Ms. Kim Poole is a Soul-Fusion Performing Artivist and Founding Fellow of the Teaching Artist Institute, providing an opportunity for artist to learn techniques for social transformation while fostering outlets for socially engaged art. Operating in the USA, Ghana, Liberia, Jamaica, Uganda, and The Gambia, through TAI Kim Poole and an international team of Teaching Artist are originating the Art for Social Transformation: Teaching Artistry in Action curriculum & workbook for change agents and universities interested in exploring the “Art of Possibility.” Under the TAI umbrella Poole serves as Chief Visionary of the ARTIZEN conference philosophy aimed at connecting sustainable development to art culture in emerging economies.
As a performer, Ms. Poole has quietly become an international power house with regular headline performances on the festival circuit in Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, and Zambia, Uganda. Trained under Dr. Nathan Carter at Morgan State University, the Baltimore born singer-songwriter belts soul stirring music and African influenced oral traditions with a commanding stage presence that takes each audience member on a journey through the eyes of her “SUPERLASHES.” Every performance and workshop features Rhythm, Blues, Jazz and the inevitable “soul fusion” that occurs during a Kim Poole Experience.
A shining example of the best practices espoused by the budding Teaching Artistry curriculum, Kim Poole models’ art for social transformation theory by focusing on her passion to empower African women to celebrate their resilience and encouraging cross-cultural communication. In 2014 Poole “Lashed Out” at the Boko Haram terrorist sect after abducting 300+ school girls with a self-funded music tour across Nigeria. In an effort to raise funds for families affected and rallying women throughout west Africa to get involved, she blinked across each stage and workshop featuring the SUPERLASHES song as battle music; an up-tempo neo-soul piece, reminiscent of the 1960’s era of rock and roll with metaphoric and literal lyrics that she quotes as the mission behind her “woman’s work.” With the continued goal of using the SUPERLASHES mantra to spur women into action, in 2016, the Artivist founded the SHEROES Sisterhood; an international support system woven to address the physical, psychological, financial and spiritual needs of African women and their families.
As the International Host of the Sisterhood, in March 2019 she led women from across 16 countries in the formation of a Global African SHEROES Union and advocated for “Protection Strategies in Mental Health and Financially Wellness” at the 63rd United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in three official parallel events.
Underground Soul- Fusion Artist Kim Poole empowers women to celebrate their resilience and
encourages cross-cultural communication thru music. This Baltimore based singer songwriter
travels the world sharing her soul stirring music and African influenced oral tradition by taking
audiences on a soul music journey through the eyes of her SUPERLASHES.
In 2014 Kim Poole Music “Lashed Out” at the Boko Haram Terrorist sect after abducting 300+
school girls with a self-funded music tour across Nigeria. In an effort to raise funds for families
affected and rallying women throughout west Africa to get involved, she blinked across each
stage and workshop flaunting the SUPERLASHES song as battle music; celebrating women’s
beauty and resilience.
The original LASHED OUT Tour featured the release of hit single SUPERLASHES; an up
tempo neo-soul piece, reminiscent of the 1960’s era of rock and roll with metaphoric and literal
lyrics throughout.
In this same spirit, the LASHED OUT Tour 2 will commence on September 15th 2017 and again
Kim Poole has put on SUPERLASHES to spur women into action. Making stops in Los
Angeles, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Yaoundé, Havana, and Nashville, this fall will zero-in on
the “Beat of an African Women’s Heart;” raising up the mother of civilization. The
performances and workshops will feature Rhythm, Blues, Jazz, and the inevitable “Soul fusion”
that takes place during every Kim Poole Experience.
This year of the 20
th
anniversary of the Original 1997 Million Women March, her sound, musical
style and mission to cultivate positive esteem in women as a source of peace building and
community development is the sound track to the SHEROES sisterhood, organically birthing
throughout the world.
Though she enjoys work that allows opportunities to travel and connect, when at home in Baltimore Poole advocates peacebuilding, “Glocal conversations” and art as a tool for integration of Refugee and Asylee communities. Mostly recently in partnership with the Baltimore office of the International Rescue Committee, Poole nurtured development of the Youth Compass Collective, a group comprised of Assylee and refugee youth seeking cultural orientation and resettlement into the Baltimore community.
At 33yrs old, Ms. Kim Poole has over ten years’ experience in International Art Cultural Diplomacy and the world has only begun to learn how this Imagineer will redefine our understanding of artistic expression in social transformation.
