NOW HEAR THIS

Hear Here, is a non-profit arts collective based in Toronto. Our goal is to raise awareness for creative social causes by organizing popular, culturally significant events at different locations around the city, with all net proceeds from our events going to creative programs in Toronto. Hear Here is not just about having a party with cool people. Yes, it’s a great time, but for an even greater cause.

WHAT WE’VE HEARD

Hear Here is more than a literary salon; walking into an event that is united under one cause is invigorating. Every corner of the space is dynamic and filled with artists of all stripes sharing their hearts out for literacy. It was joyous.

Lara Bozabalian, Poet

For those that are part of arts and culture in T.O. or for those that want to be, I would recommend that they check out this cool initiative by a group of passionate individuals

Roberto Marra, Visual Artist

Had a great time sharing the stage with such a variety of artists at the Hear Here event in October. Poets, musicians and visual art awakened the 17th floor of a downtown building that overlooked the billion lights of this amazing city that is ours, Toronto. Great to share my work with new admirers and connect with fresh ideas and with charming and eccentric folk. Thanks again for the invitation and look forward to more.

Gianna Patriarca, Poet

Hear here is audible presence, music’d being, Enlightenment/Renaissance all over again NOW!

Elliott Clarke, Poet Laureate of Canada

HERE & THERE

What Everyone is HEARing

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News

HOWLing Interview with Hear Here

November 24, 2016
Listen to Hear Here founder, Alfonso Licata, on CIUT 89.5 FM’s HOWL.

A note from Jason Wilson

February 17, 2016
At out last event, Hear Here: Revolution, the incomparable musician and author Jason Wilson graced our stage, keeping the evening alive long into the night. We were lucky to have this extraordinary gentleman once, but in case you missed him, we hope that he’ll return at an event in the future so you too can enjoy his performances. Here’s what he had to say about the last event on October 9, 2015:   “Hear Here is a sentient, shape-shifting art portal that materializes every season to bless the good souls of the city. I am fortunate enough to be able to count myself among the blessed. While its form is in one sense static – each event is rooted in a particular theme – its function seems to grow exponentially with every offering. By this I mean that Hear Here, a concept unique to Toronto, provides a comfortable and pliable space for the artful, the organic and the unexpected to occur. Indeed, the most compelling quotient of the HHexperience is that you simply never know what is going to happen next.” – Jason Wilson   Thanks, Jason! Here’s to keeping the magic alive.
Events News

Welcome to Hear Here, Toronto’s premier Salon!

July 22, 2015
Welcome to Hear Here, Toronto’s premier Salon!  Our theme for our third event (Date: October 9th, 8:00 pm) is Lost & Found. Like always, we will be holding an artistic gathering in Toronto with some of Canada’s most influential artists. Poets, novelists, short story writers, non-fiction authors and essayists are all invited—professional or amateur—to share at our communal event for lovers of literature, spoken word, visual arts, music and food. Attendance is open and all are welcome! Our first event included superb Toronto fare and a chance to rub shoulders with the likes of Barry Callaghan, Lillian Allen, and many others. Visit our See Here page were you’ll be able to see pictures and video from the inaugural event at the Metro Convention Centre Lobby. Our second event, Hear Here: Revolution was an even greater success, showcasing one of the most unique event spots in Toronto: the 20th floor of 150 York St. No one event has ever used the space before and we strongly suspect no one ever will again. A highlight of the evening was the rhythmic improv from Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke and surprise guest Shelley Hamilton. If you missed it, check out the photos and videos on our See Here page, but we urge you to come to the next event, since there no replacement for seeing it live. Although several prominent authors and artists from across the country will be sharing their work, we are accepting submissions from beginners as well. If you’d like to read or display your work at one of our events, visit our Submissions page to find out how you can. Hear Here is not for profit. Each member of our small team is doing this for the love of the arts and our unique city. We want to create an environment where excited patrons come together to bring a balance to lives too often full of burdensome duties. Why are we so special? Hear Here is a roaming literary salon: each event will be held in a different location around Toronto (office towers, commercial areas, store fronts, lobbies). The precise location will not be released until shortly before the event; instead, our Be Here page will be changing on a regular basis. As the event draws ever closer, the map of Toronto will gradually zero in on Hear Here’s new address. After each event, the map will return to show Toronto in full and then repeat the process for the next event’s new location. So join us for the second invigoration Hear Here will bring to our city’s arts scene!
Literature News

Hear Here: Emerging Authors Contest

July 22, 2015
In the spirit of perpetuating our support for yet more artists, we held the inaugural Hear Here Emerging Authors Contest on Wattpad with the theme of our last event: Revolution. We received many excellent submissions, but narrowed those down to 3 exemplary pieces of short fiction. Every week we will be posting one of the three winning stories on our New Voices page, in no particular order, so be sure to come back and check them all out! Check out HIS BLOOD MAKES STRANGE PATTERNS by LAUREN POLETTI on our New Voices page.

Brownman on Hear Here: Revolution!

April 3, 2015
Last night I made a quick guest appearance at Hear Here presents: Revolution! — an event that showcased authors, art & music in a single space (on the 20th floor of a downtown office building!). I was under the weather fighting a virus so was jolted by what initially seemed like oddly juxtaposed artforms… readings colliding with live music colliding with visual art (and I say this as a jazz musician who really only deals with being on stage and delivering musical output). It was all a lil disorganized and no one quite knew what was supposed to be happening — BUT as the night went on, the whole thing seemed to make more and more sense. Inexplicably so. And, for me — the event expanded into something that was greater than the sum of it’s parts. And I gotta admit — earlier in the night a fellow musician and I found ourselves exchanging looks of “what is happening right now?”… but as the event progressed and evolved, the juxtaposition of these artforms started working for me. At one point acclaimed poet George Elliot Clarke, was onstage literally screaming stanzas into the mic while guitarist Jason Nett created textural loops underneath and Shelly Hamilton improvised choruses in the background… it should not have worked. But it did. I found myself oddly grinning at the madness… and truly digging it. The whole thing just hung together in a strangely captivating way – the way orange and chocolate should not work, but does (for me). I suspect Jason’s abilities to find exactly what the moment needs is to blame for the cohesion… I felt it later when we played together — that he knows what to do to make a musical moment feel genuine. This is a musician I’d like to see more of. The end result — I honestly found myself digging this weird ass shit all night long! Are all literary events like this? Cuz this one seemed so unique and special. Think of it — an acclaimed word-smith almost shouting poetry into a mic, atop of textured guitar loops and r’n’b-esque vocals — now couple that with interesting modern art on the walls, a 20th story panoramic view of the city, a god-damn Steinway grand piano(!), and delicious finger-food served by smiling staff… dude, as crazy as it sound — the whole thing, just worked for me. It looks insane when I write it out like this — but honestly — it was pretty rivetingly interesting and representative of some courage forays into multidisciplinary art in Toronto. The other thing I noticed — not ONE phone came out all night. No texting. No thumb hockey. No insipid Facebook checking. This was an art crowd who was there to experience this shit fully and in the moment. Heavy. I was impressed by the authors and their work, the art being displayed and the musical guests. (I wanna shout out reggae/afro-beat crew The Fugitive Minds who asked me to jump up for a tune and whose tight delicious
News

Watch Our CP24 Interview With Writer Barry Callaghan, Where He Explains the Magic of Hear Here

November 12, 2014
Watch our CP24 interview with writer Barry Callaghan, where he explains the magic of Hear Here: http://www.cp24.com/video?clipId=485172

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