Image courtesy of Youth Speaks Seattle and Arts Corps.
On Friday April 10, the next generation of Seattle poets will perform at the Youth Speaks Seattle Grand Slam at Town Hall. Twelve finalists from around the city between the ages of thirteen and nineteen will perform original spoken word poetry in hopes of making it to the top five and earn a spot as a member of the Seattle team for the 2015 International Brave New Voices Festival presented by Arts Corps.
Hollis Wong-Wear of the Seattle music group The Flavr Blue will host this year’s Grand Slam with Mary Lambert as the featured poet. Our theme here at Vanguard Seattle for the month of April is ‘Young Again’ and the Seattle Grand Slam coincides perfectly as the premiere showcase of youth poetry in the city.
For those who are unfamiliar, spoken word is performance-based poetry. A poetry slam is a competition where poets perform and are scored by a panel of judges on a numerical scale, usually from one to ten. The atmosphere at any poetry slam is electric, encouraging audience participation and response, but the Seattle Grand Slam in particular is full of high energy and powerful emotions as young artists of diverse backgrounds and experiences lay everything on the line. The Seattle Grand Slam provides a rare platform for young poets to not only be heard but celebrated and empowered as they share stories of love, loss, resistance and survival.
Spoken word is known for packing a punch in the best way. The Youth Speaks Seattle Grand Slam is almost always a cathartic experience that inspires and transforms poets and audience members alike. This year should be no exception.
Arts Corps Presents Youth Speaks Seattle Grand Slam 2015
When: April 10 at 7:00pm (Doors open at 6:30)
Where: Town Hall Seattle (1119 8th Ave)
Tickets may be purchased here.
