Spicy Legacy Project: An Intergenerational Creative Process with Tou SaiKo Lee

Tiam Qub Tiam Tshiab Tsim Txuj Ci Ua Ke

Spicy Legacy Project is an intergenerational creative process that engages teaching artist apprentices, elders, and youth to collaborate in a performance arts residency. This community-based project honors the traditional arts of elders to bridge with nurturing the creativity of youth while teaching artists to navigate the creative process. Content for the collaboration is captured from storytelling circles. The outcome is a collaborative performance by elders and youth of the community. This arts initiative was inspired by the legacy of Tou SaiKo’s spoken word collaboration with his poetry chanting grandma Zuag Tsab.

During a three-part residency engagement March through June 2023, Lee facilitated workshops bringing Hmong elders and youth in the Sheboygan community together. Participants used spoken word poetry, poetry chanting, storytelling, songwriting, theater, and music to explore Hmong identity, preservation, and revitalization. Together they created new work and built new understandings between generations.

“I hope that through this project, we can really sustain the process of intergenerational collaboration, that it doesn’t end with this project,” said Lee. “I want young people to come along, to inspire others.”

On June 11, participants recorded their songs collectively and individually. During this residency, the process was recorded to serve as a model that can be used by other communities. The final video will be ready for viewing in Spring 2024 and shared with community.

The Arts Center is thankful to those involved with this project, including Tou SaiKo Lee, Sheila Yang, the Hmong Women’s Society, Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, Hmong Leadership Council, Nyob Zoo Café, students at North and South High Schools including H Poppin and the New H Generation, and Hmong Traditional Artist Neng Vang.