PoetFREE Live Returns to Celebrate Emancipation Day Through Spoken Word

As Belize prepares to observe Emancipation Day, the Institute of Creative Arts (ICA) is once again using the power of spoken word to celebrate freedom, identity, and cultural heritage. This Saturday, the annual PoetFREE Live event returns to the BLISS Centre for the Performing Arts, bringing together established poets and finalists from the 2026 PoetFREE competition. Today, Love News spoke with Institute of Creative Arts Program Officer Chelsea Libey and featured poet Wilford Felix about this year’s initiative. Libey says the annual event provides an opportunity for Belizeans to commemorate Emancipation Day by reflecting on our shared history, celebrating our cultural identity, and giving local poets a platform to share their voices through spoken word.

Featured poet Wilford Felix says poetry remains a powerful form of storytelling and an important way to preserve history. He believes events like PoetFREE Live encourage Belizeans, especially young people, to connect with their heritage while honoring the 

The annual PoetFREE Live takes place this Saturday, July 25, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the BLISS Centre for the Performing Arts. The evening will feature Poems for Emancipation, centered on themes of freedom, heritage, identity, and history, followed by Voices Unbound, an open-theme spoken word showcase celebrating creativity and free expression.