BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO
High school students at Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School in Behchoko were treated to a rare visit from a celebrity when actor and writer Jonathan Torrens, best known for his role as the rapper J-Roc on Trailer Park Boys, dropped by to lead a hip-hop workshop on Oct. 8.

Jonathan Torrens, who plays rapper J-Roc in the popular television show Trailer Park Boys, leads a hip hop workshop at Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Behchoko on Oct. 8. Torrens was touring schools in Yellowknife and surrounding communities as part of the Peter Gzowski Invitational for Literacy tour last week. - photo courtesy of NWT Literacy Council

Torrens was in Behchoko as part of the Peter Gzowski Invitational for Literacy tour, which was raising money for the NWT Literacy Council.

Torrens spent the afternoon getting approximately 70 high school students in grades 10 to 12 to come up with their own rap compositions and presentations through impromptu acting and rhyming workshops.

"He was really phenomenal, very energetic, had the kids laughing and they certainly came out of their shell," said Jacqueline Stanbridge, program support teacher.

Torrens was joined by Juno award winner Connie Kaldor and fiddler Wesley Hardisty, who spent time with the school's younger students.

Torrens said one of the purposes of the hip-hop workshops is to encourage students to engage in alternative forms of literacy.

"As I was saying to the kids in the schools, the origin of rap is kids on street corners of New York City who had a lot of stuff on their mind that they wanted to get off their chest," he said.

"The thing about literacy in the North is it's not just a written tradition - it's also an oral one. Much like rap music, in a way."

Torrens, who also visited schools in Yellowknife, said he never ceases to be amazed by the quality of some students' writing.

"I go to these schools and I get kids to write raps, and they're often silly or lighthearted. But every now and then, a kid will stand up and read a poem that will just melt your face because it's so heartfelt and beautiful," he said.

"That's when you know that literacy is really powerful and really important."

Grade 11 student Katarina Tinqui, who writes poetry and raps with her friends in her spare time, said the medium allows her to express herself in a "different way."

Although she is used to writing, she said Torrens helped her get over her fear of sharing her compositions in public.

"He taught us how to rap and not be shy: to just spit it out," she said.

Torrens first came north as part of the Peter Gzowski Invitational tours 15 years ago. The tours were founded by the late broadcaster and journalist in 1985 to raise money and awareness for literacy initiatives.

Since his first visit, Torrens has made approximately a dozen trips to the North and this was the second time

he has been to the school, having visited there eight years ago.

Torrens told News/North he hopes to continue coming North to promote literacy in the future.

"I hope Jonathan comes back to visit out school sometime soon," said Tinqui. "He was really cool."

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