Urban Legends
2009
Namitha Rathinappillai
Urban Legends began as a grassroots organization, hosting events at a classroom at Carleton University in response to a need for an alcohol-free space to make performance poetry accessible to all Ottawans, including youth, and Muslim performers. Founded in 2009 by Ian Keteku, and Suhaib Ibn Najib, with later organisers including Sergio Guerra, Sean O’Gorman, Sarah Musa, Jamaal Jackson Rogers, Xaamud Macalinkiisa, Khaleefa Hamdan and Panos Argyropoulos, Urban Legends' mandate is to support local, regional and national artists of all genders, races and ages to have a safe space to create and share poetry while simultaneously exposing audiences to professional artists and continuing the honoured tradition of spoken word.