“Never let go of your authentic self, even if it must be in hiding for now. Protect it like a lit match in the wind. Don’t let fear blow it out.”
Blending frankness and wit, Esra’a Al Shafei speaks out against state-led repression of speech and expression. She chronicles the survival mechanisms—art, spoken word, music, comedy—that she regularly uses to critique and change her circumstances. Al Shafei powerfully affirms the need to live as one’s authentic self, as a leader who lights the way for others to do the same.
“Artists-in-Presidents” is initiated by Constance Hockaday, curated by Christine Shaw, and commissioned by The Blackwood (University of Toronto Mississauga). Podcast production by Vocal Fry.
Transmissions are released every Friday from August 6–December 17, 2021. To view the portrait gallery, access ASL videos and transcripts, and for additional information about the project, visit www.artistsinpresidents.com and www.blackwoodgallery.ca.
Esra'a Al Shafei is a Bahraini human rights activist and founder of Majal.org, a network of digital platforms that amplify under-reported and marginalized voices in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This work includes Mideast Tunes, a web and mobile application for independent musicians in the MENA who use music as a tool for social justice advocacy; Ahwaa.org, a discussion tool for Arab LGBTQ+ youth which leverages game mechanics to protect and engage its community; and Migrant-Rights.org, the primary resource on the plight of migrant workers in the Gulf region.
Illustration: Nicole Georges
