RISE Edutainment

Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere (RISE) is a youth led community movement, composed of artists, activists and revolutionaries. Together they create a safe and welcoming platform for self-expression and healing through the performance arts. Well known for their Monday night events in Scarborough, they bring youth together from all walks of life across the GTA.

Photo of RISE Edutainment by Sean Howard

We spoke with Randell Adjei, Founder of Rise Edutainment to learn more about their organization:

Describe the work you do.

We like to create safe spaces for people. We realize that in this city there are not a lot of places that people can express themselves in a positive way through the arts, so we like to create spaces that are safe, and inclusive so that people can really get a sense of themselves and their expression. Every Monday night we host an event where people across the GTA - usually it’s about 100 people that come out on a Monday night in Scarborough - they come out just to listen to poetry, and share their poetry. We also do workshops for young people and help them develop as people and artists.

What impact does RISE Edutainment have on the youth it serves?

I think that the impact is astronomical. It’s really hard to put in words. It gives people a voice. We live in a society where a lot of people are silent, and voiceless, so RISE gives people an opportunity to speak, and opportunity to say what’s on their minds, to heal, to connect to what’s true to them. I think the other impact is that RISE gives people the sense of leadership, a sense of belonging in a world that’s so tough to find where you belong.

Why is it important to engage youth through the arts?

I think it’s really important to engage youth through the arts especially through the work we do at RISE because in Scarborough there’s not a lot of places where people can express themselves in a positive way. There’s a lot of young people who are really hurt on the inside, who don’t have a space to talk about this stuff, who don’t have others to connect with and really express what they’re feeling. Engaging these people is more than just inviting them to a space, it’s also letting them know that there’s hope, that there’s an opportunity to take your art to another level, or that you can use your art as a sense of healing, and as a sense of expression.

The Arts for Youth Award is supported by a number of individuals, including Martha Burns, Jim Fleck, and Sandra and Jim Pitblado. They support this award because they believe in the power of engaging youth through the arts. What would you say to these individuals if you met them today?

If I could speak to the people who are supporting this award, I’d say thank you so much for giving us a platform, for giving us an opportunity to spread our wings and fly, for giving us an opportunity to keep the movement going, and to be recognized in the city. A lot of grassroots organizations are doing a lot of work, they are underground and forgotten. A lot of organizations are not really acknowledged for the work that they do, and I think that through awards like this, it reminds us that our work is so needed.   

What does it mean to be nominated for the Arts For Youth Award?

To be nominated for the youth arts award means a lot. It means being recognized for the work that has been done for the last five years. Sometimes you focus so much on the work, you focus so much on how hard and how difficult some things are, you forget about the impact that it makes on people. When people tell you that this is something that has changed their life, that this is something that has allowed them to find themselves – it’s great to hear that. But at the same time, it’s great to be recognized by others, and it just reminds me that it’s worth it. It’s so worth the continuation of this work, and the development of it as well. 

Every week you host RISE Poetry Mondays, an open mic night. How did it begin?

RISE Poetry Mondays has come so far over the years. There’s a lot of friends that I had who used to walk around all macho pretending that the world didn’t hurt them, but when we sat down and we talked one on one, I’d hear that they were really hurt and really broken. They didn’t have a space where they felt safe to talk about what they were going thorough. To see RISE kind of running itself five years later means so much, to see the community come together, elders come together, artists come together, it’s powerful. Sometimes it’s hard to put in to words.

What are the outcomes of the Poetry Nights? Have there been any collaborations that have resulted amongst participants? Have participants moved on to develop a career in the arts?

Some of the great outcomes that have come out of the RISE Poetry Mondays have been seeing people find a sense of purpose, a home on Monday night. I know there’s a lot of youth out there who don’t feel safe in their own home, so RISE is like a second home to them. A few of us have started our own organizations. Children have been born because of the connections that have happened, life-long friendships have happened. To see people growing and developing through a seed that was planted, is a powerful feeling.

RISE also does other events, such as the vegan cooking night and more…

We recognize the importance of investing in individuals. We want to help young people learn how to cook, eat healthy, and take care of themselves if no one else is there to help them. We also bring men and women together to have conversations about life, about relationships, about what it means to be a good human being in general. Creating more intimate spaces, more spaces to network, really allows us to see the need, and how we can continue supporting people in the long run.

Why do you put in all of this work?

I put in all of this work because I’ve lost friends, and I’ve seen friends pass away, I’ve seen friends go on a path that I know is very detrimental to themselves. I’ve seen moms come to me and ask me if I could help their son, and I know that we need leaders. We need leaders in the city who can really propel young people by letting them know that you can actually make something of your life. A lot of young people have no hope, no reason for waking up in the morning and when I see that it saddens me deeply because I was one of those young people myself. What RISE is able to do, is give people an opportunity to see what’s possible. If you just show young people what’s possible, that’s a big step alone, because a lot of them don’t see past where they live, they don’t see past their 'hood, their community, and I think it allows them to dream big, and see a big picture for their future.   

Learn more: riseedutainment.com