‘I seek to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable’: Spoken word poet Felispeaks

FeliSpeaks is a young Nigerian-Irish poet, performer and playwright from Co Longford, who began performing at poetry slams and spoken word events as a student. Today, their work has since gone on to be performed at main stage festivals, on TV, in major ad campaigns and even included in the Leaving Certificate English syllabus. 

Here we speak to them about their motivations, ambitions and creative process.

I started doing poetry slams while I was studying in Dublin City University. I studied English and Sociology, before going on to do a Postgrad Diploma in Public Relations and Communications in DCU. I took part in my first proper slam while I was in university. It just shows you the impact a supportive teacher can have on your life, as I got some great encouragement from one of the English lecturers who happened to be one of the judges and then went on to represent my school in a slam held in NCAD. 

I find inspiration from everything around me from nature, my community, myself, my spirituality. The big things that we all deal with. Things that are currently happening all around me. 

The main motivation for me in my work is to try and translate emotion. My ambition is to reflect the times and issues I find myself living through. I seek to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable. To challenge the status quo and to inspire. To give a voice to a lot of my own inner thoughts and to validate the self. To validate people who also might feel similarly to me in a lot of ways. It’s a spectrum of things. 

I think the range of talent we have in Ireland is a wonder to behold. Trying to pick out individual names of artists I admire is a tough one because there are so many! I admire a lot of different types of artists for different reasons and I would be here all day trying to list them.

It has been an incredible honour to have my work added to the Leaving Cert curriculum. My poem ‘For Our Mothers’ was included in the English Ordinary Level Leaving Cert Curriculum for examination years 2023 and 2025, and my poem ‘Rainbow Blood’ will be included in 2025.

For me, audacious art is about truth-telling. It is the art that you’re scared to create, art that personally challenges you. Whatever idea that comes to mind that makes you quiver personally. It comes into my own art by me creating pieces or continuously attempting to create pieces of work that somehow terrify me. Daring me to speak about something. I think most of my work is pretty much that. I don’t think anything I do I take lightly in terms of conceptualisation and creation.

My approach to my own spoken word work comes from a less selfish perspective now I think. When I began it was more about ‘play’, then I focused more on technique and work success – now I’ve found a balance of all. My initial approach to spoken word and poetry was simply expression and now I think beyond that. My approach is more detailed in terms of intention, delivery, packaging and the people it serves.

Up next, I’m working on a few scripts and hopefully a book. I also have a funded theatre piece coming out in the next twelve months (I hope). Also a TV script I’m working on, I am constantly juggling multiple projects on the go! Things are forever percolating and hopefully, I will get to share soon. Watch this space! 

‘Rainbow Blood’ by Felispeaks

Somewhere over the rainbow,
The night continues underground; The gays are meeting for drinks in bars designed for just them, and
men with gentle knuckles,
Because we’re still scared.

Somewhere over the rainbow,
Drag queens cram into tight spaces –
There’s safety in the number of people you don’t have to explain your love to,
Because we’re still scared.

Somewhere over the rainbow,
All of Dorothy’s friends have come down from the high; the mighty propped us up on.
We’ve packed up and pocketed, the streamers from the day of celebration gone.
Because we’re still scared.

Somewhere over the rainbow,
Avoiding violet bruises and bloody lips,
We find the tribes we Belong To and make families of queer friends,
Because we’re still scared.
Of Bleeding Rainbow Blood.

Watch: Felispeaks performs

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