DeAsia Paige is an award-winning culture journalist. She currently lives in Atlanta and works for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she reports on the intersection of arts, culture and underrepresented communities. Last year, she co-produced and co-wrote “The South Got Something to Say,” a documentary celebrating Atlanta’s role in the evolution of hip-hop. Previously, DeAsia worked at the Belleville News-Democrat as an East St. Louis reporter and developed a strong relationship with people in the community—writing about the issues and cultural stories that matter to them.

Kathryn Bentley has an extensive career as an actor, director and arts educator. She has performed with companies such as The St. Louis Black Repertory Company, Portland Stage, Cleveland Playhouse and Buffalo Studio Arena. A few of her directing credits include “Love at the River’s Edge” (St. Louis Shakespeare Festival), Bold, Brave and Curious (Metro Theater Company) and Action (Action Art Collaborative), which she co-produced. From 2018-2021, she was the Artistic Director of Bread & Roses Missouri, directing The Workers’ Theater Project and the company’s first full-length productions of Jailbird in 2019 and the radio drama Mrs. Palmer’s Honey in 2021. She is a 2002 Fellow of the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (RAC) Community Arts Training Institute and currently serves on their advisory board. In 2014, she was one of the inaugural recipients of the RAC Artist Fellowship and in 2020 she received the Outstanding Working Artist St. Louis Visionary Award. Kathryn is an NCCJ St. Louis Certified Diversity FaciliTrainer. As the Founder and Curator of The Alaiyo Collective, she specializes in developing new creative works and community-engaged arts collaborations utilizing inclusive theater practices. Kathryn strives to create compassionate, artistic experiences, using theater to lift social consciousness.

Antwoinette L. Ayers is a storyteller, filmmaker, and community leader from East St. Louis. Her passion for storytelling was ignited in high school when a teacher cast her in a lead role. She is an alumna of the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and the founder of Haus of Ayers, a multimedia brand dedicated to amplifying untold narratives. In 2017, she wrote and produced The Wardrobe Keeper, a monologue series directed by DeAndre Knowles, launching her career in film. She has since worked as an associate producer, writer, and director on Black Girl Bleu, Her Eminent Reign, and That’s What She Said: St. Clair Women’s Stories. In 2021, she led a visual tribute honoring seven trailblazing women, followed by her 2022 live monologue performance, I Am H.E.R., at the Grandel Theatre. As an Illinois Humanities Speaker and CEO of Visual Movements, Antwoinette is dedicated to storytelling, cultural preservation, and community impact. Her guiding principle: “I owe God a R.O.I.”—Return On Investment. Learn more: www.hausofayers.com