Two graduates of the Grassroots Media Project Radio Production course have teamed up to create “This Light: Sounds for Social Change,” a radio series highlighting the connections between arts and activism. Each episode will feature an interview with an activist/artist, as well as an audio mix of their work. “This Light’ is based in Washington, DC and currently looking for distribution channels. Contact the producers here.

Episode 2 profiles Climbing Poetree, a New York based spoken-word duo who uses their art as a weapon “to overcome destruction with creativity.” The group is best known for their show, Hurricane Season, connecting the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with broad social justice issues through spoken word and multimedia performance. The poets, Alixa and Naima, are also educators and have developed a curriculum for high school and university students based on their show. They write (and manifest through their work):

“Art is our weapon, our medicine, our voice, our vision. Creativity is the antidote for violence and destruction. Art is our most human expression, our voice to communicate our stories, to challenge injustice and the misrepresentations of mainstream media, to expose harsh realities and engender even more powerful hope, a force to bring diverse peoples together, a tool to rebuild our communities, and a weapon to win the struggle for universal liberation.”

Check out Episode 2a: This Light: Sounds for Social Change – Episode 2a by THIS LIGHT

Check back soon for episode 2b featuring the music and sounds of Climbing Poetree.

For more on Climbing Poetree, check out their website.

For more on “This Light,” visit soundsforsocialchange.com. Episode 1 features Zami DC, a free LGBT poetry and song-writing workshop produced by B. Steadwell and Taylor Johnson.