Speak Our Story – Griots To Emcees

In Our Own Words

In this series we explore the fusion of Word and Sound. Spotlighting the voices, creativity and cultural impact of renowned artists of the Spoken Word, we embark on a journey – from the griots to the emcees, poets to playwrights, stage to screen, oral culture to Oralfutrism, and beyond.

Kardinal Offishal
Luke Reece
Shahaddah Jack
Sashoya Simpson

A lot of my work started shaping towards culture and folklore, and looking at the preservation of that culture.

Award winning Afro-Jamaican storyteller, theatre practitioner, and children’s book author, connects cultural traditions to the next generation.
Naila Kaleta Mae

Art was meant to help you live in the world, feel seen in the world, and make sense of the world.

Multidisciplinary artist and award-winning scholar of Black and Free explores the intersection of art, activism, ancestry, and her new album.

The Cypher

Featuring Special Guests

Paulina O’Keiffe

Award winning artist, curator, and arts educator pays homage to the women of Spoken Word with a powerful performance.
Eddy Da Original One

Known as the beatbox poet, the international performer gives a taste of his unique fusion of Spoken Word and beatbox.
Shahaddah Jack

Spoken word artist and Toronto Youth Poet Laureate shares words of power.
Empara

Singer, songwriter, poet, performance artist moves seamlessly between melodic flows and spoken word.
DJ Akeem

Resident DJ and multi-disciplinary artist brings the beats, rhymes and poetry to the Speak Ourstory soundscape.

Poet-to-Poet

Poet-to-Poet conversations highlighting renowned African-Canadian artists creating in the realms of Spoken Word, Dub, Slam, Hip Hop, film, theatre and multi-disciplinary oral cultural forms. These intimate conversations, where Black artists across the country reflect on their lives, history and over 50 years of Spoken Word, inspired the oral history