Home Sweet? Spoken Word Activation & Workshop

Home Sweet? showcases the powerful spoken word piece “Home Sweet?” by award-winning poet, arts educator, national poetry slam champion, and voice actor Desiree McKenzie, displayed on Nia Centre’s exterior window in vinyl.

On Saturday November 9th, we’ll be hosting a free Spoken Word workshop led by Desiree McKenzie.

Whether you’re new to poetry or a seasoned writer already, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to dive deep into the art of spoken word and learn new writing techniques to enhance your pieces.

The Home Sweet? workshop will encourage participants to reflect on the meaning of “home” as they craft their own pieces

Meet the Facilitator

About Desiree McKenzie

Desiree Mckenzie is an award-winning poet, arts educator, national poetry slam champion, and voice actor from Toronto.Her poetry and voice have been featured in works for CBC’s Poetic License series, When Sisters Speak, Clearco Financial, Button Poetry, Kids Help Phone and Home Depot. She facilitates a range of community poetry programming for organizations like JAYU, VIBE Arts, Unity Charity, Poetry in Voice, and Shakespeare in Action. Her debut spoken word EP, Wet Hair, is now available on streaming platforms. In December 2022, she opened for Rupi Kaur on her world tour stop at Massey Hall. To continue refining her craft, she is currently an MFA candidate in the University of Guelph Creative Writing program.Her writing aims to tap into the constant recontextualization of memory, place and people that happens as we grow and how her experience as a Black and Indo-Caribbean person is impacted by these shifts.

Photo by Anthony Gebrehiwot