Join poet Latif Askia Ba for Power of Voice, Power of Breath, a workshop that practices using the breath as a catalyst for our poetry. We will explore several somatic exercises to translate our awareness of breath into unique lines of poetry— perfect if you don’t have much experience writing poetry or are feeling “stuck” or bored with your practice! In the second half of the evening, cozy up as Teaching Artist Project alumni read poetry and share musical performances. Featured artists include poet, playwright and educator Daemond Arrindell, novelist and poet Ellen Hagan, and Creole musician/singer-songwriter NATIE. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to read their poems “open mic style.”

​50% of all proceeds will go directly towards supporting Teaching Artist Project’s timely programs that equip artists to teach their craft in community-based settings, making the arts accessible to all.

• 7-7:15- Soft Opening
• 7:15-8 Generative Workshop with Latif Ba
• 8:15-9:15 Performances + Open Mic

Latif Askia Ba is a choreic poet from Brooklyn, NY. Dancing in and out of various forms, he tries again and again to realize the music of the disabled body-mind-universe. You can find his work in Poetry magazine and Poem-A-Day. His newest collection, The Choreic Period, was published by Milkweed Editions.

​NATIE is a creole musician/singer-songwriter from Reunion island, based in New York City. After a world tour in Beyoncé & Jay-Z’s band in 2018, Natie launched her solo career with the release of her music video Identity & her debut EP In the Key Of Fall. Through her music, Natie aims to share the experience of being creole (mixed race) and uprooted, with authenticity and grounding, in the hope to foster more openness and belonging. With these values in mind, the artist is curating the first edition of Kréol Fest, a 3-day celebration of creole culture from around the world taking place in NYC. And her new multilingual/soothing EP Home: A place Within Aux Parfums D’ailleurs came out in Spring 2024.

​Recent performances include Global Fest with the Ragini Ensemble, Summerstage with Ganavya, and a solo performance for 100 Years 100 Women at Lincoln Center. She just performed in her home island this past June for the festival Sakifo.

​Daemond Arrindell is a poet, playwright, educator, and performer. His work has appeared in City Arts, Specter, Crosscut, Poetry NorthWest, Seattle Review of Books and The Pitkin Review. Daemond has taught at Seattle University; and led poetry and theater residencies at Monroe Correctional Complex for men for more than 15 years; In 2019, he performed his first one-man show, “Frozen Borders,” a performative exploration in imagery, poetry and emotion on the subject of the United States’ southern border. In 2022, Daemond earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. He lives, writes, and teaches in New York City.

Ellen Hagan is a writer, performer, and educator. Her books include: Crowned, Hemisphere, Watch Us Rise (YA collaboration with Renée Watson), Blooming Fiascoes, Reckless, Glorious, Girl, Don’t Call Me a Hurricane, All That Shines and Tell Me Every Lie (YA collaboration with David Flores forthcoming from Bloomsbury, Spring 2025). Ellen's poems and essays can be found in: So We Can Know: Writers of Color on Pregnancy, Loss, Abortion, and Birth, Creative Nonfiction, Underwired Magazine, She Walks in Beauty, Small Batch, Southern Sin, ESPNW and Oprah Daily. @ellenhagan

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