Thursday, September 14, 2023
6–9 pm
Robert C. Valade Park
2670 Atwater St.
Detroit, MI 48207
Join InsideOut on Thursday, September 14th from 6-9 PM for an immersive evening of activities and performances, with the Detroit River as our inspiring backdrop.
If the River Could Sing: A Celebration of Writing and River with InsideOut will feature creative activation points inspired by the beauty and history of the riverfront. Centering on themes of arts & culture, wellness, and conservation, this unforgettable evening will culminate with a sunset showcase of music and poetry.
Featuring poetry performances by Carlina Duan, Cherise Morris, and InsideOut poetry contest winners and student poets
Music by John Bunkley, Mahogany Jones, and Audra Kubat
Hosted by La Shaun phoenix Moore
Activities and partners include:
WELLNESS ZONE (curated by Afro Moone)
- Sound and river meditation
- Watercolor activity
- Qigong movement and breathing exercise
ARTS & CULTURE ZONE
- Letterpress printing – Signal Return
- Collage art activity – Live Coal
- D Portrait studio – Capturing Belief
- Detroit riverfront history walking tour – Jamon Jordan, City of Detroit Official Historian
- Roving songwriting – Audra Kubat
TEEN ZONE
- Fast fashion zine workshop – Clearline
- Youth-led bracelet workshop
- Youth-curated open-mic
CONSERVATION ZONE
- Meet a sturgeon – Outdoor Adventure Center
- River stories – Detroit River Story Lab
- Bird zines + zine making – Detroit Outdoors
- Newspaper pot seedlings – Keep Growing Detroit
- Singing insects – Belle Isle Nature Center
If the River Could Sing is free and open to all as part of InsideOut’s community programming, designed to engage diverse audiences in the ways that the written and spoken word can connect to and enrich their lives.
This event is made possible by the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, with additional support from Henry Ford Health, Comcast, VVK PR + Creative, Decode Detroit, Ginosko Development Company, Plante Moran, PNC Bank, SMZ, Wells Advantage Group, ArborOakland Group, Zingerman’s Community of Businesses and individual donors.
To see more of our inaugural If the River Could Sing event in 2022, watch the short video below.