POETIC PRACTICES allows us to delve into the extraordinary world of fascinating poetry practices for four whole days.  Audre Lorde’s iconic text 'Poetry Is Not a Luxury'* inspired us to organise a mini festival on poetry practices. This Afro-American feminist and poet considered writing poetry to be pure empowerment; a way for women to break the silence and free their own inner voice. Poetry still has the same emancipating power today and it could (perhaps as a result) be the most personal art form of all. We asked ourselves back then whether we could use the title of this text by Audre Lorde as the title for our mini festival that highlights various poetry practices. Today, we are asking ourselves that same question and concluded that the division was too great between what the title stands for and the actual programme of the festival. We will of course still dedicate time to Audre Lorde over these four days and the text 'Poetry Is Not a Luxury', with the help of experts in this area. However, the festival itself will go under the new name 'Poetic Practices’.   Under its new name, 'Poetic Practices', the festival will be bringing together artists from different disciplines who share not only a love of words, but also a love of the unspeakable and what stays between the lines. The festival will open on Wednesday with a drink in beurscafé. This event will showcase two installations, an artist talk on friendship, the screening of Rirkrit Tiravanija’s film and a post-religious manifesto in the Black Box. The following days will feature top class musicians who are well-grounded in grime (Wiley!) and R&B (Juicy!). We will be putting on a slam poetry night with Koleka Putuma, Jaamil Olawale Kosoko, Louis Vanhaverbeke and Samira Saleh. Vulnerable, intimate, on the edge. You will have the opportunity to search for the power of speaking in an interactive installation and ketjes will be on hand to produce genius phrases at the ketjesdisco.  On Saturday, during the reading group we will dive into the text of Audre Lorde, have an intense discussion and look for blind spots. Let's delve into the world of fascinating poetry practices! Your beursschouwburg   * "For women, then, poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action." — Audre Lorde