Freedom Singer

Launching the Scotiabank Community Studio at Streetcar Crowsnest, FREEDOM SINGER is the new documentary theatre piece inspired by the remarkable journey of singer-songwriter Khari Wendell McClelland (as featured on CBC's The National and Tapestry). In 2015, JUNO-nominated McClelland retraced the steps of his great-great-great grandmother Kizzy and – using contemporary styles like hip hop, funk and soul – personalized the songs that likely accompanied her and thousands of others as they escaped U.S. slavery. In sharing this music, Khari is brought face to face with his own "unrecorded" heritage, and the realities and myths of one of our quintessential historic narratives: the Underground Railroad. Produced by Project: Humanity, (the award-winning company behind The Middle Place and Small Axe), FREEDOM SINGER looks at how “vibrations of the past” can bring us closer to the truths and freedoms we may be seeking today.