Write Down, Speak Out: Youth Slam Poetry

We are walking stories, a combination of our experiences, our family history, and the people around us. When we dare to share those stories we have the potential to change the world! With spoken word/slam poetry as our guide, we will learn ways to write with a power & complexity that stays true to our story, along with gaining the performance skills to take the stage with what we have to say. Attendees can expect writing prompts inspired by Danez Smith, Phil Kaye, Sarah Kay, Blythe Baird, and more, accompanied by performance practice ranging from adjusting mic stands to strong stage presence.

Ages: 13-19

Tuition: FREE

Registration Required: Please use the form provided

Instructor

Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey is an author, performer, and producer. His debut book, Look, Black Boy, was awarded first prize in the North Street Book Prize, and his second book, Heart Notes was published in 2019. He released two spoken word albums and in 2023, as a part of the Brucemore Artisan in Studio program, Caleb produced his first short film, Willing to Grow. He is the winner of several slams across the United States, and competed in the 2023 UNESCO Slam-0-Vision global poetry slam where he ranked 7th worldwide. He has shared the stage with spoken word titans such as Siaara Freeman, Denice Frohman, Javon Johnson, Ebony Stewart, Anthony McPherson, Danez Smith and Patricia Smith, and videos of his performances can be found on his YouTube channel, Write About Now, and Button Poetry.