Voices Amp'd

Tanyqua and Lexie - On their writing process, how their writing is informed by the trauma they have experienced in their lives, and other techniques outside of their writing that they use for self care when it all gets to be too much. Both Lexie and Tanyqua share their writing in our campfire segment.

Jen Joplin - On her upcoming one-woman show The Prime of Miss Jen Joplin (premiering June 4 at the Cincy Fringe Festival), her 30 year career as an artist, the church she bought to transform into a creative community right before the pandemic hit, and how she navigates being an artist, a wife, and a parent who homeschooled her son and nephew throughout the pandemic...and still managed to write a show! Online and live, you can buy tickets to The Prime of Miss Jen Joplin at CINCYFRINGE.COM.

ACTivate - ACTivate students share about the premiere of their upcoming show Cabaret for Change, fundraising for partner organizations in the community, their student led podcast ACTivate On Air, navigating being young artists throughout the pandemic, as well as their creative writing centered around Amanda Gorman's inauguration day speech The Hill We Climb. Rylie Sudduth, Sophie Hill, Maeve Denton, and Brodie Blair 

Jessica Greene - On her work with TEACH (Theatre for Equity, Accountability, Community, and Healing), being Artistic Director of Distilled Theatre Company, administrating the all girls Rise STEAM Academy in Lexington, KY during a pandemic, and her journey with infertility and the community support that gave her Lucas, her beautiful baby boy.

Rena Childers - On her work in the political arena with the Jon Osoff campaign (Georgia) and the Charles Booker campaign (Kentucky), her volunteer work with Planned Parenthood, the challenges of transitioning from high school to college to entering the workforce in a pandemic, as well as insight into the importance of mental and physical health and why she prioritizes relationships over everything.

Dr. Chamara Jewel Kwakye - A womanist scholar-educator with interdisciplinary interests at the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnography, performance and pedagogy, Dr. Chamara Jewel Kwakye, talks about her work of elevating stories of Black women and girls that examines their power and agency in oppressive spaces, her work on Wish To Live: The Hip-hop Feminism Pedagogy Reader and (SOLHOT) Saving Our Lives, Hear Our Truths. Chamara inspires us with her stories of family, resilience and claiming your creative self.

JaMeeka Holloway and Johannah Maynard Edwards discuss the Women's Theatre Festival's upcoming live virtual production of Othello by William Shakespeare in a modern verse translation by MFONISO UDOFIA. Udofia seeks to pull no punches with her translation of Othello that starkly illuminates the overt anti-Black racist language within Shakespeare’s text. Director JaMeeka Holloway talks about her approach to directing Udofia’s translation, key themes being uncovered, challenges her team has faced throughout the process and how she is navigating caring for her artists who have taken on this incredibly challenging material. Tickets are available at WomensTheatreFestival.com - @wtfestivalnc. Follow Director JaMeeka Holloway @jdhdirectedit.

Raiffa Syamil - On navigating the complexities of being a strong woman in male dominated spaces, being born and raised in America as the daughter of Indonesian immigrants, her research in Computer graphics and virtual reality, managing her anxiety, skateboarding, heels classes, being an alumna, mentor and PhDiva of The Girl Project and so much more. Follow her on Instagram @raiffantastic.

Vanessa Becker Weig Celebrates Turning 50 - For her milestone birthday Vanessa invited the Voices Amplified leadership team and friends Aby lawson and Carmen Keels to come together for some "girl talk." Listen, laugh and be enlightened (perhaps) as we talk adaptability, ageism, sex, menopause and advice for young women as they navigate their futures. In every episode guests share their own work or something that is currently inspiring them. To celebrate Vanessa, Aby Lawson shares a LifeStory poem inspired by The Girl Project and Jeni Benavides shares a poem celebrating growth. This episode is rated PG-13. To donate to Voices Amplified for Vanessa's 50th birthday visit VoicesAmpified.net.

Ellen Hagan - On creating a sustainable life as an artist, her work with the DreamYard Project, her go to recommended reading, and how she navigates raising two radical young daughters. In every episode guests share their own work or something that is currently inspiring them and they undergo a series of rapid response questions. Ellen shares two poems from her new book of poetry Blooming Fiascoes and several short segments from her forthcoming book Reckless, Glorious, Girl which is available for preorder at ellenhagan.com. Follow her @ellenhagan