Directory of members
Leah Stinson
Leah (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary artist, published playwright and ancestor-in-training, who has appeared on stages, in bookstores, pubs, cafes, boxing rings, story and dance circles, on the street and at kitchen tables.
Whether recounting personal stories or sharing reworked folktales, she creates vibrant visual landscapes with lyrical precision and poetic allusions. She enjoys connecting with all age groups, from children to seniors and is a graduate of the anitafrika! dub theatre residency program and Algonquin College - Journalism Print.
Born on the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Anishinaabeg, including the Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit. She is open to opportunities across the globe, in person and virtually.
Leah recently returned to her hometown, from Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations territory, bringing a collection of clues, cues, stories and poetry, tucked inside her luggage.
Leah performed virtually, with Herald Society award winner Jess Smith, during the Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) in October 2021.
Leah has appeared as a featured artist or on the open mic in person, at venues and festivals across Turtle Island and in Xaymaca at the prestigious Calabash Literary Festival in Treasure Beach. As well as on-line in Edinburgh, Scotland and Nottingham, England.
She is the co-founder and co-creator of Flowetic Wednesdays Toronto, and the WordSpell spoken word series. She appeared at the Summer Works Performance festival 2009, under the direction of Dora Award winner, d'bi young anitafrika in Sketchin' Toronto.
She has participated in spoken-word poetry competitions including, Capital Slam, the Toronto Poetry Slam, Last Poet Standing, Up From the Roots, Bill Brown's 1-2-3 and SLAMtario. Past and present poetry stage names include: Yaseemi; tallawah and her current moniker, LadyLight.
She performed at the 17th and 18th Annual Ottawa Storytelling Festivals and shared personal stories interwoven with original poetry at the Toronto Storytelling festival (TSF) in 2013 with co-teller Harriet Xanthakos and in 2019 as part of the TSF's, Storytelling at the Gladstone Hotel.
Leah has created and taught workshops on storytelling, public speaking, creative writing, and poetry for both children and adults including at: Branksome Hall Junior School; LEAP into Literacy summer camp; The Bi Arts Festival and Flowetic Wednesdays Toronto.
At night, when the city is quiet, she excavates the layers of her experience, searching for the love that is at the centre of it all.
For more info and upcoming events, please visit her blog at: https://spiderweft.wordpress.com/workshops-events/
Contact: personalprose@gmail.com