If you’re like me, you’ve heard a lot about d’bi.young these past few weeks. Her show, the sankofa trilogy, is playing to rave reviews at the Tarragon Theatre, her new album 333 is being launched at Lula Lounge December 5th, and on top of all of that she’s part of The New Groundswell Festival Masterclass Series teaching a class on the sorplusi methodology!
You know, just a few things to keep her busy.
Curious about what the sorplusi method is? Watch the video below.
Curious about d’bi? Scroll down for a little Nightwood/d’bi Q and A.
*Q and A::
NW: If you could teach theatre makers one thing what would it be?
d’bi: if i only had one thing to share with theatre makers it would be this: as storytellers we are accountable and responsible for the stories we tell, therefore integrity must be at the centre of ALL that we do.
NW: Is the word (emphasis on word) feminism something that young female artists should identify with?
d’bi: it may be challenging for young womben artists to identify with the word feminist because of the anti-womban backlash, misogyny and patriarchy that is so deeply woven in our communities. it might be difficult as well if young womben understand/perceive the word feminism to not be inclusive of them, for example racially or class wise. i remember when i was in university at mcgill studying feminism; the womben who we studied were predominantly white womben, and the ideas that were presented as feminist did not include the realities of my working-class mother or grandmother. but i think that we have come a long way from that. i think collectively we need to work at defining what exactly we mean by feminist so that young womben do not have to be afraid of the term. that redefinition has to be overlapping and interconnected so that it takes into account all the ways in which we are sharded like broken glass and divided. the (re) definition must attempt to make us whole again. personally i use the term wombanist because we all are nurtured by a womb before we come into this world. in celebrating that truth i am constantly celebrating and creating action in support of the liberation of wombs, womben, and all life.
NW: I understand you’re living part time in South Africa, how do you balance time between both places, especially while being a mother of two?
d’bi: i live in south africa and spend a considerable amount of time in the uk, jamaica, and toronto. in all of these places my children and i are surrounded by a community of people who co-parent us and who help to create family with and for us. these trust relationships form the basis of my ability to move around as i do and have my children right by my side. i was raised similarly by my mother. it was in these journey’s that i learnt about being a storyteller and more importantly about some of the things that are crucial in life: joy, adventure, and integrity are high on that list. it does become challenging at times. life is challenging. it is life.
NW: I’m guessing the term, ‘Masterclass’ could be problematic for someone who is very adept to the subtleties of language, how would you reframe the term?
d’bi: i choose to use the term ‘mentorclass’ instead. i am a mentor who was and continues to be mentored by the village. i was raised in jamaica and canada by artists who were connected wholeheartedly to community development through the arts. i have had the privilege of being mentored by just about every theatre company in toronto: amah harris’s theatre in the rough, ahdri zhina mandiela and b current theatre, caliban arts theatre, layne coleman and theatre passe muraille, nightwood theatre, volcano theatre, buddies in bad times theatre, iris turcott and canstage theatre, albert schultz and soulpepper theatre, and most recently richard rose and tarragon theatre. in all of these environments, i have learnt the importance of not only being mentored but mentoring as well. when i teach it reminds me of the reciprocal nature of mentorship. as one teaches, one learns. as one learns, one teaches. this is mentoring. therefore i give mentorclasses.
NW: What did you have for breakfast?
d’bi: i have not had breakfast yet :).
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