Taking a walk with isi bhakhomen

I’m imagining this virtual walk, Theatre Kidz Made Me Do It, as “a love letter to all the weirdos who never truly fit in, but who were courageous enough to find their voice through the stage,” says Afro-Peruvian/Nigerian artist and actor isi bhakhomen. Currently finishing their final year of an acting program at the National Theatre School of Canada, isi bhakhomen leads the next ongoing virtual Neighbourhood Walk series, happening March 3 at 3 pm via the @agoyouth Instagram. 

Leading viewers through the streets of Montreal, isi bhakhomen reflects on what it’s truly like to be a part of the theatre arts community. 

AGOinsider: Can you give us a teaser of your virtual video walk?

isi bhakhomen: This virtual walk is exploring my personal journey with finding community in an environment that is unfamiliar to me. Some highlights include a contemporary dance break in the cafeteria, lots and lots of snow, graffiti on walls, just the little things that I find beautiful. 

AGOinsider: Walking through our neighbourhoods is a very personal experience. Why share it? What has your neighbourhood taught you? 

isi bhakhomen: I wanted to share my neighbourhood because it's the place that carried my body for the past three years. I think being vulnerable is integral to humanity. Sharing our personal experiences, our culture, our traditions, and practices build a world that is more understanding. Because I'm in an intensive conservatory program, most of my time is spent inside the studio, working on text, exploring through movement, and strengthening my voice. My time in Tiohtià:ke (or Montreal) was focused on building an artistic practice. I didn't really allow myself to explore the neighbourhood. But thanks to this project, I was able to reflect and take in the world around me by just walking in solitude. I've come to realize my neighbourhood taught me how to be resilient, to have courage, and to trust that my community will always be behind me.

Image by isi bhakhomen.

AGOinsider: Has COVID-19 impacted how you see your neighbourhood? 

isi bhakhomen: COVID-19 has impacted the way I see my neighbourhood in a major way. I didn't grow up in the Plateau, so I didn't really associate it with home for a long time. But because of COVID, I couldn't run to Toronto for the winter break. I had to stay in Montreal to keep my family and roommates safe. It forced me to shift my perspective. I realized I am standing on unceded land that has lifted me up through the most difficult times of my life. This land has nourished me, kept me warm and clean. I'm so thankful to live in Montreal. It's the city where all the misfits come to dwell. It's home to the Kanien'kehá:ka, Haudensaunee, Heron-Wendat, and Anishnaabe Peoples. Their history alone shows the resilience of this land. Their commitment to protect and defend it inspires me to do the same.

AGOinsider: Acting is a very physical and mental art form. What role does visual art play in your study?

isi bhakhomen: Visual art is integral to theatre. Visual art gives designers inspiration, it's how actors drop in, it's a tool that helps us build worlds. My Shakespeare teacher, Tim Welham, believes actors are "athletes of imagination." Using images to connect is the only way we can interact with the horizon. This may sound really actor-talk-y, but I truly believe in the power of an image. I'm also a photographer, so documenting my classmates is important to me. It's why I have so much footage from the last three years. During the Neighbourhood Walk, you'll catch moments of stillness that I've captured. Storytelling takes on many forms. In theatre, we use tableau, gestures, composition, and elements you would find in a Roman painting. 

isi bhakhomen. Photo by Maxime Côté.

AGOinsider: What are some of the most common misconceptions of theatre kidz? Are any of them true? 

isi bhakhomen: I think the most common misconception about theatre kidz is that we are all attention-seeking "fame whores." I promise you we are more concerned with telling the story. Being famous is not the end goal. To be a theatre kid requires humility. Sometimes you only have a couple of lines, but with those lines you need to keep the energy up, to support your fellow cast members, to push the story forward. I won't lie; we all love a good spotlight, but I think Sharpay from High School Musical gave folks a false impression. However, something that did surprise me about theatre school is that it's like Fame (1980). We do start dancing out of nowhere and it's fabulous. We may not all be trained dancers, but we are filled with a tremendous amount of energy. Sometimes it's best to just let it all out, to share our gifts with the world, to feel a deep sense of connection, even if it's only for a couple of minutes. 

AGOinsider: What surprised you the most from your time at the National Theatre School of Canada?  

isi bhakhomen: What surprised me the most about my time at NTS was that it pushed me towards a practice of advocacy. I couldn't depend on others to understand my experience. So I made an active decision to speak up, to call out, to demand. We come to theatre school to be artists, not to become activists. But I'm starting to think they may be the same thing, or at least you can't have one without the other. I'm surrounded by so many hardworking and talented humans. We all come from across the country and around the world. I go to a bilingual school, so I get to see productions in both French and English. It's really opened my eyes to the future. Canadian theatre is so young compared to the United Kingdom or the United States, which means we have an opportunity to shift things in a major way. The future of theatre is in the students and I can't wait to see what they will create. 

Make sure to catch isi bhakhomen’s Neighbourhood Walk, Theatre Kidz Made Me Do It, on March 3 via @agoyouth’s Instagram Live. Part of an ongoing series, be sure to sign up as an AGOinsider to get the latest scoop on more AGO Youth events like this.