Miss Yankey: When Poetry Becomes Protest
Spoken activism as art, resistance, and collective power
Miss Yankey is a British/Ghanaian writer, activist, and spoken word artist whose work sits at the intersection of poetry, protest, and innovation. A six-time slam champion with an unmistakable presence, her words are carefully crafted, fiercely delivered, and rooted in lived experience. From London to Accra, Paris to New York, Miss Yankey uses spoken word not just to perform - but to move, challenge, and connect.
At the heart of her practice is what she calls Spoken Activism: poetry as a public act, a form of resistance, and a tool for collective understanding. Her work centres on women’s rights, mental health, and domestic violence awareness, amplifying voices too often sidelined or silenced. Whether performed in theatres, public squares, festivals, or digital spaces, her words insist on being heard.
Miss Yankey made her television debut on the BAFTA-winning Life & Rhymes, and has performed at Sadler’s Wells (Breakin’ Convention), the Criterion Theatre (PUNCHED, directed by Jude Kelly), and landmark events including Edinburgh Fringe, Field Day, Tramlines, and Kind Fest. Her poetry has also lived in spaces far beyond the expected - from Trafalgar Square and Speakers’ Corner to the Tower of London - underscoring her belief that poetry belongs everywhere.
A long-standing collaborator with organisations including Imkaan, Million Women Rise, Southall Black Sisters, Reclaim the Night, and the Women’s Equality Party, Miss Yankey’s work bridges art and action. Her commitment to mental health advocacy is equally embedded, with projects alongside Mind Over Matter, Poetry Prescribed, Rethink Mental Illness, Mind, and the Bethlem Museum of the Mind - using spoken word as a means of care, reflection, and empowerment.
Beyond the stage, Miss Yankey continues to push the boundaries of what spoken word can be. Her spoken futurism explores the relationship between poetry, music, and emerging technologies. From augmented reality and immersive digital art to VR and AI-assisted performance, she has collaborated with artists, technologists, and institutions to reimagine how poetry is experienced - not as something static, but as something living, responsive, and shared.
Her music-led spoken word projects have reached new audiences, including her debut EP Shadow Work In The Waters, BBC-playlisted tracks, collaborations with house music legends Saison, and contributions to hip-hop projects that position poetry firmly within contemporary sound culture.
Why this work matters
Miss Yankey’s art reminds us that creative expression can be both beautiful and confrontational. That poetry can hold grief and joy, anger and hope - and still invite people in. In a world where conversations around violence against women, mental health, and racial justice are often distorted or dismissed, her work offers clarity, humanity, and connection.
For MYH, Miss Yankey embodies what it means to use creativity as a vehicle for truth-telling and change. Her spoken activism doesn’t just speak about the world - it actively shapes it.
