On every last Wednesday of the month, Lana Mercury (Uncle London) – a member of Firepit Gallery – hosts a spoken word event in the Firepit room. The house rules are as follows:everyone is invited to participate, but participation is not obligatory. It is an open space where opinions, experiences, feelings and emotions can be expressed through poetry, song, rap,and/or comedic prose. Experience in the art of spoken word is not required. To simply make your voice heard is a mark of courage, and those among you readily tune in, keen. During performances, to snap one's fingers is encouraged, as it quietly and subtly conveys appreciation for the speaker. But before heading up to the mic, everyone must place their hands near the flames of the firepit and declare, “the fire is within me”. Aided by notebooks, printed papers, journals, or simply memory, each performer suddenly embodies the role of a storyteller. From ‘round the firepit, one feels as though they are camping. It is evening, the fire is warm, who’s up for a story? Tales of adventure, heartbreak and sorrow, love, loss, and the realities of the human experience are told. Some laugh, others sit in silence. A willingness to feel uncomfortable is required, though not once does one feel alone in such a sentiment. Each performer seems to hold out a line–an extension of themselves–and it is up to the auditor to decide on whether or not to take that tether and establish a connection. At certain times, Lana will act as an interlude and entertain the crowd with random facts between performances, offering insight and even feedback following each performer. Grounding exercise, tensions are suddenly alleviated. For each tale is a moment in time, distinctive, irreproducible. It lingers within until the next moment, where it all begins over again. Different but funny, weird yet emotional, moving and at once, absolutely absurd.

Lana Mercury invites you to listen, feel, and express. A cacophony of emotion is produced in the firepit room on these evenings, both liberating and incredibly inspiring. The fire is a comfort; unbiased partner that centres, providing focus. Firepit tales functions as a disruptor of monotony, remedy to the chaos that surrounds our daily lives. Though ephemeral, its impact is undeniable–the feeling remains.

Danielle Turner