Kendrick Dial

On the creative side, Kendrick started as an accomplished spoken word artist publishing his first poetry book Da JOYNT, in 2005. He has worked with the poetry collective, Collective Purpose for over 10 years hosting one of Southern California’s highest-attended open mic events, ELEVATED. He has collaborated to perform and produce shows that inspire, challenge, educate, and entertain with a number of arts-based organizations. One of the notable organizations he collaborates with is called BkSoul, which is an ensemble with includes spoken word artists, dancers, vocalists, and musicians whose shows revolve around social justice, self-awareness, and building community. bkSoul productions include noted works such as Illegible, Hip Hop Saved My Life, The Movement, HER, and Lioness. In 2010, upon discovering his innate love for music, he confounded an award-winning spoken soul band called the Lyrical Groove. Although Kendrick has always had an appreciation for the theatre, he was truly able to dive into his appreciation by working with the Playwrights Project and then partaking in various theatre productions. In 2017, he was a part of the spoken word opera Ordinary Magic. In 2018, he was cast in the POP Tour production of Home of the Brave (La Jolla Playhouse), and then Blacktop Sky (Ira Aldridge Theatre). He is also a teaching artist with the Old Globe. He recently completed a veteran playwriting workshop with the La Jolla Playhouse where he is working on his own two-person production.

Over the years Kendrick has collaborated with numerous organizations create various creative projects that further the mission of those organizations. These include: Eveoke Dance Theatre, YMCA, Transcendence, SDSU Theatre Department Mo’olelo Theatre.