OWN THE STAGE : SPEAK AND INSPIRE

The newest project being presented as part of our Respond to Racism program, Own the Stage: Speak and Inspire was initially conceived by Southern Artistic Director Charles Umeh during the interview process for his role at Common Weal. The project is intended to make spoken word accessible both as an art form and an essential means of communication for youth living in and around the rural community of Indian Head. Under the guidance of Artist-Mentors Kevin Wesaquate and Peace Akintade, the workshops are aimed at providing youth with a means to capture and share their cultures, feelings, anxieties, fears, identity struggles, relationships, and triumphs. Youth were supported in developing their written and spoken word skills, which culminated in a recorded performance. 

The program encouraged the youth to think and speak freely by creating a safe environment for them to be themselves and use their voices through the medium of spoken word poetry. With the piece “My Childhood” the youth used language and emotion to travel back through childhood memories, reflecting on nostalgic feelings and the challenges of growing up. 

The project shows the importance and power of spoken words in speaking up for ourselves. Own the Stage: Speak and Inspire  gave the participants an opportunity to tell their stories using their own unique voices, thereby encouraging them to be themselves without racial or societal barriers, sharing and respecting each other’s culture and background which formed who they are. Made in partnership with Kumar Productions,  Own the Stage held space for participants to perform their spoken word pieces through recorded video works. For many participants, this was the first opportunity to showcase their work in this format.  The mentorship provided to the youth by our lead project artists, Peace Akintade and Kevin Wesaqute, was invaluable, and brought a richness to the program that is unparalleled in this province. As we expand the Own the Stage: Speak and Inspire offering in the future, we will further explore how spoken word and poetry can be used as a tool for anti-racist action, in pursuit of a more equitable and just Saskatchewan.