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Bethel is an educator, poet, musician, entrepreneur, and nature-lover who is passionate about making cities more enjoyable. Passionate about making Calgary a more welcoming city for all, Bethel founded Raw Voices in 2016 a spoken word, comedy and music show that runs monthly with open mics and feature performers. Currently, Bethel is the Executive Director and Co-founder of Alcove Centre for the Arts. Alcove is a non-profit recreational art space with the mission to make arts more accessible by creating welcoming spaces where everyone can foster their creativity. Visit the recreational art space in the heart of downtown: 244 7 ave SW which is open 5 days a week for drop-ins!

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Gee is a poet originally from Republic Democratic of Congo. As her life commenced in a refugee camp in Uganda, she began a journey of self-discovery to find her true identity in the midst of a life of moving to different lands she has called home. Her poetry is influenced by the many façade of her life, as a child of African descent raised in a dominant French environment. She shed light on the difficulties that comes with being raised in two different worlds and cultures, as well as finding oneself amidst the anxiety of belonging and the power of self love when dealing with mental health. Through her work she reflects her love for nature as well as the night sky and the similarity we have to the world surrounding us. She began writing poetry at the age of 12, until it became a big part of her adult life. Between careers and many changes in her 20's she began exploring her love for poetry, by performing at various open mic and slam events throughout Calgary, as well as building bonds in the art community. She aspires to further her art with future plans to create a poetry book. Discover more of her poetry on her page on instagram at: poet_gee

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Amandella Chevon Joseph is a Dominican-Canadian writer, based in Calgary, Alberta. She has been writing and creating for over ten years. Amandella has a background in both Social Work and Psychology. This further informs her creative process. As a writer and change-maker, she has dedicated her talents to weaving stories that showcase diverse and intriguing voices. Ms. Joseph specializes in crafting pieces that disturb, disrupt, and redefine the human experience. She has written and published many short stories, most notably, "The Deafening Thirty" and poems, including "His Hands" and "Feel Like This". Amandella has also recently completed her first novel, a work of historical fiction entitled, "The Lotus Bond". Her areas of greatest interest and community involvement are diversity and inclusion.

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joyandsorrows is a Nigerian poet and spoken word artist based in Calgary, Alberta. While pursuing her Chemistry degree at the University of Calgary, she pursued a music minor, which inspired her to self-publish her first poetry book, ‘The Trails of a Wild Sunflower’. Intrigued by the concept of duality, her work explores the co-existence of 'light' and 'dark,' 'joy' and 'sorrow,' along with the grey areas in between, trying to make sense of her psychology and the world around her. She has performed as a featured spoken word artist at the BIA’s Blackfest, Alcove’s open mic night, and for the Single Onion poetry reading #199. Often accompanied by music or other sounds, her performances embark on a journey of self-love, heartbreak, and a longing for stillness.

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The Merchant of Poetry is a slam and spoken word artist from Calgary, Alberta. She began her poetry career in 2018, when her close friend bullied her into joining her high school slam team. She began competing in the Alberta youth slam, Can You Hear Me Now, continued on to be a regular at The Calgary Poetry Slam, and was a finalist at the 2023 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. She is currently a student at the University of Calgary receiving a Bachelor's degree in English with a Certificate in Creative Writing. Most of her work is epistolary, exploring themes of feminism, queerness, and spite.