six poetry chapbooks, three studio albums "Language for Gods" (2012), "The Memorists" (2008) and "Invisible World" (2004), and has been performing multilingually across Canada since 1995. Her work is featured in the award-winning videopoem "Almost Forgot My Bones" (2004), documentaries "Generation Exile" (2010) and "In Search of Ecstasy" (2009) as well anthologies, international music recordings, national TV and radio. Spoken word performance highlights include Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Calgary International Spoken Word Festival, Edmonton Poetry Festival, Beats Without Borders, Poetry Gabriola Festival, International Vancouver Storytelling Festival and When Sisters Speak, alongside such artists as John Giorno, Ursula Rucker, Michael Franti, Ted Joans, Sheri-D Wilson, bill bissett and Bob Holman. As Mother Tongue Media, she has been writing, editing, leading workshops and producing intercultural and interarts events since 2000 including "Tales of Ordinary Madness" spoken word series, "Under the Griot Tree" black History Month arts festival, as well as ANU 8, 9 and 10 conceptual group art performances. A classically trained Whirling Dervish since 2002, she has performed and taught extensively across Europe, Turkey, Japan and Canada from her bases in Istanbul and Vancouver. Performance highlights include whirling with Mercan Dede, Natasha Atlas, Ludovico Einaudi and Niyaz at such venues as AKM (Turkey), Barbican (UK), Club Paradiso (Netherlands), Etnosur Festival (Spain) and Ars Electronica (Austria). Open your arms if you want to be held. www.mothertonguemedia.com
