Spoken word poets #InspireInclusion through their creations
International Women's Day (IWD) sees creatives across the world use their skills and talent to support the IWD #InspireInclusion theme, and we're shining a spotlight on these creatives in the hope their inspirational work is widely shared, credited, and enjoyed.
Spoken word poetry is an art form that can effectively raise awareness of women's rights in an impactful way. Also known as performance poetry, spoken word poetry can help deliver important messages that raise awareness and influence positive change. Unlike written poetry, spoken word poetry is created for a live audience, with the aim of sparking a reaction to the words performed on stage.
Spoken word poetry is a powerful tool to inspire change. Through their words, voices, body language, pauses, tone, and eye contact, poets connect with their audience and communicate strong feelings. Through this intense and emotional delivery, spoken word poetry plays in an audience's mind long after the performance concludes.
Rallying communities through spoken word poetry
Sharena Lee Satti, a highly talented and accomplished spoken word poet, has stepped forward and rallied her community to #InspireInclusion. Through her spoken word poetry, Sharena supports the #InspireInclusion theme, and calls upon further creatives and poets to share their own pieces.
Listen to the #InspireInclusion poem with its entwined theme of women supporting and inspiring other women. Of all women being included, and valued. Of all women being present and connected. Of all women inspiring inclusion.
Advocating for women and championing artists
A poet, spoken word artist, educator, festival producer, and workshop facilitator, Sharena is an advocate for women, pushing the boundaries and campaigning for their voices to be heard in society. Residing in the UK but harnessing a significant global community of advocates, Sharena's real and raw poetry draws upon her own life experiences, struggles, cultural identity, and upbringing to help influence change in the lives of others.
Championing grassroots artists, Sharena encourages their development. Sharena is also a real advocate for encouraging poetry and passionately supporting all forms of art in her, Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, and beyond. Sharena believes in the power of poetry and works extremely hard within her community and online to ensure that poetry is accessible for all.
Sharena respectfully and authentically addresses themes that can be difficult to talk about but which express a genuine vulnerability that creates the opportunity for others to also accept and address their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
An accomplished published poet
Sharena's second collection Shhhhh was published on National Poetry Day by award-winning publishing company Verve Poetry Press. Sharena was instrumental in delivering the first ever West Yorkshire Poetry Week in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust. Sharena invites local poets to take part in a week of vital poetry workshops across the county, inspiring the next generation of writers. Sharena's impactful poetry is widely featured, for example in Unbound's 100 Voices, 100 Women Share Their Stories of Achievement.
Locally, Sharena is a well-known figure in the UK's thriving Bradford cultural scene. She has been celebrated as a Bradford Yorkshire Champion and lauded as one of 21 people selected in 2021 making a significant impact on Bradford’s cultural scene. A UK National Diversity Award nominee, Sharena also dabbles in radio presenting. Sharena was announced as a ChangeMaker by The Leap, a creative people and places program focusing on community-led culture. Sharena is also the founder of non-profit community-based organization, Spoke, that works to raise the profile of spoken word and poetry. Spoke brings together emerging and established poets and performance artists to reach new people and places with poetry and spoken word - delivering spoken word workshops in various settings across education, rehabilitation, and corporate sectors. Spoke also hosts poetry and spoken-word events throughout the year and offer open-mic events that provide people with an opportunity to showcase their work in a safe space – running non-profit events in a nomadic style - from different locations.
Enjoy Sharena Lee Satti's incredible work, such as the #InspireInclusion poem below, and reach out to her for performances, commissions, workshops, and more.
#InspireInclusion Poem by Sharena Lee Satti
A Sisterhood Riot
For all sisters who refuse to stay quiet
For the world
Can we open the iris of our eyes and the eyelids to our soul
Can we be seen for the souls that we show
For the she that she is, the human being
Can we breathe in just one breath
And not have to worry it's one less away from you
Can we be seen as an equal
As this is my right to breathe here too
Not having to distinguish the difference between people
Between she, between her, between females
Can we be Sisters of Sisterhood
With hearts that cluster together like shiny stars in the sky
Some shine brighter in yellow than the majestic color of her red
Together they stand, no differences between their breath
where the language of love radiates from under the layers of their chest
Where the heart meets words and words meet friends
With a warriorress who cradles one breast
And Sisters share stories over life’s hardship and test
In spaces where inclusivity thrives
Sisters feel empowered sharing stories of their lives
From one worldly vision, ocean eyes and autumn leaves, swirls of indifference
Their togetherness speaks of injustice of ignorance
That in one branch they weave together
In one leaf they breathe together
Belonging as a whole with each circular grove linked to the bark of the tree
For we are sisters of the mothers born here and that of across the sea
Our bodies are linked through the Earth’s universal energy carried through its wind
Through the salt in its sea, through the soil and deep-rooted trees
They are women of different beliefs of empathy, of poetry of trauma, of hope
Through togetherness there is always a sister who binds the rope
For all sisters to feel included and not shadow banned the ghost
We will continue to create spaces, taking spaces
Making waves of pure light
For togetherness starts here
And freedom to exist, to live, to be accepted is our birth right
"Thank you to all our Sisterhood sisters for participating," says Sharena as with deep gratitude she names her colleagues: Natasha, Farah, Fiona, Ella, Saima, Rubina, Asma, Sonia, Javaira, Mariana, Jacaqi, Shabana, Jodie, Meg, Kayleigh, Jodie, Amy, Bee, Shella, and Courtney.
Share your IWD spoken word message
So what's your #InspireInclusion spoken word message for International Women's Day 2024?
Send in your own #InspireInclusion creation, so it may be promoted worldwide as part of the collective unity that is IWD.
Show solidarity for International Women's Day and create your own #InspireInclusion spoken word poem and share it on social media using the hashtags: #IWD2024 #InspireInclusion #IWDpoetry​ - and feel free to send in your spoken word creation for potential inclusion on the IWD website and social media channels.
The world awaits your voice!