Melissa A. Dean

Writer/Mentor - Youth, Festival Participant

aka The M.A.D. Poet

Professional Poet/ Artist-Educator

Professional Journey:

Curator:

• 2011 “Lost and Found: (Finding) Hidden Beauty in the ‘Hood” group exhibition (@ AGYU)

Education Artist-In-Residence:

• 2011 Art Gallery of York University (AGYU)
• 2010 West-Side Arts Hub (at York Woods Library)

Youth Mentor:

• Diaspora Dialogues: Youth Mentorship Program 2011
• 2011 Scarlett Heights Entrepreneurial Academy
• 2011 North Albion Collegiate Institute
• Diaspora Dialogues: Youth Mentorship Program 2010
• 2010 The Assembly Hall.
• 2010 Father John Redmond High School.

Workshop Facilitator:

• 2010 West-Side Arts Hub Artists-In-Residence Youth Artist Workshops
• 2009 Micro Skills Youth Services: Poetry and Spoken Word Workshops
• 2009 519 Church- Poetry Workshop: In Honour of the Cuban Five
• 2009 Dub Poetics: Cultural Movements in Artistic Contexts. Dub Poetry Wokshop
• 2008 The Dub Mobile(taking dub poetry to the people) in correlation with the B.Y.C.A.V. (Black Youth Coalition Against Violence)Workshop Series @ the University of Toronto

Education/ Artist Training:

• 2008 Mentored by Professional Dub Poet Peculiar I (Anthony Davis) from the Dub Poets Collective
• 2006 International Academy of Design & Technology/Toronto Film School
  Major: Entertainment Business Management-Accelerated Progam
  College Diploma- Received

Appearances (in Canada):

• 2011 “Black is the New Green” with Majora Carter at Central Tech (Toronto)
• 2010 Dub Poetry Festival: DubFest 2010 (Peterborough)
• 2010 Young Writers From The Etobicoke Edge (Etobicoke)
• 2010 Director X: Lecture and Workshop Series.Performance in Front of the Camera (Toronto).
• 2009 DubPoetics at Artspace (Peterborough)
• 2009 anitAfrika! Dub Theatre Open Mic Night (Toronto)
• 2009 "So You Think You Can Rhyme?" Talent Showcase (Toronto)
• 2009 First International Festival of Poetry of Resistance: In Honour of the Cuban Five (Toronto)
• 2009 Friday Nights w/ Diaspora Dialogues at Keep Toronto Reading (Toronto)
• 2008 Dub Poetry Festival. [Opened for Mutabaruka] (Toronto)
• 2008 Dub Poets Collective: Reading Series @ KOS. Kensington Market (Toronto)
• 2008 Freedom Fighter's. Jane and Finch Community Peace Fair (Toronto)
• 2008 Rated inc. Presents: 106&York Urban Arts Festival (Toronto)
• 2008 2nd Annual Queens of Reggae Showcase (Toronto)
• 2008 The Anthony Johnson Sickle Cell Bash for Cash-Charity Event (Toronto)
• 2006 Prisoners' Justice Film Festival: Lyricist Link- Up 6" "Poetik Justice" (Toronto)
• 2006 York University. 'Globally Fit Youth' presents The Cycle of Violence Seminar (Toronto)
• 2005 Lyricist Link Up "360 Degrees of Elevation" (Toronto)
• 2005 I.S.I.S Circle and 8Rooks present: Lyricist Link Up IV (Toronto)

Appearances (outside of Canada):

