Spoken Word: Orlando Students Tell Their Stories at Dr. Phillips Center
Dr. Phillips Center Celebrates Its 4th Year of “Voices of Freedom” alongside City of Orlando Poet Laureate, Shawn Welcome
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is gearing up for another powerful season of Voices of Freedom, a spoken word residency that empowers students to find their voices, channel their experiences and reflect on the world around them through poetry. As part of AdventHealth School of the Arts, this transformative program is designed not just to teach the art of spoken word but to encourage students to use their words as a tool for self-expression, connection and social commentary.
This year marks the fourth year of the Voices of Freedom residency—bringing an exciting new chapter, led by the City of Orlando's very own Poet Laureate, Shawn Welcome. Together with a group of passionate local high school students, Shawn is facilitating workshops that provide a creative space for young voices to be heard. Shawn centers the curriculum on engaging students through writing and performance, performing his own works, lecturing, silent writing times and most of all, community.
Around 125 high schoolers from Edgewater High, Ocoee High and Oak Ridge High will participate in this year’s Voices of Freedom. Shawn will visit and teach in-school workshops for a week to prepare students to perform their work in the final showcase on February 7 at 8p.m. in Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater.
Voices of Freedom is part of Lifting Voices at Dr. Phillips Center and is generously supported by TD Bank. The showcase is free to attend, and you can reserve your ticket here.
Shawn sat down with us to share more about the program and the impact it has within the community.
What role do you play in this program?
I teach a spoken word curriculum called Echoes of Expression. It is a curriculum that I designed to get students thinking, writing, speaking and learning the art form of spoken word poetry. We visit three high schools, and for this residency I visit predominantly Black high schools during Black History Month—to be intentional about who we are serving.
Throughout the week, I walk students through meaningful exercises, and by the end of the week they are ready to share what they made. We also have a showcase, which is at the end of the residency, where students have an opportunity to see their peers and other amazing artists on this stage. I know this helps strengthen relationships between schools, the arts center and local artists—it’s a neat way to actively commit to community building.
It is my role to be a lightning rod for those connections and leverage my ability to teach spoken word, perform spoken word and curate events for everyone to experience what spoken word poetry can do.
Why spoken word poetry over other forms of poetry?
Spoken word is accessible and there’s a freedom in free verse, anyone can do it. Most of us have this instrument, in fact we all do, and spoken word is like learning how to play with it in a way that’s engaging and fun. I believe spoken word helps build one’s own competence and critical thinking skills.
Then, once you start performing, you’re in environments where other people are sharing their own stories—so I think another benefit is that it makes us more compassionate. Because as we speak, we position ourselves to have a listening ear with others. A skill we can apply in our everyday lives.
Why is it important for our community to experience Voices of Freedom?
For these students, this is an important part of their educational experience. As these students navigate the world, their perception of themselves is very important. Learning the skill of communicating is something that they will use throughout their life. So, I think of spoken word as a catalyst to engage students in that type of thinking and framing.
In a way, these exercises are preparing them to think independently and critically—engaging in the exercise of finding language. To articulate that things aren’t as black and white as it were, once they leave high school and face the world.
The spoken word residency creates opportunity here, in our Black youth. They can be exposed to diversity within the Black culture through spoken word.
The spoken word residency is supported by AdventHealth. Learn more about additional educational programs.
Voices of Freedom is one of the many ways Dr. Phillips Center delivers Arts For Every Life®. Learn more about our other related programs:
• 6th & Jazz
• Essentially Ellington
• Pilobolus @ Play Residency
• The Second City Residency
