When we talk about the aura of an individual when they enter a room we have to talk about the stunning Deborah Conteh. The creative and poet scooped our Best Spoken Word Newcomer award at last year’s Wordplay Awards with her heartfelt piece ‘I’m From’, and has been inspiring young Black girls to own their stunning aura’s too.
Her entrance into the writing world started at a young age where she would write stories, however what really sparked her love for poetry was a crush on a guy that also wrote poetry. Whilst she worked on trying to impress her new love interest she found that writing poetry was an art she wanted to take seriously for herself. As she became older Deborah’s experiences as a young Black girl in school became a common theme for her later writings.
I’ve also been inspired a lot by the church and my faith. Practicing dictation was a form of expression for me.
By day, Deborah works in a prison delivering creative courses and teaching podcasting. Prisoners are able to get involved in arts such as photography and music whilst building a foundation for future rehabilitation. Recently the wordsmith has discovered the immense pressure that comes with writing and performing poetry at weddings. Expressing the emotion of love and romance through poetry is how Deborah fell into her craft and it is wonderful to see her tap into those themes again in a unique way for others.
I would have to say one of my proudest achievements is performing at my managers wedding; that I was trusted with their special day.
Deborah recently launched her new initiative, Little Girl Big Dreams, which aims to recognise the barriers that young Black girls face in society and encourage participants to explore their identity in unique ways. With a strong focus on practical and creative skill-building, Deborah has designed a series of workshops that aid in the development of self-confidence, communication, and public speaking.
As part of the initiative, Deborah facilitated her sold out exhibition for 14-15 year old girls that showcased images and letters that they wrote to their younger and older selves. Held at the FirePit Art Gallery, the success of Little Girl Big Dreams shows that creativity can build culture and culture can build community. We look forward to seeing what is next for Deborah Conteh and you should feel the same.
Creative Direction: Tannika Taylor
Photographer: Tannika Taylor
Editor: Shariar
Graphic Design: Torrin Westerman