ECA's annual WE SPEAK Festival is a celebration of spoken word poetry and storytelling. Developed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, WE SPEAK provides a platform for artists to respond to issues that impact themselves, their communities, and the world. This year, we're asking questions like: How do we find belonging? How do we approach self-care? How do we respond to a recover from a global pandemic?

ECA’s 2023 WE SPEAK Festival features internationally-acclaimed author and spoken word artist Shane Koyczan who has emerged as a creator of poetry that dares to belong to the people and speak directly to them, in their own voice. Koyczan will perform alongside talented local youth chosen through a juried selection process, as part of the WE SPEAK Youth Poetry Slam Competition.

**There will be a free pre-show talk with the artists from 6:30-7PM.

Sponsored by Marjie Bowker and Maria Montalvo & Strom Peterson.