ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - Every second Sunday of the month, artists from all over Central Louisiana gathered at the Hearne Stage in Alexandria.
“Ignite The Mic Alexandria” founder Sherry Gentle said she wanted to showcase the magic of the arts to the community.
“I believe that the arts have a powerful way of uniting people, music, poetry and dance,” she said. “If you hear a song that you like and someone next to you who doesn’t even look like you hears the same song, y’all both are going to start singing. So I believe that the arts have a way of joining people. I believe that there is so much more that unites us than that would divide us. So we’ve just been using the arts to do that.”
One regular attendee of “Ignite The Mic” is Nicole Robinson. She and her wife moved to the area from Texas. Looking to explore, they came across the event and were hooked.
“What we expected to just be one opportunity for a date night ended up being six years long,” Robinson said. “I’m going to miss this place, I really don’t know what we’re going to do on second Sundays anymore.”
Robinson said “Ignite The Mic” opened her eyes to the hidden talent in the area.
“I thought that it was amazing to see how much culture was in Alexandria and the surrounding areas,” Robinson said. “To know that we had that much talent that was just unseen, unheard of.”
Robinson was one of the 13 performers at “Ignite The Mic’s” farewell show. This was the second time she had taken the stage during the six years she had been attending.
“I just normally don’t sing, but I felt like it was an opportunity,” Robinson said. “It was the last show. So why not?”
What she will miss most, Robinson said, is the connection she found with her new community.
“It was a safe space, which is something that’s important to me. As a teacher, I look for safe spaces,” Robinson said. “So to be able to find that outside of a classroom and to find a place where everyone felt welcome, everyone felt safe, was just chef’s kiss.”
Although “Ignite The Mic” is ending, Gentle said she is ready for her next chapter.
“The only reason that Ignite The Mic is ending is because God is sending me on a different assignment,” Gentle said. “So you can’t be sad when God has given you success, great success.”
Gentle will now focus on motivational speaking. If you are interested in booking her, you can click here.
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