The Fifth Element: Social Justice Pedagogy through Spoken Word Poetry

What happens when an arts collective from a college in the US undergoes a year-long program to develop content and performance technique? This presentation explores the experiences of college students who are also emerging artists, and examines the connection between pedagogy, spoken word performance, and social responsibility. I suggest that engaging in critical and creative performance enriches our ability to access and grapple with social issues, local policy and implement social change. Finally, I examine the local and transnational communities where performances took place to shed light on concepts of social responsibility, local policy, and knowledge production