About Shone
poet, artist, speaker, human
Shone Thistle (she/they) is an award winning poet, speaker and community builder with more than two decades of experience in poverty reduction, family violence prevention, and culture building.
In the sport of poetry, they've received perfect scores at the world-famous Nuyorican Poets Café. Their writing can be found in several anthologies, including Mic Check: An Anthology of Canadian Spoken Word Poetry and YYC POP Poetic Portraits of People. They have two children’s books in the works, and proudly serve as both the Executive Director of Calgary Queer Arts Society and as Calgary’s 7th Poet Laureate (2024-26).
Shone's visual art practice is grounded in the materials of childhood creativity including the use of tissue paper, drywall compound, acrylic paints and white glue. Their creations are playful, poetic and tactile.
In 2025 Shone received the prestigious Stonewall Porchlight Award for their volunteer leadership in the creation of safer, more welcoming spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ community members. A catalyst in the creation of Canada’s strongest municipal bylaw against conversion therapy, Shone met the moment in 2020, calling in dozens of other community leaders to build a unified front. Their work helped shift public policy, sparked national conversation, and affirmed the power of community-led change.
Shone lives, works and plays in Mohkinstsis, otherwise known as Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are the daughter of a west coast painter and an east coast naval boatswain; their heart swells with the oceans despite having become a proud prairie dweller. Born on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen peoples, most colonially known as Victoria, British Columbia; Calgary has been home for more than two decades.
In the news...
Let's work together!
Whether you are a conference planner, cabaret producer, arts presenter or classroom teacher there are so many ways to gather and make meaning. And poets are meaning making machines! If you are looking to invite creativity, to infuse your event with story, or seeking to host meaningful conversations - rooted in nature, social justice and a bolder sense of belonging - then I would love to connect and explore what's possible.
Speaking & Performing
"Giving feature poet energy that ebbs and flows between story
and poetry."
"Shone offers an invitation to authenticity and a deeper sense of belonging."
Speaks on: grief, faith, love, nature, creativity, coming out, the body politic and what it means to be alive and human.
Workshop Facilitation
Drawing on more than two decades of experience in storytelling for social impact, Shone invites workshop participants to listen deeply and embrace the messiness of the creative process.
Participants are guided through art, craft and writing based activities, unearthing both individual and collective stories just waiting to be told.
Storycatching
Storycatching is a powerful way to witness and reflect back to a group what matters to them, what they're struggling with and what gives them hope for the future.
Storycatching can add a magical element to any event, leaving team members or conference delegates with meaningful memories, and an inspired sense of community.
Collaboration
"Collaborating shatters the illusion of control, opening a door to something not yet imagined."
Shone approaches collaboration as a series of mutual offerings, a process of letting go and receiving with the ultimate goal of expanding our collective consciousness.
If you are interested in learning more or exploring a project together, reach out with an offering - let's see what kind of magic unfolds.
Upcoming Events
TEDx Calgary
PACE: IMPACT BEYOND SPEED
"PACE: Impact Beyond Speed" takes us on a deep journey about this time and place in our human story.
We're living in a tumultuous period of great flux, where the pace of life, the speed of decisions, environmental and political volatility and the rate of technological change conspire to... exhaust? terrify? inspire?
Speakers will provoke deep discussions, leading to even more profound connections for participants. They'll be joined by our interactions partners, whose activations will take your thinking even further as you directly experience ideas in action.
Join us on October 25th!
Nature & Culture – International Poetry Film Festival
This year, live screening events in Copenhagen, Malmö and Calgary!
Produced by the Poetic Phonoteque, in partnership with Red Door and the Calgary Public Library, we are pleased to announce the 2025 Nature and Culture International Poetry Film Festival.
For the month of October, the festival will unfold online at the Poetic Phonoteque website.
For the first time, the live program will extend across three international cities, opening new grassroots connections for sharing and building ideas across borders.
This year’s program gathers 31 films from 16 countries, poetry films, animations, shorts, experimental works, and documentaries, each asking, in its own way: What is poetry? What is a poetry film? How might this form help us sense and build our relationship with nature and culture?
