On Wednesday, May 28, 2008, we went to see an event at the Art Gallery of York University. It was called “Speak Your Mind,” and it was a performance by a group of poets, dub poets, and hip-hop artists, but only with their voices and some drums. When we arrived, we found that they had free food at the front desk – well, a platter of fruit, a platter of fresh vegetables, and a bowl with bottles of water and soft drinks. The performers were all there, talking with each other and eating. They were dressed very cool: one guy had dredlocks; one girl had jeans, very short hair and thick glasses. We didn’t know who they were until later, but they were very friendly.
We talked to Nancy Kamalanathan, who was the organizer of the event, and she told us that she is a high school student, in 11th grade, and that besides organizing this event, she took a course at York for credit as part of the ACE program (Advanced Credit Experience), which she said was supposed to give her an advanced idea “about university life.” Her course was Philosophy 1100, “The Meaning of Life,” and she said it was “difficult, but it makes you think a lot.”
The Art Gallery is empty for the summer, so when we went in, behind the front desk, we saw only a few big empty rooms. The show was in the last room, and they had chairs, a microphone, and a video camera in the back of the room. Lots of people were taking pictures. Jing and Dohee sat in the first row, and Allison Adley, who works at the AGYU, took their picture. I wonder if it will be published!
There were a lot of performers. d’bi young is from Kingston, Jamaica. Nancy Kamalanathan is from Toronto, and she is Tamil. Michael St George is from Kingston, Jamaica: he has the dredlocks, and he told us he is a teacher at Brock University. Adebe D.A. is a York student and also Toronto’s Junior Poet Laureate. Andrew Hewitt is another high school student, but he already has a job as a journalist (a column about environmental fashion) – before he goes to Carlton University in Ottawa to study journalism. He has also founded an anti-bullying organization at his school. Blakka Ellis is from Jamaica. “Motion” is from Toronto, but her parents are from Barbados and Antigua. Mohammed Mohsen is Palestinain and an art students at OCAD. “Truth is” has won the Toronto Poetry Slam competition several times.
It wasn’t easy to understand everything that they were saying. Most of them had strong accents from their places. But it was easy to understand their spirit. They spoke with strong voices, sometimes singing, sometimes like actors on stage, about the things you need to do in life to respect and defend yourself, and about political situations in the world. It was especially interesting to see how much high schools students in Canada can do to be part of their communities outside of school: they get involved and live like grownups while they are still studying!
We talked to Nancy Kamalanathan, who was the organizer of the event, and she told us that she is a high school student, in 11th grade, and that besides organizing this event, she took a course at York for credit as part of the ACE program (Advanced Credit Experience), which she said was supposed to give her an advanced idea “about university life.” Her course was Philosophy 1100, “The Meaning of Life,” and she said it was “difficult, but it makes you think a lot.”
The Art Gallery is empty for the summer, so when we went in, behind the front desk, we saw only a few big empty rooms. The show was in the last room, and they had chairs, a microphone, and a video camera in the back of the room. Lots of people were taking pictures. Jing and Dohee sat in the first row, and Allison Adley, who works at the AGYU, took their picture. I wonder if it will be published!
There were a lot of performers. d’bi young is from Kingston, Jamaica. Nancy Kamalanathan is from Toronto, and she is Tamil. Michael St George is from Kingston, Jamaica: he has the dredlocks, and he told us he is a teacher at Brock University. Adebe D.A. is a York student and also Toronto’s Junior Poet Laureate. Andrew Hewitt is another high school student, but he already has a job as a journalist (a column about environmental fashion) – before he goes to Carlton University in Ottawa to study journalism. He has also founded an anti-bullying organization at his school. Blakka Ellis is from Jamaica. “Motion” is from Toronto, but her parents are from Barbados and Antigua. Mohammed Mohsen is Palestinain and an art students at OCAD. “Truth is” has won the Toronto Poetry Slam competition several times.
It wasn’t easy to understand everything that they were saying. Most of them had strong accents from their places. But it was easy to understand their spirit. They spoke with strong voices, sometimes singing, sometimes like actors on stage, about the things you need to do in life to respect and defend yourself, and about political situations in the world. It was especially interesting to see how much high schools students in Canada can do to be part of their communities outside of school: they get involved and live like grownups while they are still studying!
posted by Dohee and Jing
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