On the 22nd of October, we will be continuing our Fall Writing Series with author multidisciplinary artist Charlie Petch for “Love Your Embarrassment.” Bullied for their lateral lisp, Charlie Petch went from silent to feeling happiest onstage. Now an award-winning theatre and spoken word artist, Charlie will show you tips and tricks for public speaking and performance in “Love Your Embarrassment.” Part microphone training, performance coaching, and comedy writing, Charlie will break down the elements of handling a microphone and stand, performing with and without notes, and offer tips for engaging an audience. He will lead with a writing exercise that will embrace embarrassment in a way that will leave you feeling empowered. “Love Your Embarrassment” will boost your confidence and have you excited for the next time you’re onstage or public speaking. You can interact or just watch, have fun, and learn. Reserve your spot on our Eventbrite for this two-hour workshop, and remember to bring your writing supplies!
Please note that this event will be taking place in the Classroom B222 in the B-Wing at Sheridan College's Hazel McCallion Campus.
Charlie Petch (they/he) is a disabled & transmasculine multidisciplinary artist. Their debut poetry collection, Why I Was Late (Brick Books), won the 2022 ReLit Award, and was named "Best of 2021" by The Walrus. Petch received a Golden Beret Spoken Word Prize from the League of Canadian Poets. Their play “No one’s special at the hot dog cart” debuted in 2024 with sold out shows at Theatre Passe Muraille and Public Energy. Petch's latest poetry book, "Infinite Audition" by Brick Books, was launched in 2025, and is being used both as a poetry book, and theatre resource for trans and non-binary actors. It also contains a full album of music created by Charlie. They founded "Hot Damn it's a Queer Slam" and have worked in spoken word organizing and curation since 2011. They do workshops and write plays, librettos, poems, and music and perform their work for audiences all over Turtle Island.
A special thank you to the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Arts Council for their generous funding.