Our History:
Started in 2020 on International Poetry Day to bring poetry in the voice of its authors to an international community, the collection now houses over 600 audiovisual poems from all over the world in various languages. Today, the Poetic Phonotheque, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and accessibility of contemporary poetry through audio, film, and print archives. By recording and archiving spoken-word poetry, curating literary anthologies, and providing interactive poetry experiences, the organization ensures that poetry remains a living and evolving art form. Through programs like our traveling FONOTEK, the Dial-A-Poet hotline, Poet Ambassador initiatives, workshops and public installations, The Poetic Phonotheque fosters literary engagement, supports poets through paid opportunities, and expands access to poetry across diverse communities.
Our collection also has headquarters through partner organizations in the US, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and the UK, and tours to cultural events, with a focus on multimedia, multicultural, multilingual poetic expressions, fostering community dialogue and conversations on climate, minority representation, diversity, inclusion, and reconnecting our communities.
For 2023, the Poetic Phonotheque celebrated its third NATURE & CULTURE – International Poetry Film Festival, along with collaborations with various organizations in the Nordic region and Latin America. In 2024, we introduced the FONOTEK, portable rotary phone recorders that you can record your poetry on, wherever the Poetic Phonotheque is visiting.
All the poetry films screened during each festival, remain in our permanent archive, which you’re welcome to browse through by navigating this website.
As of 2025, The Poetic Phonotheque is proud to announce its transition into a registered nonprofit organization based in NYC, US, formalizing its commitment to preserving, promoting, and amplifying contemporary poetry. Dedicated to fostering cross-cultural dialogue and supporting underrepresented voices, the Poetic Phonotheque operates as a platform for literary, educational, and cultural enrichment.
Our Purpose
The Poetic Phonotheque is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, literary, and cultural purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our mission includes:
- Preservation and Documentation: Archiving multimedia recordings of poetry from diverse languages and cultures to ensure accessibility for future generations.
- Amplifying Voices: Promoting minority and marginalized perspectives in the global artistic community.
- Education and Outreach: Hosting workshops, events, and symposiums that encourage the appreciation of poetry and foster cross-cultural understanding.
- Multimedia Innovation: Exploring the intersection of poetry with art forms such as film, music, and visual media.
- Community Building: Creating bridges between poets, artists, and cultural institutions in the Nordic region, the United States, Latin America, and beyond.
Our Values
- Inclusivity: Embracing diverse voices and perspectives to reflect the richness of global cultures.
- Preservation: Ensuring the longevity of poetic expressions through innovative documentation methods.
- Collaboration: Building partnerships with cultural institutions, educators, and artists worldwide.
- Engagement: Inspiring active participation in the arts through public programming and events.
Legal and Organizational Commitment
The Poetic Phonotheque is structured as a charitable corporation under New York State’s Not-for-Profit Corporation Law. Our governance and operations are aligned with the requirements of Section 501(c)(3), ensuring:
- Transparency and accountability in all financial and operational matters.
- That no part of the organization’s net earnings benefits any private individual or shareholder.
- Strict adherence to charitable and educational activities, avoiding partisan political engagement.
- Proper asset distribution upon dissolution, ensuring all resources are directed toward charitable purposes.
Join Us
As we embark on this new chapter as a nonprofit, we invite poets, artists, educators, and enthusiasts to engage with our mission. Whether through contributing your voice, attending events, or supporting our work, your participation is vital to the growth and impact of The Poetic Phonotheque.
Together, we can ensure that poetry remains a vibrant and transformative force in our communities. For more information, upcoming events, and how to support our mission, please explore our website or contact us directly.
poeticphonotheque@gmail.com
The Poetic Phonotheque’s functions are as follows:
1- Preservation and Documentation: To curate, archive, and preserve multimedia recordings of contemporary poetry from diverse languages, cultures, and perspectives, ensuring the accessibility of poetic works for future generations.
2 – Cultural Representation and Inclusion: To amplify underrepresented voices in poetry and literature, promoting minority and marginalized perspectives within the global artistic community.
3 – Education and Outreach: To provide educational resources, workshops, and events that encourage the appreciation of poetry as a vital art form, fostering literacy and cross-cultural understanding.
4 – Multimedia Innovation: To explore and support the intersection of poetry with other art forms, such as film, music, and visual media, enhancing the reach and impact of contemporary poetic expressions.
5 – Community Building: To create platforms for dialogue and collaboration among poets, artists, educators, and cultural organizations, building bridges between communities in the Nordic region, the United States, Latin America, and beyond.
6 – Promotion of Art and Activism: To use poetry as a tool for activism, raising awareness about social, cultural, and environmental issues through creative and intellectual engagement.
7 – Public Engagement: To organize exhibitions, festivals, readings, and symposiums that bring poetry to a wider audience and encourage active participation in the arts.
8 – Partnerships and Collaborations: To partner with cultural institutions, educational organizations, and artistic networks to further the mission of promoting and preserving contemporary poetry.
9 – Nonprofit Purpose Compliance: To engage in activities that are exclusively charitable, educational, and literary within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and to ensure that all funds and resources are used to further the organization’s mission.