Two UT students who wanted to start a university organization celebrating the performing arts have founded a club that will provide students with a venue for their creative talents.

The Performing Arts Club, founded by John Kilpatrick and Stephen Seed Heathcock this semester, is in the process of getting its constitution passed and becoming a univeristy-registered organization.

We want to genuinely interact with Knoxville, Kilpatrick said. We also want to get support from people not necessarily affiliated with the university.

Both Kilpatrick and Heathcock are associated with the poetry slam league and have met a diverse population of performing talent.

Through the slam we have been fortunate enough to meet many, many talented people from all across the U.S. and Canada who need to be heard, Kilpatrick said. Their talents need to be shared with as many people as possible. We thought forming this club would help us bring some of those people here to campus where we think they could be appreciated.

Kilpatrick and Heathcock played a role in organizing Soul Cafe, a night of open mic poetry and song, with the Black Graduate and Professionals Student Association.

We are looking forward to working with them in the near future, said Heathcock, who serves as president of PAC. Hopefully, it is the beginning of a great relationship and a great event.

Heathcock said it was great to see all the students come out to the event to appreciate one another.

Unfortunately, in our daily student rush we have found a way to deprive each other of genuine social interaction, Heathcock said. With help from students, this event [Soul Cafe] will become a forum, not only for art and entertainment, but for communion, activism and friends.

Currently there are 1O members in PAC, but the organization wants to expand and include anybody that wishes to join.

We are open to everyone, Kilpatrick said. One just has to have a hunger for new and exciting things. If you are a performer of sorts, or just enjoy different types of performing, then we want to work with you.

Heathcock said the primary objective of PAC for the moment is to establish a bi-weekly open mic on campus.

Once the constitution is approved, meetings will begin will be on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, Heathcock.

The monthly Poetry Slam will be held Friday at Barley’s Taproom in the Old City. Admission to the show is $3 and will feature GNO from Dallas, TX.

We want to do some moving and some shaking, Kilpatrick said. So many people complain that there is nothing to do on campus. We want to completely change that. But the only way we can do that is with the support of our fellow students. We need more ideas and more energy.

For more information about PAC students should contact Kilpatrick and Heathcock at (865) 281-0474.