February in August

presented by
The GRAND

An All-Black, Performance Poet, Spoken Word Event; Celebrating Black Artistic Contribution and Excellence at The GRAND.

WAKEFIELD BREWSTER

Photo credit: Tamara Becker
Empire Images
https://empireimages.ca/

Wakefield Brewster, Calgary Poet Laureate, 2022 – 2024

In January 1999, Wakefield Brewster stepped onto his first stage as a Poet and Spoken Word Artist. Today, he is known as one of Canada’s most powerful Professional Performance Poets.

A BlackMan raised in Toronto by parents from Barbados, he has resided in Calgary since 2016, and it is in the New West where Wakefield has been able to truly flourish as a Poet and as a Person.

Throughout his career, Wakefield has been published in several Anthologies: 

• T-Dot Griots, Trafford on Demand Publishing, 2004
• The Great Black North, Frontenac House, 2013
• The Calgary Project, Frontenac House, 2014
• The Black Prairie Archives: An Anthology, Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2019

Since moving in Calgary, he has produced two Professional Recordings to his credit:

• Wakefield Brewster, da lyrical pitbull
Produced by Kill Whitey Records, 2007
• east2west
Produced by Spanish Fly Music, 2008

Here is a list of roles he is currently enlisted in:

• Professional Poet & Spoken Word Artist
• Professional Poetic Interpreter™
• 3-Time Calgary Poetry Slam Champion & Team Captain; 2006, 2008, 2009
• Inaugural Poet Of Honour, People’s Poetry Festival, 2011
• Calgary Poet Laureate Shortlist/Finalist 2012, 2020
• Inaugural Resident Poet & Spoken Word Artist of The Grand Theatre 2019 – 2021
• Inaugural TD ARTIST INCUBATOR at Arts Commons, Poet-In-Residence, 2021-2022
• Canadian League Of Poets Member
• Elephant Artist’s Relief Society Board Member
• Peter Gzowski Foundation For Literacy Calgary Poet Laureate, 2021
• Registered Massage Therapist and owner of WakeFull Wellness Registered Massage Therapy & HealingSpace
• Community Builder by engaging in Volunteering, Leadership and Mentorship for Youth and through The Arts
• Advocate for Literacy and The Humanities; Healing Arts & Alternative Medicine; Alcoholism & Addictions; Mental Wellness & Recovery

In 2019, he was appointed as the very First Resident Poet & Spoken Word Artist of The Grand Theatre House in Calgary, Alberta. 

In 2021, Wakefield joined The League Of Canadian Poets in order to become a more integral part of Canada’s Literary scene, while representing the standards of Diversity and Representation.

Also in 2021, Wakefield joined the Board of Directors of the E.A.R. Society – Emergency Artist’s Relief Society, providing emergency relief funding and affordable Health Care for Artists.

After all that the stage has given him, he has discovered other ways that he may repay his beloved Poetry and Arts Communities by performing silently, backstage, for them.

Wakefield finds that underneath the many hats and the many hoodies he wears, resides a wonderful life. 

He would like to sincerely Thank You all for being a part of it.

ADETOLA ADEDIPE

Nigerian roots. Raised in South Africa. Currently conquering the Canadian art scene.

Starting off as a member of The University of Calgary Spoken Word Club, this November 2019 Calgary Slam Champion has been a featured artist at: Raw Voices, Radical and Radiant, the “I Am Sudan” Charity dinner, Expressions: Spoken Word at Koi, YYC African Fashion Week, Ethnik Festival The People’s Poetry Festival, Woolf’s Voices and involved in Cabarets at the Arts Commons, The third largest Arts Centre in Canada. She has also been a Featured Reader at the Dogwood Rose Reading series and Stage to Page poetry workshop in Toronto

She is an Artist Facilitator of “Black Kid Joy” a youth arts program that aims to empower Young Black artists In Alberta as well as Co-Producer of “Dreaming in Black” a Black youth Artist showcase in February 2020. As well as an artist facilitator for Decolinising Literacy with the University of Calgary Faculty of Education.

As the Founder  of Poetic Designers( an artist branding company) her goal is to use her experience to help other artist find their voice in the online marketing world.

She has also been at a Paved Arts event as an artist mentor.

Published In Bi-Pan Magazine & the YYC: POP Anthology by Calgary's 4th Poet Laureate Sheri-D Wilson and  “This Might Help”: A Legacy Project by Calgary's 5th Poet Laureate Natalie Meisner.

Her first spoken word video for her crowd favourite poem: “Womxn” is a commentary on the treatment of Women and those suffering under the patriarchy in society. 

