Native Choir – The Gathering: An Evening of Ancestral Remembrance, Storytelling, and Return

Poet, author, and creative producer Safiyya Chance recently presented "Native Choir – The Gathering," an immersive event based on her debut poetry collection, "Native Choir." Held at Axum Art Café on Front Street in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten (Great Bay), the production brought selected poems to life through movement, storytelling, music, and community gathering. Created and produced by Chance, the event aimed to connect audiences with ancestry, identity, and self. It fused spoken word, dance, live drumming, and theatrical interpretation into a narrative journey exploring themes of memory, loss, resilience, belonging, and return. Chance highlighted the significance of Axum Art Café to her artistic development.