Photo by: Evelina Kvartunaite, Amsterdam, 2025
"Tuaca Kelly — Tilda Swinton-y even while performing as 'the entire cast of Star Trek' — seemed comfortable portraying everything from Queen Elizabeth to an 8-year-old nerd." — BackStage West
ABOUTHailing from multiple generations of Irish poets and musicians, Tuaca Kelly is an American poet, spoken word artist and songwriter, most known for her unique wordplay, uncanny improvisation, unpredictable humor, presence and ability to connect with the audience.
Nominated Poet of the Year, Queer & Feminist Poetry Awards (2023), and ranking semi-finalist at Tell 'em International Poetry Slam (2025), Tuaca is recognized by her peers in the international spoken word community. Originally from San Francisco, from a time and era of a truly integrated melting pot, she represents Generation X. Tuaca’s unique perspective provides intimate, empathic and bold glimpses of humanity by integrating themes of love, nature, Christian mysticism, spiritual discernment, personal development, unbridled sensuality, neuroscience, technology, forgiveness and service above self. Tuaca’s poetry leaped from the intimate page to public stage when her 3rd grade teacher secretly entered Tuaca’s contemplative work in a poetry contest the unwitting student won and subsequently was asked to perform. The experience signified an influential turning point in Tuaca’s life. Since that pivotal moment, Tuaca has performed* poetry, music, dance, and comedic improv, internationally. Quick wit, conviction, freestyle rap skills and a cooperative storytelling acumen positioned Tuaca, along with fellow cast member Rick Rosner, as a regular cast member of a Los Angeles-based MENSA-laden short-form improv troupe. In addition to this format, Tuaca was honored to perform autobiographical improvisation with renowned performance artist, author, teacher, and Motion Theatre® Founder, Nina Wise. As a vocalist and songwriter, she has worked with a number of phenomenal musicians, including the Grammy Award Nominee Robben Ford, as featured on her tune Lost Time, co-written with American musician and poet, Bruce Gaims. Tuaca also serves as creative producer for Stichting Unwanted Words Project, an award-winning platform for spoken word and poetry, a performance coach, and spiritual counselor, with an in-depth background in integrative therapeutic bodywork, craniosacral and Gestalt therapy She lives and breathes the importance of poetry with the understanding it is not a luxury, but an essential experience for mental health and a vital pathway for the human spirit to express the soul's wisdom, touch ephemeral empathy and connect with others. As an innovative mentor, Tuaca conducts private tutorials and workshops to kindle inspiration and develop one’s own unique voice through the intersection of creative arts, healing arts and the power of words. Born to inspire, Tuaca resides in Amsterdam with her cats, an ukulele, a thesaurus, and an adventurous spirit. |
 Tuaca Kelly, Amsterdam 2023
photo: Anastasiia Mykytiuk
When hip-hop was called rap. Like jazz, it's in my cells. Winner: Rap-n'-Down, San Francisco, 1985 w/my cousins.
APHORISMS"Art isn't a luxury. It is an essential experience for mental health and a vital pathway for the human spirit to express the soul's wisdom, touch ephemeral empathy and connect with others." - Tuaca Kelly
"Inspiration is curated through intimate internal dialog. Resolutions evolve from amity with self." - Tuaca Kelly | ||
Tuaca Kelly (zij/haar/femmeDaddy) is een Amerikaanse dichteres, spoken word artiest, emcee, singer-songwriter en muzikante. Ze is vooral bekend om haar unieke woordspelingen, ongekende improvisatie, onvoorspelbare humor en vermogen om een band op te bouwen met het publiek. Ze komt oorspronkelijk uit San Francisco en vertegenwoordigt Generation X als een fierce femmeDaddy. Tuaca is gevestigd in Amsterdam, is zeer actief in de poëzie en spoken wordcultuur en dient als een lokale en internationale projectmedewerker, talent curator, creatief producent en muze bij de Unwanted Words Project Foundation.