• 2010 If Hearts Could Talk: A Reasoning With Yasus Afari & Friends on Roots, Culture, & Dub Poetics. The UnderCroft- University of the West Indies (UWI Mona, Jamaica)
• 2010 Poetry Society of Jamaica Meeting. Edna Manley College For Visual and Performing Arts (Kingston, Jamaica)
• 2010 Tribute to a Fallen Soldier: Poetry Reading (St. Catherines, Jamaica)
• 2009 Special guest performer at the Hart-Nesbith Wedding Ceremony (Maryland)
• 2008 Variety Show @ The Aladdin Hotel/Planet Hollywood (Las Vegas)
• 2007 Untamed Tongues Spoken Word Showcases (Las Vegas)
• 2007 Spoken Word. Poetry & Literary Readings' Series (Las Vegas)
• 2006 8th Annual Urban Word NYC Teen Poetry Slam Finals. [Special guests 'The Last Poets'] (New York)
• 2006 Power Networking Business Series.Hosted by James Lisbon founder of AMAG (Harlem, New York)
• 2006 8th Annual Urban Word NYC Teen Poetry Slam Semi-Finals. The Nuyorican Poets Cafe (New York)
• 2006 8th Annual Urban Word NYC Teen Poetry Slam Preliminaries. Bowery Poetry Club (New York)
• 2005 The Miami Masters Poetry Slam Team Showcase. Hosted by HBO Def Poet Will "DaRealOne" Bell (Miami)
• 2004 Focused Digizine Edutainment Showcase produced by the co-founder of Def Poetry Jam, Bruce George (New York)
• 2004 Liberty University: Youth Outreach/Community Awareness Fairs (Virginia)
• 2003 Poetry @ The Hit Factory- an intimate gathering with Wyclef Jean(the Fugees) and friends. (Manhattan, New York)
• 2003 Suitland High School- Talent Shows (Washington DC)
• 2003 Cha Ross-Estes presents Time2Shine! An All Female Showcase (Washington DC)
• 2002 Various church-affilliated events; christian ministry (Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia)

Print Media:

• 2010 Jamaica Observer. Dub poetry rebirth required says Yasus Afari
• 2010 MyKawartha. Peterborough Newspaper; Dub Poetry Is Here and Now
• 2009 ReggaeXclusive Magazine. Words On Dub vol. 7
• 2008 The Weekly Gleaner. Dub Poetry Festival hits Toronto vol .1,760
• 2007 The Toronto Star. "Empowerment at Heart of Poets Positive Message"
• 2003 Awareness Magazine. "To Whom It May Concern"
• 2002 Youth2Day Magazine. Young Talent Spotlight. Interview

Poetry Videos:

• 2009 "The Truth About It All" by The M.A.D. Poet. Directed by Sue Chun
• 2007 "Open Your Eyes" by The M.A.D. Poet. Directed by Paul Nguyen

Television/Radio:

• 2011 CHRY 105.5 ‘Wave to Crave” Dub Poetry panel discussion; moderated by Sankofa
• 2010 Live studio performance/interview. “Smile Jamaica” (TVJ) Television Jamaica. Interviewed by Simon Crosskill
• 2006 CIUT 89.5 "Reggae Riddims" hosted by DJ Patrick Roots.
• 2005 CKLN 88.1 "Rebel Vibes" hosted by DJ Chocolate.

Web:

• Official website
• ReverbNation page
• Myspace page
• Personal blog
• www.jane-finch.com- First female Poet to be featured on site.
• www.8rooks.com- Recognized on 8Rooks spoken word artist profile page
• www.time-space.org- Featured as Canadian Talent on the Rise

Honors and Awards:

One of four community artists chosen for the first Artists-In-Residency (AIR) program at the West-Side Arts Hub.
• Awarded a Travel Grant for Professional Writers from Canada Council for the Arts to attend If Hearts Could Talk: A Reasoning With Yasus Afari and Friends on Roots, Culture, & Dub Poetics (UWI, Mona. Jamaica)
• Special guest contributor to The Golden Tongue Anthology, spearheaded by Jamaican Dub Poet Yasus Afari
• (2) Merit Awards/Dean's List- International Academy of Design & Technology (Toronto Film School)
• (2) Merit Awards/ Honors List - International Academy of Design & Technology (Toronto Film School)

Professional Organizations:

• West-Side Arts Hub (coordinating committee member)
• Time and Space Canadian Talent Collaborative Group (honorary member)
• Dub Poets Collective-Youth Initiative (founding member)