Regie Gibson

Regie Gibson serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Berklee College of Music and concurrently teaches at Clark University. His career bridges poetry, African American musical traditions, theater, and climate change communication through performance, composition, and literary scholarship.

Education

• MFA in Poetry, New England College

Research and Creative Interests

Gibson's work centers on the interplay between poetry and African American musical spirituality, particularly blues and jazz. He creates theatrical productions like "The Shakespeare Time-Traveling Speakeasy" and "The Juke: A Blues Bacchae" (using Euripides' tragedy to explore cultural identity), while applying performance expertise to climate change communication as creative lead for the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. His approach emphasizes poetic thinking—finding connections between seemingly disparate concepts—and audience co-creation.

Scientific Awards and Honors

• Absolute Poetry Award (Monfalcone, Italy)
• Europa en Versi Award (Como, Italy)
• Walker Scholarship
• Mass Cultural Council Award
• YMCA Writer’s Fellowship
• Brother Thomas Fellowship (Boston Foundation)
• Live Arts Boston (LAB) grant (awarded twice)
• Akademia Music Award, Best World Beat Video (2016)
• Independent Music Award, Best Funk and Fusion (2013)
• Golden Pen Award (2001)
• Chicago Tribune's Artist of the Year for Excellence
• Boston Grammy nomination (2005)
• Big Boat international poetry competition winner (2008)

Advising and Grants

Gibson mentors students in poetic thinking and stage-audience dynamics, stressing that "a performance is a co-creative act." He secured two Live Arts Boston grants for "The Juke: A Blues Bacchae," which examines African American music through classical tragedy frameworks, and consults for NEA initiatives including James Madison's Montpelier slavery exhibit.

Labs and Teams

Founder of the LiteraryMusic Ensemble "Neon JuJu" (merging literary texts with Middle Eastern/European classical music), Gibson currently leads a Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre team crafting climate change communication strategies. He also serves as poet-in-residence at Cary Memorial Library and previously at the Museum of Fine Arts.