Building Community Through Art | Something to Say (07-09-2024)
In this episode of "Something to Say," hosts Mazi Mutafa and Patrick Washington explore the transformative power of arts and creativity in Washington, D.C. with Youth Poet Laureates, Tara Prakash and Isaac Yebio poets and filmmaker Nick G, of Indigo Co.
This weeks show kicked off with Mutafa highlighting local resources for artists, such as the Arts and Humanities Fellowship Program, a grant supporting artists across all disciplines. This program exemplifies how funding can empower D.C.’s creative community and nurture growth on an individual and collective level.
Our Director of Poetry at our Art Academy, Patrick Washington spoke with two emerging young poets, Tara Prakash, the 2024 Montgomery County Youth Poet Laureate, and Isaac Yebio, the 2024 DC Youth Poet Laureate. Yebio's work touches on personal experiences and broader societal issues, demonstrating the power of poetry to inspire and resonate with a diverse audience.
Yebio shared two of his poems, "Soliloquy of Purple" and "A Quandui in the Alchemy of Time and Embers," which dealt with inner turmoil, personal growth and the struggle of choosing between holding on and letting go. He described his poetry as dealing with “the concept of trauma” and the struggle of whether to hold onto “bitterness and anger and pain” or to let it melt away.
Washington, a renowned poet and member of the POEMCEES (also known as Black Picasso), echoed the sentiment, saying,
“I always have an appreciation for people who are not just trying to do their own thing, but trying to make it easier for others to be able to do their thing.”
Washington highlighted the upcoming tour of D.C. public libraries where Yebio will be performing readings and hosting poetry workshops, signifying the important role of poetry and spoken word in community engagement. Yebio shared how being a YPL has impacted him stating,
"Being able to empower a group of youth, being able to teach them how to use their voices and how to create something that they were proud of. It was, it stuck to me. It stuck with me to this till to this day."
Mutafa discusses how film-making can be a powerful tool for community building and empowerment with filmmaker Nick G. Nick talks about his journey as a filmmaker, the importance of networking and collaboration in the creative industry and his aspirations to create a film production hub in the DMV (D.C., Maryland and Virginia) region.
Nick elaborated on his journey from simply “messing around with cameras” to building a network of talented colleagues in the industry. He emphasized the importance of understanding and collaboration in the process, stating, “The real ones will know, you know what I mean?”
Nick also shared his vision for building a film production hub in the DMV region, underscoring the need for infrastructure, resources and a sense of regional unity to achieve this goal. He mentioned, “I think there’s just so much cultural influence and capital in this area.”
The episode underscored the vital role of creativity in community-building, from poetry to film. By connecting resources like the Arts and Humanities Fellowship Program to personal stories and artistic journeys, “Something to Say” continues to inspire and elevate the voices shaping D.C.’s cultural landscape. Mutafa emphasized this stating
"I feel like this show on WPFW is a living testament to that. The idea that a space has been made for someone like me to be able to come in and bring poets for the most part, and artists and activists and organizers, people concerned about the environment onto these airwaves and to get a response from listeners."
Something to Say is recorded live on Washington, DC’s Radio Station WPFW 89.3 and is produced by Words Beats & Life Inc.
