THE MIC, THE MIND & THE MOVEMENT: How Taylor Torch is Turning Music Into a Suicide Prevention Movement.
Taylor Torch Performing #PushBetter During #SRF2026 at the Terrace Art Space - Kilifi County
What happens when an artist decides that his microphone should do more than entertain? For Taylor Torch, it becomes a tool for conversations, prevention, resilience and social change. His journey, reflected in the dreams and vision captured through Ellavation Days, has always been about using music and creativity to influence how young people see themselves, their communities and their future.
That vision moved beyond music through initiatives such as Acha Gun Shika Mic, where creative expression became a platform for young people to challenge violence, promote positive narratives and contribute to the call for silencing the guns. Over time, Taylor's engagement in peacebuilding, PCVE and Early Warning and Early Response deepened his understanding that prevention must happen before a crisis escalates.
This led him to another question: what happens when the battle is not between people, but inside a person?
Suicide prevention and violent-extremism prevention are different fields, but both demonstrate the importance of early action, community connection, resilience and appropriate support. Young people communicate through music, social media, art, podcasts and culture. Sometimes frustration, isolation and hopelessness appear in lyrics or online conversations long before they become visible as a crisis. For Taylor, this creates an opportunity for artists to become responsible partners in prevention, -not as therapists, but as trusted voices who can open conversations, challenge stigma and connect people to support.
During the Gen Z protests, Taylor wrote about what he called a “suicide-radicaliztion nexus,” reflecting on the pressures and uncertainty facing a generation. The reflection connected strongly with the prevention thinking behind PCVE: communities must understand emerging vulnerabilities and strengthen protective factors before young people become further disconnected from society.
Then came September Reign.
What began as inspiration around a song became a vision for using music to create a larger conversation around life, resilience and suicide prevention. On 26 September 2026, that vision became a flagship festival bringing together creative expression, awareness and wellbeing. It was a moment where a personal dream became a public platform.
But September Reign is designed to be more than an annual concert. Taylor envisions every September becoming a period of festival tours, awareness activities, community conversations and creative wellbeing initiatives. A key part of the vision is creating a yearly platform where artists can participate in personal wellbeing assessments, check on one another and connect those needing help to appropriate professional support.
For donors and CSOs, this presents an opportunity to invest beyond an event and into an ecosystem. Youth empowerment, PCVE, mental health, GBV prevention, digital resilience and peacebuilding can intersect through a platform that speaks the language of young people: music, art and culture.
The 2026 festival also welcomed a delegation from Uganda, creating an important regional dimension and demonstrating the potential for African collaboration around suicide prevention. Their participation strengthens the call for CSOs and development partners to integrate suicide prevention into broader youth, peacebuilding, health and resilience programming.
Taylor's journey is therefore a story of evolution: from Ellavation to Acha Gun Shika Mic, from silencing the guns to listening to the silent struggles, and from a song to September Reign.
The invitation is now open. Artists can bring their voices. CSOs can bring expertise. Donors can invest in innovative youth-led prevention. Professionals can strengthen referral pathways. Communities can bring their stories.
Because prevention can begin with a programme, a conversation or a professional intervention, but sometimes, it begins with a song. Taylor Torch is turning that song into a movement: one September, one conversation and one community at a time.
Check out a gallery of September Reign Fest >>>
YOWPSUD, through its Peace and Security Portfolio, intends to invest in innovative, community-led approaches that strengthen prevention, resilience, social cohesion and trust. Going forward, the portfolio will deepen engagement with youth, women, security actors, CSOs and creatives, leveraging art, music and digital platforms to strengthen EWER, PCVE and peacebuilding while addressing emerging vulnerabilities and building safer, more inclusive communities.
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