Words in Action (WIA) is a multilingual student performance open to all UC Berkeley students taking a foreign language at any level. The event was born in 2012 out of a desire and a need to bring together the language community through theater, music, dance and poetry; to offer students an alternative, holistic way to embody and explore language and culture in a performative way; and to expose the community to the wonderful mosaic of cultures we are fortunate to have on our campus.
The event is a powerful collaborative project that brings our language departments together and gives the audience an auditory feast of multilingualism and a chance to discover, appreciate and support the cultures represented on our campus. It puts the vitality of our ‘languages’ and ‘cultures’ front and center on the UC Berkeley map.
Students work with their language instructor over the course of the Spring semester to prepare a 10-minute piece -- scenes from plays, songs, creative skits, dances, and poetry in a variety of different combinations and styles. Whether in verse, in prose or in song, the beauty of the ‘spoken word’ in the 20+ languages that have participated in the event, has been the centerpiece of each performance.
This event would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Berkeley Language Center who so generously sponsored WIA over the years. I am forever grateful to the BLC and to all the faculty, students, and staff who volunteered time, energy and creativity to make the event a success.
Our WIA team is excited for the next curtain call!
Annamaria Bellezza
WIA Organizer & Director