SAY WORD! Youth Poetry Festival 2012

The MN Spoken Word Association in partnership with Plan-It-Hennepin Presents
the Annual Say Word! Youth Poetry Festival

April 21, 2012
New Century Theater • Downtown Minneapolis

12:00 – Middle School Prelims
3:00pm – Middle School Finals

12:30pm – High School Prelims
7:00pm – High School Finals

Say Word! Youth Poetry Festival is a one day youth spoken word event celebrating the youth poets of Minnesota, with sidewalk dance ciphers, a non-competitive open mic, workshops, networking, guest performances and a marathon of slam competitions aimed at crowning the 2012 Say Word! Champions. Slam teams feature middle school and high school youth, however the slams are also open to any individual youth poet, of middle school or high school age between 13-18 years old, can create a independent team of 4-6 poets to participate in the festival, whether they are enrolled in school, part of an after school program or just youth in the community. Teams will compete in a series of slams with the four remaining teams competing in the Finals; there will be a Middle School Finals and a High School Finals. There is limited space in the workshops; please arrive early to sign up. The community at large is invited to come witness, participate and support the youth. Poetry will be all-age appropriate.

What’s a Slam?
An Olympic Style poetry competition. Poems have a 3 minute time limit and are scored by a panel of judges. No props or musical instrument can be used. The crowd is often wildly excited! Of course, with youth poetry, MNSWA takes the focus off the competition and more towards the celebration of poetry, writing and literacy as empowerment!

Tickets: $2 Donation.
More information at email mnswa.mail@gmail.com.