The Velvet Duke

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ID: The Velvet Duke is wearing a raspberry shimmery shirt underneath a black jacket, and laughing with the audience Small Fish Show (IG: smallfishshow) PHoto: Theresa Graham Studio (IG: theresagrahamstudio)
The Velvet Duke is a Black, queer, autistic, disabled, fat person of age, with salt and pepper beard and wearing a salmon shirt. They love the lighting of this restaurant selfie
Velvet Wells (Ottawa) stands on the balcony of the Ottawa Art Gallery, the city and skyline blurred behind them. Captured by Curtis Perry Photography (2022)

Bio (25 words)

The Velvet Duke (they/them, Ottawa) is the award-winning lyrical comedian, creator-producer of All Request Radio, WordPlayFight, and (Re)Tired Magical Black Man

“Velvet brings such great energy and such a great vibe to each performance!”

Kelly Zemnickis

Bio (50 words)

The Velvet Duke (they/them, Ottawa) is a lyrical comedian and creator-producer of All Request Radio and WordPlayFight. They are an award-winning performer-playwright for “(Re)Tired Magical Man” (Emerging IBPOC Artist laureate 2023, Ottawa Arts Council); Emerging Artist of the Year 2022, JRG Society for the Arts)

Bio (100 words)

The Velvet Duke (they/them, Ottawa) is a queer, Black, lyrical comedian, and creator-producer of All Request Radio and WordPlayFight. They are an award-winning performer-playwright for “(Re)Tired Magical Man” (Emerging IBPOC Artist laureate 2023, Ottawa Arts Council); Emerging Artist of the Year 2022, JRG Society for the Arts). They are an accessibility and anti-Black racism advocate, consultant, and facilitator. They are the Strategic Partnership Lead for The Black Pledge Collective, regional representative for International TheatreSports Institute, and mentor with Youth Infringement Festival (directing, playwright) and Toronto Fringe Festival (producing)

Beyond the Bio

Velvet is aware of their privilege in surviving this world (so far) as a Black, autistic, disabled, fat, non-binary, queer, person of age. They wear their intersectionality proudly but neither as defense nor rallying call. They are older than their peers but they aren’t seeking to be called an Elder. They believe in community care, including learning how to heal themself from *all this*, and how to continue to do better while still failing forward

“Be who you need today to nurture your inner child”

Velvet Wells