Wakefield Brewster
My name is Wakefield Brewster, Professional Poet & Spoken Word Artist and Professional Poetic Interpreter™️.
Currently, I serve as an Artist-In-Residence at Arts Commons with the TDIncubator and I and the Resident Poet and Spoken Word Artist at The Grand Theatre.
I cannot express how elated, flattered, grateful and honoured I am to be selected as the 6th Poet Laureate of Mohkinstsis, Calgary, Alberta.
In this 22-year career as a professional poet and spoken word artist, it is the single greatest publicly known milestone that I have ever achieved.
With this appointment, enhancing the love of language and liberties through literacy will be paramount and prominent objectives.
As we move forward in this age of information and sharing stories, poetry is more and more becoming known and employed as a method of harnessing humanity, curating connection, and evoking empathy.
Poetry is finally being realized as a viable form of communication and that only reinforces my mantra that “Poetry is for everyone, Poetry is for the People – for All People”.
As the 1st Black Poet Laureate of Calgary, themes of cultural awareness/sensitivity, inclusivity, diversity, equality and equity will be those of highest importance.
Inside of the literary arts and working with other artistic disciplines, connection, curation, co-creation and collaboration shall be distinguished motifs.
Now is the time to use intentional nurturing narratives to alter the current numerous, negating ones in our world, in our countries, cities, communities, workplaces, schools, circles, families, and individual lives.
My intention as a guest, speaker, storyteller, and steward of this Treaty 7 land is to promote exactly that, a new and healing narrative through the vulnerable and exciting, visceral and engaging, vindicating and educating powers of poetry.
This is the work that I have delved into years ago and shall remain in for my entire poetic life.
