ArtistSpeak* @ cSPACE – HOME

ArtistSpeak* pop-up at cSPACE Projects exploring space, home, belonging, and creative community.A special ArtistSpeak* pop-up in collaboration with cSPACE Projects, this intimate evening invites artists and audiences together for conversation, reflection, and connection inside the RGO Treehouse at cSPACE Marda Loop.Hosted by Kenna Burima, the evening will feature artists sharing stories, performances, and perspectives on what it means to create space — physically, emotionally, creatively, and collectively. Together, we’ll explore themes of home, community, artistic identity, displacement, gathering, and the spaces that shape who we are and how we create.ArtistSpeak* centres the voices and lived experiences of artists, creating space for meaningful dialogue, creative exchange, and community connection.Event Details:Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026Doors: 6:30 PM | Program: 7:00 PMLocation: cSPACE Marda Loop — RGO Treehouse (4th Floor)Address: 1721 29th Ave SW, Calgary, ABTickets: $20 in advance / $25 at the doorCraft Activity: TBDEmail us for low-barrier ticket options: artistspeakyyc@gmail.comFeatured Artists:In January 1999, Wakefield Brewster stepped onto his first stage as a Professional Poet and Spoken Word Artist. Today, he is known as one of Canada’s most powerful professional performance poets.A Black man raised in Toronto by parents from Barbados, he has resided in Calgary since 2006, and it is in CowTown where Wakefield has been able to truly flourish as a Poet, and as a person.He is Calgary’s 1st three-time Poetry Slam Champion & Team Captain;Wakefield fills a trifecta of service as The Resident Poet and Spoken Word Artist of the House, by sitting on The Board of Directors, and is a Founding Member of The Charles Daniels Committee, all at The Grand Theatre; He is Calgary’s 6th Poet Laureate, and Calgary’s only Black Poet Laureate ever; Wakefield is a registered massage therapist, and operates his own clinic: WakeFull Wellness Registered Massage Therapy and HealingSpace; He expands his community service as a volunteer and mentor for Calgary’s youth; He advocates for literacy, healing arts and alternative medicine, addiction recovery, and mental wellness.Wakefield truly loves his life and welcomes all into his Wonderful Worlds of Words and Wellness.Aditya (Adi) Chaudhuri bridges centuries of tradition and invention — weaving Hindustani classical depth with jazz, Bollywood, and pop inflection. His music is khayal embodied: thought, spirit, and sound converging in a single improvisational breath.Adi is a Calgary-based vocalist rooted in Hindustani classical music, blending deep tradition with contemporary expression. A disciple of Dr. Jayashree Thatte Bhat (herself trained by legends, Dr. Prabha Atre and Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar), Adi has spent over a decade immersed in classical learning and being inspired by Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty. Vocalist and music team lead for Madhuban Performing Arts, he’s helped create original, genre-defying compositions that span classical, Bollywood, jazz, and more. Adi has performed on major stages including YYC Music Awards, Chinook Blast, Jazz Fest, and at every major South Asian festival in Calgary. As the president of Raga Mala Calgary, a 50-year-old society, he curates world-class performances and fosters learning through workshops with visiting masters. Adi is a passionate teacher and he shares Indian classical music and sitar with students of all backgrounds.Denise Clarke is a theatre artist who works as a choreographer, actor, director, playwright and teacher. She is the Associate Artist and a permanent member of the One Yellow Rabbit Theatre Ensemble and the director of the OYR BeautifulYoungArtist program.Clarke was awarded the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award in 2007 and the City of Calgary Mayor’s Distinguished Artist Award in 2011. She received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Calgary and was appointed a member of the Order of Canada, both in 2013.