TRIBUTES
fluidly and seamlessly across a range of expressive traditions and practices. Through it all, she was never afraid to be raw in the authenticity of her embodied expressions and knowing. She knew of herself as an African spirit being having a human experience. She lived in the world of ritual, recognising the false binary of sacred and profane. For Sonia, all was sacred, chiefly the creative process, and as such, was to be managed with meticulous care. Sonia started her tenure at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus from 2007 to 2013 as Temporary Assistant Lecturer in Theatre and returned to the newly founded Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts as Temporary Assistant Lecturer in Theatre for contractual periods between September 2021 and May 2023. In the Department of Cultural Studies, we also knew her as a student of profound intellectual subtlety, someone always ready to dig deeper rather than simply moving on when the going got tough. And it did get tough, but she never complained. Instead, the dignity she exuded became even more pronounced, especially in those moments of her deepest challenges and pain. She used the hurt in her work to conjure and channel her magic to move the pendulum beyond its natural swing! This made some uneasy, but she knew the work she came to do and did it well. She dared to ask questions and was meticulous in her undertaking to find the answers, never quite satisfied that the story could ever be fully told. She therefore kept asking and kept digging. Enormity of impact Many witnessed the enormity of Sonia’s impact and breadth of work across this region when scores of tributes filled social media pages with her image and videos of time spent in the company of others. From Cayman Islands to Suriname, creatives of island-nations and mainland territories and
across the Atlantic to the shores of West Africa and Europe expressed their collective sorrow of a light that was extinguished too soon. In our grief, we are called upon to hold each other even while we mourn with those who had the privilege to study and debate with Sonia, experience her teachings and facilitation of classes and workshops. We grieve with those who worked with this lion-heart gal and had the honour of seeing and experiencing her in the majesty of her craft; those who felt the magic of her laughter, the tenderness of her gaze, the sassiness of her wit, the comfort of her hugs, the power of her intellect and her clearly defined sense of divine purpose! We find comfort in knowing that our beloved colleague and friend, teacher and mentor, mother and sister will join the celestial ancestral realm and be an eternal flame that will continue to illuminate our paths. Like the mighty baobab and silk cotton tree that stretches its reach, may the work that she has left us to do keep animating us and allowing us to stretch and grow even when it gets uncomfortable. May we “ grow trees for shelter” and dare to be courageous in our choices and create art that makes a difference. May the expansive nature of her presence fill us with memories that serve as a balm to the void that we now feel. And ... may we hold her children in our thoughts, and when inclined, offer a prayer for their well-being.
(UK), she directed “Mary Prince” (2020) and “Mother Country” (2020). Her poems and short stories have been published in journals and anthologies. Among some of her most popular poetry performances include “Bloodline”, “Girl Boy”, “The Royal Vessel”, and “The Last Embrace” (2019) and “One Must Know the Meaning of One’s Name” (2023) in Barbados, Columbia, the UK and the USA. Her noted publications include a novella, This Too Will Pass (2014) and a collection of poetry, Embodied Knowings (2019).
Decentering and reconceptualising
Sonia’s MPhil thesis which she was writing at the time of her passing focused on decentering the western story of theatre in the academy and reconceptualising performance from a Caribbean-centered perspective. This current work grew out of her earlier explorations of the performance of everyday life: King Dyal and street characters in the city of Bridgetown. Her interest in embodied techniques for performance intersected with her deep investment in the use of performance technique for empowerment and social development. This is particularly noted in her feminist work and exploration of women’s lives in the Caribbean and how they intersect with sexuality and spirituality. For Sonia, performance provided a methodology for going beneath the surface of things. She had the ability to draw out strengths and energies people did not know they had, and many students found her sessions nothing short of transformative. Her exceptional personal resources likewise suffused her work as a writer, playwright, director, and actress who touched audiences across the Caribbean with her daring and innovative scripts, interpretations, and performances. She created dangerously, merging, and moving
Iba Ibae Tonu Omi Sola. Rest Well and Rise in Glory Sonia Suzette Williams!
Dr. Yanique Hume is Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of Cultural Studies in the Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts. u
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