Own the Stage: The Becoming

Standing in front of thirty of their peers, newcomer youth took turns speaking their thoughts and feelings about life, love, hope, and childhood. Their courage and honesty gained a surge of approving snaps. Youth from the Regina Open Door Society’s Summer Blast spent a week in July voicing their perspectives and experiences through the art of spoken word poetry.

In its second year, Own the Stage is a program conceived to make spoken word more accessible, both as an art form and an essential means of communication for Saskatchewan youth. Thanks to a partnership with RODS, spoken word artists Cat Abenstein and Peace Akintade-Oluwagbeye presented this year's workshops to newcomer and refugee youth ages thirteen to nineteen. Both artists are nationally recognized and have played significant roles in establishing the local spoken-word communities in Saskatoon and Regina. Over four days, the artists guided youth in giving voice to their feelings, anxieties, fears, identity struggles, relationships, and triumphs using spoken words while encouraging them to write and speak both in English and their native language. They offered an environment where youth are encouraged to be themselves without judgment, to speak freely, and to listen actively. By assisting and encouraging them to write and share their ideas out loud, they learned how this art form supports deep listening and nurtures their confidence to vocalize their beliefs. The project culminated in a showcase for peers and family, where youth shared individual and group poems they had created during the program.

Thanks to our partnership with the Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative, the project was documented by youth filmmakers Jacq and Johanne Rivera, who, with mentorship and resources from the Filmpool, created a reflection video about the program. Embedding peer-led documentation and reflection is an assessment tool that allows the values of the participants to determine what meaningful evaluation looks like.

With continued funding in 2023/24, Own the Stage will expand on its partnership with the Regina Open Door Society to offer ongoing workshops and opportunities for newcomer youth to publicly share their perspectives through spoken word.