KANE SMEGO
Poetry · Hip Hop · Education
For over a decade, Kane Smego has brought
YouTh ink's powerful programs to participants of all ages at over 80 colleges, 50 K-12 schools and countless community spaces across the U.S. and abroad in more than 20 countries.
Performances
As both a poet, Hip Hop artist, and theatre performer, Kane has the ability to connect with audiences of all ages through storytelling, verse, or song and can tailor performances to fit the theme of an event.
Kane's one-man show, Temples of Lung & Air, is a work of hip hop theater that premiered at Playmakers Repertory Company in 2018, was featured at the United Solo Theatre Festival in NYC and ran for a month at the Detroit Public Theatre in 2019. Most recently he has performed as part of Versa-Styles's Freemind Freestyle show which featured at the Joyce Theatre in NYC, L.A.'s Ford Theatre, and the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts.
Workshops
Utilizing his innovative YouTh ink curriculum, Kane's workshops foster literacy and social-emotional learning by leading participants in exploring their intersectional identities and telling their story through the written and spoken word. Workshops can be customized to fit a desired age-group or to touch on topics being covered in a course or conference. The YouTh ink Curriculum utilizes culturally-relevant pedagogy that is learner-centered and designed to benefit participants in five specific ways:
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Enhance social-emotional learning (SEL)
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Facilitate identity exploration
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Refine writing and analytical skills
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Develop performance and public speaking competency
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Build self-confidence
Lectures and Keynotes
Kane's lectures focus on community building, intersectional identity, anti-racism, leadership, education, and the role of storytelling as a tool for transcending differences.
Kane has been a keynote speaker at the National Association of Social Workers Conference, Global Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., as well a presenter at TEDX UNC, the Civicus World Assembly, the Aspen Institute, and other notable conferences and events across the country.
Background Photo Credit: Abby O. Photography