By Abby Epstein – Arts & Culture Editor

            Gia Clarke describes herself as an “athlete, artist, singer, songwriter, activist and Black queer woman,” originally from Brampton, Ontario. 

At Bishop’s, she studies biology and pre-medicine, alongside French and Spanish. As well as pursuing a career in STEM, she hopes to pursue music, her “first passion”, in a co-creative project, entitled “WORLLLD2”.

            The heart of “WORLLD2” is composed of seven original songs: “Warzone,” “Oneself,” “Origin Story,” “Lies,” “Little do they Know,” “Dreams” and “2 Me”. The title also encompasses Clarke’s desire for the project to have global resonance, tackling universal themes. “Women are not positively represented in society,” says Clarke. “I want to showcase intersectionality through this platform of storytelling.”

            Clarke intends for the project to be undertaken by the community, empowering artists to transform their lyrics through diverse mediums. “Generativity” is a key term for her, wanting to allow students an opportunity to make a difference. Sparked by the campfire at the 2023 Leadership Retreat and kindled with the help of Katie Bibbs and Project Incubator, “WORLLD2” speaks strongly to student initiative.

 Clarke has already begun engaging with a variety of outlets at Bishop’s – drama, art, the Writing Center, chapel choir and students in residence, to name a few – to invite student participation. She stresses the importance of allies too, who “often need to be there to tell the story”. Clarke doesn’t want to limit what people do with the project; she looks forward to being inspired by the experiences of others to enhance its impact. “Just maintain the lyrics and let the project take a life of its own,” she says.

            “WORLLD2” is meant to encourage connection between its participants, and audiences. After the project reaches its natural conclusion, Clarke hopes to showcase the piece at the BU Film Festival, BU Arts Festival and Research Week, in addition to social media platforms. A glimpse into the first part of Clarke’s “WORLLD2”, “Warzone”, can be found in this issue of The Campus. For more information, Clarke can be contacted at gclarke21@ubishops.ca.