Finding My Place In A Creative Space
Author: Hyla Etame, University of Kent
During spring break of my first year, my friend encouraged me to apply for the Head of Creative Writing position for the People of Colour Arts Society (POCAS) on our campus at the University of Kent. Reading the Instagram post, I saw that the society was looking for department heads in: art and design, drama, music, fashion, dance, visual arts, and creative writing.
I’d gone to a few POCAS events, namely their Mix & Mingle social and their tote bag painting workshop, but the idea of being on their committee hadn’t crossed my mind.
Now that the idea had been presented to me, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I wanted to share my love of writing with other writers and show non-writers how accessible writing can be. I also adored the open, fun, and loving energy of POCAS. It was refreshing to connect with other creatives in a diverse space that was curated by and catered to people that looked like me. I previously had experiences going to creative societies and feeling isolated because I was the only black person or one of the only people of colour there.
Additionally, my friend who shared the post and two other friends were applying to other committee positions. The opportunity to be on a creative team with my friends made the role more appealing. The only fear I had was that I’d burn out from juggling my uni work and the committee responsibilities. Despite this, there seemed to be more reasons to apply than to not and my desire to be on the committee bloomed.
As I took on my role, I learnt more about the history of the society and the struggles the earlier committees went through. Susan Aneno founded POCAS in 2020 while completing her undergraduate degree in Drama and Media studies. Susan wanted a creative network for people of colour on campus, finding the established creative societies didn’t offer the inclusivity and diversity Susan and others were looking for.
The society faced criticism from people who thought the society’s foundations were exclusionary, but the committee remained firm in their stance that their mission was not to exclude anyone, but rather uplift POCs. Letitia Johnson, the society’s first Vice President, said, ‘A lot of art created by POC deals with complex cultural and shared experiences that we find non-POC creators can’t always connect to.’ With that in mind, POCAS sought to provide a safe space for creative collaboration.
Fast-forward to our first event of the year, the Mix & Mingle of the Autumn 2023 term. At the event, committee members took turns leading games. I started the event with a game of ‘Would You Rather?’ and at each question I’d ask people to argue for their choice, which incited hilarious debates.
At first, the thought of leading a game felt nerve-wracking. I’m a soft-spoken and introverted person, but the game required me to project my voice and talk to different people. However, as the game unfolded, I became more comfortable and confident.
Weeks later, I hosted my first event: a Poetry Writing Workshop. For marketing I used both social media and word of mouth. I created collages of my favourite poetry collections and posted one on the POCAS Instagram story each day leading up to the event. I also approached people in my seminars, while waiting in line at the cafe, and on the bus. I adopted this strategy from a friend who made the point that promoting our events through face-to-face interactions would be more effective than any number of posts on social media.
My workshop was a success! Over the course of two hours I led about twenty participants through my presentation that contained examples of poetry, figurative language tools, and writing prompts. Before my event, I was worried that there would be a lack of inspiration and desire to share amongst the group. However, I was pleasantly surprised when neither of these worries came to fruition as people were actually excited to share what they’d created.
Because I received such a positive response, I’m looking forward to hosting more genre-themed writing workshops. I’d also like to arrange a weekly writing group for people who want to write regularly.
In November, we hosted our main event of the Autumn term, the POCAS Showcase. Showcase was an exhibition of live music, spoken word, and dance performances from our members. My responsibilities included creating the set list based on the artists’ preferences and managing the backstage during the event.
Like our previous events, Showcase was a success. Our four-hour long show contained over 30 acts and I opened the event with a reciting of a poem that I’d written days before. For the finale, Isabella Endémica a.k.a. IsaVibe—a Columbian recording artist, Kent masters graduate, and longtime POCAS supporter—gave an energetic performance that excited the crowd. In total, we sold 211 tickets—171 online and 40 on the door. That was an incredible figure compared to the previous year’s numbers. Even though us committee members left Showcase ready to collapse into our beds, we felt immensely proud of ourselves for how the night went.
This past term as Head of Creative Writing, I’ve expanded my leadership skills and learnt how to make plans for events, advertise them, network, and put our members’ best interests first. Despite the challenges, I’m incredibly grateful for the creative and personal connections I’ve made through this society. I look forward to all that I have yet to learn and to continuing in assisting POCAS’s growth.
Author: Hyla Etame, University of Kent