A new collective of Latina poets, Mujeres Sin Miedo, made its debut in Fort Worth during the SparkFest event on June 9. The collective, which translates to Women Without Fear, features a lineup of North Texas artists who share their stories of empowerment and womanhood through spoken word poetry.

Formation and Inspiration

The collective was formed by Fort Worth poet Tammy Gomez, who was invited by the Amphibian team to host her own event at SparkFest. Gomez declined the invitation unless her fellow female poets could perform alongside her. The women, who consider each other comadres, or close friends, spend time fueling each other’s creativity and supporting one another.

Gomez explained that the goal of the collective is to create a movement of women sharing their voices and talking about real lived experiences. During the event, each woman performed poetry centered around feminist topics, including motherhood, violence against women, self-care, and cultural heritage.

Event and Reception

The stage was arranged to feature each writer sitting on chairs brought from home, alongside plants and sentimental items. A table was placed at the front of the stage with a portrait of civil rights activist Dolores Huerta facing the audience. Jay Duffer, artistic director at Amphibian, described the event as a natural fit for the festival, highlighting the power of language and the artistic similarities between poetry and theater.

The Mujeres Sin Miedo members plan to perform together again in the future, with a fluid membership that allows any interested writers to join. Gomez hopes to create a space where all women can express themselves freely and leave their worries behind.

Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.