About Kelvin Akpaloo
My name is Kelvin Akpaloo. A facilitator and spoken word artist, youth leader, creative director, choreographer, and artistic director. I am passionate about promoting human rights education, inclusion, integration of minorities, and community and youth development. I work at both the national and international levels, using the creative arts, especially spoken word poetry, and dance as methods to empower young people and youth workers in tackling inequality both locally and globally. Whiles at the same time serving as a space to get their voices heard.
I am a strong advocate for minorities and believe in the voices and the power of the youth if we are to attain a positive change in the world.
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In 2019 and 2020 I was selected by the NYCI as one of Ireland´s European Youth Delegates to represent Ireland in Romania and Germany at the European Youth Conference. with 2020 being the first online European Youth Conference hosted in Berlin.
My goal is to inspire and make a change in this world by helping to attain an inclusive, diverse and integrative community at the local, national and international levels, especially for the minorities. And my dream is to be a sign of positive change, like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King J and people that embody positive change in this world.
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To attain my goal I have developed the Youth 2030 Spoken Word Workshops in collaboration with the National Youth Council of Ireland. Exploring the power of words through spoken word poetry and highlighting spoken word as a key tool for young people and youth workers in tackling inequality both locally and globally.
My Latest Projects
1 day or 2 - 3-day Workshops
Two of the most powerful weapons to communicate, to tell stories, to show respect, or to begin wars are the tongue and the pen. Words command, inspire, send hate, empower, motivate, and so on. Words are delivered by tongue and pen through spoken word poetry. Spoken word poetry is one of the dynamic ways of supporting young people to have a voice, to tackle issues they wish to talk about, either personally or socially.
A big example of a young person using the spoken word to talk about social issues was Amanda Gorman at US President Joe Biden's inauguration reminding us that politics needs poetry. In my workshops, we will explore the power of words through spoken word poetry. We explore the meaning of the spoken word, how it differs from the traditional poetry style. We write poems and create a character for poems, making a connection with poems, the use of sound, delivery and performing of poems, and finally learn how to transform and present poems onto the screen or stage.
Graphic Designer
In a collaboration with No Hate Speech Network. An International organisation established by a group of activists, individuals and organisations who were involved in the Council of Europe’s No Hate Speech Movement activities for the last seven years.
I have been working as their Graphic Designer for the past 5 months voluntarily.
PROJECT: WHO AM I
This project was to empower young people to take action and question themselves about being a citizen of this world.
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Aim of the Project:
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The aim of the project was to create a space for young people from a minority background to talk about how they see themselves in this world, before and after Covid, raising questions around Lockdowns, Homeschooling, Racism, Mental Health, Personal Space, and their space in the society.
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Artistic Methods:
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Spoken Word Poetry: To use as a way to improve creative thinking, writing, the use of words, and Public speaking.
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Dance: Another method that will also improve creative thinking, self-awareness and self-expressions).
Every Sunday on Zoom.
This is a weekly online space where young people meet and talk about social issues that concern them and how they wish to tackle them.
In the space, members of the public are invited to join our discussions, including politicians, activists, NGO personals, Youth workers, youth leaders etc... either national or international.
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Under the organisation, Eurobug, we are talks and develop national and international projects like Erasmus+ youth exchanges, that gives young people the opportunity to meet other young people in Ireland and across Europe with the same passion for change.
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So far we are about 11 members with 5 core members. And we aim to invite more young people to become members or join us in the discussions.
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Because the time to make a change is now.