Black and Irish Podcast Live Recording with guest Felispeaks

In this event for secondary school students, the Black and Irish podcast team will be joined by Nigerian-Irish Poet, Performer and Playwright Felispeaks.

Black and Irish is an RTÉ Podcast which explores the lived experiences of black and mixed race people living in Ireland through conversations about culture, society and family.

FELISPEAKS is a Nigerian-Irish Poet, Performer, Playwright from Co. Longford; currently based in Dublin City. FELISPEAKS has been nominated ‘Best Performer’ by Dublin Fringe Festival September 2018 and went on to win ‘Best Performer’ in 2022. As well as being a Member of the Poetry Ireland Board of Directors appointed June 2020, Felicia is a member of the Poetry Collective, WeAreGriot. FELISPEAKS is an Artist-in-Residence with Axis Ballymun and Visual Carlow, in addition to being an Associate Artist with THISISPOPBABY. FELISPEAKS’ poem: For Our Mothers is in the English Ordinary Level Leaving Cert Curriculum for examination year 2023 and 2025, as is their poem Rainbow Blood for 2025. In 2020, FELISPEAKS was commissioned a new piece for RTÉ’s The Big Picture on the theme of ‘the New Normal’ - this poem, entitled Still captured the minds of the nation and has been performed to audiences all over the country. Of late, FELISPEAKS has been commissioned by the Irish Repertory Theatre and Fishamble: The New Play Company for the Transatlantic Commission for Black Irish Artists. FELISPEAKS ended 2021 as an Irish Tatler Woman of the Year with a win in the Catalyst Category - which recognises a woman who has affected change in Irish society in a pivotal way. FELISPEAKS became an ambassador for Laya Health Care’s Beats TV and Media Campaign. In 2022, FELISPEAKS performed “ALIVE” in accompaniment with Tolü Makay’s “AYE” with Music Generation Ireland choir and the RTE Concert Orchestra live from Lough Boora , hosted by RTE ONE for Culture Night. Most recently, FELISPEAKS performed in THISISPOPBABY’s production of “WAKE” for the Dublin Fringe Festival and performed in “It’s Cool in the Shade” by Kwaku Fortune in Project Arts Centre as a part of Dublin Theatre Festival. FELISPEAKS recently collaborated with Crosscare in The Big Tree Project as a poetry and creative workshop officer.

FELISPEAKS is currently enjoying creating poetry and performance pieces that always promise to introduce their audience to the journey of emotion in every story. Honoured to share their thought processes about life’s experiences and their passions on stage; FELISPEAKS hopes to inspire thought, excitement and perspective. FELISPEAKS has released their single “TOUGH MEAT” and is eagerly awaiting the release of the accompanying EP - that they’ve been working on with Purgatory Studios, they are so excited to show you a new side to themselves, poetry and music like never before!