13:00, 15 December 2021
Words by Smiley Team, Staff Writer, London
Aditi Banerjee is an inspiring 16-year-old activist and spoken word artist, who runs SaveOurWorld – a platform that advocates for taking small steps to a brighter future.
The teen, from Slough, UK, raises awareness on current social and environmental issues through her writing and performing spoken word poetry.
In the past few years, she's created the opening video and accompanying poem to introduce the national ‘UK Youth Inspiring Hope Awards’; performed spoken word poems on multiple YouTube and Instagram livestreams, and has been a panellist and performer at numerous international events.
She was just 13 when she started her YouTube channel, to educate and advocate for positive societal change. She’s passionate about creating lasting change and endeavours to continue to do this on a local and global scale.
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“I was inspired by slam poets and spoken word artists, whom I discovered through performances shared on YouTube,” Aditi tells Smiley News.
“The art form allowed diverse voices to share vulnerabilities and powerful outcries for justice, in a way that resonated so deeply with me and made me feel represented.
“Spoken word has allowed me to express myself with confidence that I didn’t know I had and speak on issues that we don’t talk about enough. I am inspired by poets and the stories they tell; poets who have now become friends, and I am in constant awe of the talent, warmth and empathy of this community.”
The work of speaking up on these societal issues is so essential to progress, she adds.
“I believe that the power spoken word poetry has to start conversations is the power of storytelling, and empathy for experiences other than your own. I feel that through the open dialogue created through the sharing of our stories, we can talk about the issues that need to be tackled to shape our collective future.
“I hope though sharing my work and creating accessible educational videos on my YouTube channel, I am able to reach people to raise awareness on the importance of equity in our society.”
You can view Aditi’s inspiring spoken world poems on her YouTube channel, SaveOurWorld.
