Sholley Powell Spoken Word Artist
For many years Wakefield Brewster has actively fulfilled the role of a Poet Laureate by nature of his support and contributions to the Calgary people, culture, arts & entertainment, community and overall scene.
Residing in Calgary since 2006, Wakefield’s Calgary inspired Anthologies include:
The Calgary Project 2006
The Great Black North 2013
The Black Prairies Archives: An Anthology 2019
In 2018, recognizing we were connected online through a large number of in-common people in the arts community, Wakefield personally reached out inviting me to one of his founding Poetry Series- Posesie a la Patisserie, and to follow Pitbull Poetry Series in October 2018.
Pitbull Poetry Series held monthly at Higher Ground Coffee-Capitol Hill, provided a safe space for poets and writers of all levels and backgrounds to share, read or recite, their written work or spoken word performance through an open mic format. This environment strongly supported and encouraged poets and writers even giving opportunity to feature at the series. Providing a platform of security, inspiring confidence and personal growth, catapulting artists to the next level of performance. Unbeknownst to Wakefield his community involvement through this series would intern inspire collective collaboratives with Pitbull Poetry Poets to feature in other running series throughout Calgary. Single Onion, Woolf’s Voices, Flywheel, Loft112 and People’s Poetry Festival, Cafe KOI, YYC New Beat & YYC Story Tellers, Can You Hear Me Now, Dicken’s Poetry Slam, and Raw Voices to name a few. Uniting and strengthening not only Calgary Poetry community and writers, but the staff and business featured as hosts of these events.
While hosting poetry series, Wakefield also managed his time as a poetry coach and mentor for students.
Past adversities Wakefield had faced only strengthened his commitment to the community in lending his time to Advocate for The Humanities, Addictions & Recovery, Healing Arts, and advocacies promoting Mental Wellness.
-Bell Let’s Talk
-National Hope Talks-MRU
As well as free public literacy programs to name a very small few.
Wakefield’s continued work with these programs and organizations, to also include formative presentations held at the University of Calgary, and MRU- has recently caught the attention of Calgary Mental Health Association.
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Appointed the first Resident Poetry & Spoken Word Artist of The Grand Theatre, Wakefield held an MS Fundraiser, and Living Tribute to Josh Forbes, fellow poet and friend- at The Grand Theatre August 2019. I was honoured to be among the list of selected poets to participate by performance.
Wakefield Brewster is an exemplary candidate for the role of Calgary Poet Laureate. Not only meeting, but far exceeding the criteria outlined.
Placing prior, as Calgary Laureate Finalist; Wakefield Brewster continued his commitment and contributions beyond just the poetry community but inclusive to all of Calgary as a whole.
2020 should be the year Wakefield Brewster is officially honoured in recognition as Calgary’s Poet Laureate for the coming term.
Please accept this submission as an official nomination for consideration of Wakefield Brewster as Calgary’s next Poet Laureate.
Sincerely,
Sholley Powell