Creative writing and spoken word will take centre stage at American Corner Mbabane next Monday when United States-based artist, poet and speaker Tarik ‘Konshens The MC’Davis leads Voices of a Nation™, an immersive creative experience centred on freedom of speech.
The workshop is scheduled for September 21 from 10 am to 1 pm, with organisers encouraging participants to arrive on time as the programme will start promptly at 10 am.
Voices of a Nation™ is designed to give participants space to explore their creative voices through writing, spoken word and performance.
The programme encourages participants to draw from observation, memory, emotion and imagination while considering how individual stories contribute to wider conversations about identity and society.
Davis brings experience across music, poetry, education and public speaking to the workshop. Based in Washington, D.C., he is an international hip-hop artist, poet, songwriter, Global Arts Educator, youth advocate and inspirational speaker. His professional work combines arts education, storytelling, hip-hop and interactive learning.
He is also the founder and CEO of Edutainment Unlimited, an arts education and entertainment organisation that uses music, storytelling, spoken word and interactive education in programmes for schools, educators, organisations and communities.
Davis has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center and has worked as a Grammy Museum Artist Educator.
His visit also comes at a time when American Spaces in Eswatini are expanding opportunities for local creatives to access practical tools for developing and recording their work.
Earlier this year, the American Corner Manzini launched a Recording Studio Community of Practice, bringing together music producers, musicians, podcasters, voice-over artists and rappers.
The initiative was established to encourage collaboration, peer learning and skills development among studio users.
The recording studio, located on the second floor of the Public Library at American Corner Manzini, provides a dedicated space for creatives working across different forms of audio production.
The United States Embassy has also promoted access to the facility for local creatives, including those working on music, podcasts and voice projects.
The studio has increasingly become part of the programming around creative development at the American Corner. A recent Voices of a Nation programme in Manzini, for example, incorporated a spoken-word studio recording session facilitated by Davis, allowing participants to move from writing and performance into the recording environment.
The Mbabane session provides another opportunity for writers, poets, performers, aspiring emcees and other creatives to engage with an international artist while developing their own work.
For American Corner Mbabane, the event also places creative expression alongside its broader role as a space for learning, cultural exchange and engagement with American programmes.
Participants attending the September 21 session can expect a practical programme rather than a conventional talk, with the focus placed on writing, finding a voice and translating ideas into spoken-word expression.
With freedom of speech at the centre of the programme, Voices of a Nation™ offers participants an opportunity to consider how creative work can document personal experiences, reflect communities and give expression to ideas that may otherwise remain unheard.
