What if a late-night talk show didn’t just entertain, but also inspired and gave back to its community? The Oratory, a new live talk show debuting on March 1, is Calgary’s bold new stage for art, storytelling and meaningful conversation.
The show was created by Priscilla Cherry, a Calgary public speaker, radio host and mental health advocate. Cherry always knew she loved talking and public speaking, and that interest led her to pursue working in radio and communications all over Calgary. Her passion for mental health advocacy stems from her own struggles with depression, which led her to access peer support and work with United Way Mental Health Initiative Canada. Along the way, she came up with The Oratory, which combines her interest in story telling and mental health advocacy.
“We still stigmatize mental health, even more so within my own culture, the Black community,” says Cherry. “The Oratory community is out of my own need for community and to have honest conversations about wellness. How people are addressing, but then also doing it in a fun way using arts, play, creativity and storytelling.”
The Oratory started as a pilot project during Cherry’s artist residency at cSpace in April 2023, with early iterations hosted at venues around the city. The show concept eventually gained support from organizations like Calgary Arts Development, Alcove Centre for the Arts and Calgary Foundation Community Knowledge Centre, which helped The Oratory to officially debut its opening episode at Calgary Contemporary this year.
A monthly three-hour show with a late-night talk show format, The Oratory combines live guest discussions about topics like mental health, emotional well-being, art and community with live music and performances in between. Cherry hosts the event and will speak with different artists, teachers and community members during each show with the goal of helping guests learn and reflect inward on their own emotional healing.
At the show launch, audiences can expect a conversation about Indigenous teachings and self love with Mount Royal University professor Dr. Gabrielle Weasel Head. There will also be performances by Juno Award-winning rap artist TOBi, local R&B group K-Riz & The Family, who serve as the in-house band, and entertainers from VogueYYC. The first episode partners with marketing platform VOTO and non-profit organization The Walker Foundation through the “Feed the Streets” program, where a meal is donated to an unhoused individual for every person in attendance at the show.
“The Oratory is not even just a show or a workshop. It’s actually an experience and a philosophy. We are home to ourselves and we’re all just trying to figure it out,” says Cherry. “So when people leave March 1, the idea is that they’re going to just feel lifted and lighter.”
Tickets to The Oratory’s debut event on March 1 are available at eventbrite.ca.