She is currently working on a collection of poems called "A Lot of People" inspired by contributions by people all over Canada and the world which gained her a spot as a feature at the 2021 Afro Indie Book fair as a poet and soon to be author.

Through her experience as A Black Immigrant woman and sharing her anxiety, pain, laughter and love she aims to build a community that encourages everyone to love themselves and be unapologetic about it.

Instagram: @alot.of.poetry 

Website: alotofpoetry.com 

TANECIA CROMWELL 

Tanecia was born to a deeply rooted Afro-Indigenous family in the traditional territory of Mi’kimaki (Nova Scotia) and her lineage traces back to free Black Loyalists listed in the Book of Negroes and enslaved persons held in bondage in Canada. 

 She and her mother left their historic community in 1976 and moved to Toronto. In 1978 they moved to Calgary. 

 Over the years Calgary grew into an increasingly diverse landscape, but the experience of growing up away from her roots made it clear to her that there was a knowledge gap in what most Canadians were taught in school. 

 Canada’s history includes multiple generations of Black Canadians who also helped to build the country, but the history of families like hers, was unknown to the dominant number of people that she met. It fueled her desire to learn more about the hidden history of the Black population of Canada. She found a wealth of information that contradicted and completed the national narrative that has been promoted here and abroad. 

 Her exploration of Canadian Black History continues, and she is happy to share the stories of Black Canadian excellence, resilience, and perseverance. Because Canadian Black History is Canadian History!

 Tanecia has spoken at variety of Black and Indigenous lead events, presenting historical information, and highlighting injustices that are still impacting people’s lives today. 

 On June 6th, 2020, Tanecia the spoke at the Black Lives Matter vigil, presenting the land acknowledgement. 

 She joined the Calgary black Network as Vice-Chair from July 2020 – February 2021 *In September of 2020, she did her first night walk with, and became a proud and vocal supporter of, the Bear Clan YYC. https://www.facebook.com/BearClanCalgary

 January 2021 she was nominated for a Calgary Black Achievement Award.

 February 2021, she launched the Black History and News Made in Canada page on Facebook Black History and News Made in Canada 

 She had the privilege to present the Oral History of Juneteenth at the official Juneteenth Recognition YYC Event on June 19th, 2021.

 On the first nationally recognized Emancipation Day, August 1st, 2021, she Presented the Land Acknowledgement and Oral History at the Day’s Celebration.

 In August of 2021, Tanecia was welcomed to the stage, by Wakefield Brewster (aka da Lyrical Pitbull) for her first public poem at the Summer Stage “Pitbull Poetry Reading Series” and is excited to be taking the summer stage again in the July 2022 series.

SHOLLEY POWELL BIOGRAPHY

Sholley Powell or Sholley P can be described as many things.

Powerful, Pleasant and Positive. Picturesque, Persistent or Precise but the best P word that describes Sholley Powell is Poet.

In the span of a few short years Sholley Powell has learned to embrace her literary talents becoming one of Calgary's up and coming poets.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sholley’s poetry comes from a place of personal contemplation, and reflection.

Inspired by local Calgary poets, Sholley embraced the Calgary poetry scene and has since featured at events such as; PitBull Poetry Reading Series, Wolf’s Voices, The Single Onion Reading Series, The People’s Poetry Festival, Raw Voices, Flywheel Reading Series, Can You Hear Me Now, Expressions, and The Indie YYC Reading Series

Sholley’s poetic accomplishments include open category winner for Airdrie Public Library first annual Voices In Motion – featuring her first publication of her poem “In-Between The Binary” as well her poem “The Violinist”, was included in the YYC POP online exhibit.

Sholley continues to remain active in the community participating in various local events.

CHRIS L. BUTLER

 Chris L. Butler is an Afro-Dutch poet and essayist from Philadelphia, PA who immigrated to Canada in 2020. Chris' love for poetry began in his early youth while growing up in the golden era of 90s hip hop culture on the east coast. He currently works at Afros in Tha City as Co-Deputy Editor and Staff Writer. Chris is the author of two chapbooks of poems, titled Sacrilegious, and BLERD: '80s BABY, '90s KID. His writing can be found in or forthcoming with The Sprawl, CV2, Culture Days Canada, Southern Florida Poetry Journal, and others. Chris graduated from the University of Houston-Downtown (BSc.), and Xavier University (A.A.). 

 To purchase Sacrilegious click here: https://www.fahmidan.net/sacrilegious-paperback 

 To read the FREE eBook of BLERD: '80s BABY, '90s KID click here: https://dailydrunkmag.com/2021/09/02/blerd-80s-baby-90s-kid/

 For more of Chris' writings, you can follow him on Twitter @CLBpoetry and Instagram @clbutlerwrites.