MayaSpoken is an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist, activist, public speaker, and educator. She uses the gift of words to share her story, advocate for others and promote safe spaces and practices for healing and self-expression.
MayaSpoken hopes that her work inspires you to be a voice of disruption, advocacy, and change towards liberation for all oppressed peoples. None of us are free until we are all free. Maya is a Ugandan-Jamaican poet and singer-songwriter based on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. She is raising two beautiful and brilliant children and holds multiple poetry slam titles, including two-time Canadian individual poetry slam champion (2023,2025), and will be representing Canada at the 2026 World Poetry Slam in South Africa.
Where it all began…
As a way of escaping years of family violence and trauma, a 17-year old MayaSpoken graced the stage of the city of Ottawa Youth Spoken Word Competition to share her story through spoken word. While her goal was only to share her story with anyone who would listen, Maya finished in first place, beginning a journey that would impact more people than she could ever imagine.
“Every time you share your story, someone else discovers that they no longer need to be silent about their own. ”
— Mayaspoken
Mission Statement
“I am committed to creating a world where the voices of women and Black and Indigenous folks are celebrated, amplified, and demarginalized. I want to help other folks step into the power of radical self-love, care, and boldness.
As a Black queer mother and multidisciplinary artist, I am passionate about using storytelling, poetry, and music to create spaces where people feel seen, valued, and empowered. My art celebrates the neurodivergent experience while encouraging others to live unapologetically and loudly as themselves.
As someone who became an artist in my youth as a way of escaping hardship, I am deeply passionate about uplifting youth and creating opportunities for them to discover themselves and celebrate their identities. I believe that our purpose is not to be a voice for the voiceless but to hand them the microphone.
My work challenges systems of violence and oppression while celebrating the beauty of culture and individual identity. None of us is free until we are all free. Every poem, song, and performance is a space where I aim to build community, connection, and healing.
Tell ‘Em Girl x Loud Black Girls
After discovering liberation through spoken word, MayaSpoken was inspired to provide women identifying individuals with an opportunity to do the same through women’s spoken word showcases, workshops, mentorship, and more.