Krista Collier-Jarvis (nek’m/she/her) is a PhD Candidate at Dalhousie University and an Assistant Professor at Mount Saint Vincent University, both of which are in the Departments of English. She graduated with a BA (honours) from Mount Saint Vincent University in 2013 and a Master of Arts from Dalhousie University in 2016.

She describes her work as a process of watching zombie films and trying to say smart things about them. She’s a member of the Mi’kmaq Nation, and her culture influences much of her research. In addition to studying and teaching Indigenous literature and film, she incorporates Indigenous knowledge approaches in much of her research and seeks to elevate Indigenous voices.

In late 2014, she joined inesS, a pole and circus studio located in downtown Halifax. She started with aerial silks but fell in love with pole dancing. She started competing in pole art and pole doubles beginning in 2017 and holds three gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals in competition.

After winning a bronze medal in pole doubles at nationals, she and her pole partner, Jill, were offered positions on Team Canada to compete at Worlds. However, between the pandemic and the kind of time and energy required to compete on the world stage, they never did compete at that level. She now teaches and performs at inesS. You can find her performing annually at such events as Fringe and Nocturne or you can sign up to take one of her classes.

When she’s not studying or hanging out at inesS, she can be found paddleboarding, photographing, or hanging out with her husband, her dog, and her three cats at her home near Peggy’s Cove.

Find out more @mikmawmutiny

 

Chiedza (Shona for light/dawn) was born in Harare, Zimbabwe and moved to Halifax 12 years ago. She has been working in the non-profit sector for several years, supporting communities and organizations through project management, research, data management, evaluation, communications, grant administration and advocacy.

She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Strategy Implementation Professional (SIP) with a master’s degree in international development studies from St. Mary’s University and is passionate about addressing complex socioeconomic challenges through sustainable development and innovation, as well as using her experience and expertise to support organizational growth and sustainability.

Chiedza is also passionate about the Arts, from music to film and drama, and has been a Spoken Word Artist for several years, using her pieces, some deeply personal, to inspire, challenge, and heal.

Outside of work, Chiedza is a wife and mother to two beautiful children. She finds great joy in motherhood and purpose in raising her children. She is a Christian and credits God with enabling her to be a “professional juggler” of work, marriage, motherhood, community, family, and everything else in between.

Find out more @ririasjones

Former lawyer Sarah Birch is a Halifax-based content creator who is best known for her loud laugh and her many adventures.

She talks openly about seeking therapy to help her parent, and about living with ADHD. She runs her own English/French translation business and loves to be outdoors in her free time.

Find out more @littlesarahbirch

 

BASYL is a Palestinian artist, based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Achieving breakthrough success with his debut release “No Pants Till February” in February of 2022. Since then, BASYL has accumulated over 700,000 streams, primarily through major Spotify playlists such as Mellow Bars, Northern Bars, and Hip Hop Central.

In his first year, BASYL has performed on multiple stages in Nova Scotia. Showcasing in the Hopscotch 2022 Festival, alongside headliners such as DJ Jazzy Jeff, Scratch Bastid, and TOBi, and opening up for Alchemist in 2023.

His song Conversations was also featured on Virgin Radio Halifax’s Top 40 slot in November 2022.

Check him out @baselsabri

Nailah Moon (She/They/We) is a MAD writer, community worker and artist active in Mi’ma’ki.

They are a Black futurist who uses mixed mediums to explore themes of immigration, alienation and Afrofuturism focusing on the beauty and power found within the African diaspora.

They are often seen running through cities armed with a book and headphones.

Keep up with their eccentric life @nailahmoonkipuktuk