POETIC CONNECTIONS IN TIMES OF ISOLATION 032 Elizabeth Torres, also known as Madam Neverstop, is an artist with many irons in the fire. Originally from Colombia but now living and working in Copenhagen, Elizabeth is a poet, multimedia artist and translator, as well as director of <strong>Red</strong> <strong>Door</strong> Gallery and <strong>Red</strong> <strong>Door</strong> Magazine, and initiator of the radio station Tremella Radio. For some time now, another project can be added to the long list: the Poetic Phonotheque (Det Poetiske Fonotek). The project came into being during the height of the Covid-19 epidemic, which, as we all know, was very stressful and imposed a lot of restrictions. With the pandemic came enforced isolation, boredom, idleness and the loss of opportunities for poets to perform and thus reach out to audiences. In an attempt to overcome these obstacles, Elizabeth came up with the idea of the Poetic Phonotheque. If we couldn’t meet physically, we had to communicate in a different way. This was done by harnessing the power of digital media, creating a multimedia platform where poets and visual artists could submit their work. The Poetic Phonotheque project was launched on 21 March 2020, which happens to be World Poetry Day. The project has evolved into a virtual library of international poetry. An ever-growing collection that now includes over 300 audiovisual poems, performed by poets from all over the world and which can be seen and heard at: www.poeticphonotheque.com Contributing to the growth of the collection is very easy. For keen poets, all you have to do is turn on your computer and go to the aforementioned website, press ‘record’, read your poetry, give your name, click ‘send’ and voilà! you are part of the Poetic Phonotheque. Since 2021, it has been collaborating with Kulturhuset Islands Brygge, which also houses the collection, as does Kultivera in Tranås, but as the archive is digital, other cities can also use its material and host events such as exhibitions. The idea is that in the future it will be possible to hold local events showcasing poetry, screenings and books etc. The concept goes very well with poetry film festivals, as you could rotate the events between different festivals. In November 2021, Poetic Phonotheque, in cooperation with Kulturhuset Islands Brygge, organised the first international poetry film festival under the name “Nature & Culture”. It received 300 entries from around the world, of which 128 were selected and streamed on the website. In addition, two film screenings were organised at Kulturhuset Islands Brygge, followed by discussions and an art exhibition. The festival was promoted in Copenhagen’s largest newspaper and several directors, composers and poets attended the event. Article by: Frank Bergsten for Kultivera Photography by: Zarko Ivetic (Ilaria Boffa, Pablo Saborio and Extinction Rebellion Danmark during the festival) for Kulturhuset Islands Brygge Illustrations by Rikke Winkler Nilsson
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