Mass Poetry is hosting its first ever Teen Spoken Word Festival, Write Here | Write Now | Speak Loud! on May 3-5, 2024 in Boston, MA. The Festival will take place in multiple locations around Boston’s Seaport District, as a means of encouraging youth to access and explore this part of the city. Our goal is to offer a space for young people to feel a sense of community centered around written and spoken word. Young people have so much to say and we want to hear it!
The weekend festival will kick off on Friday May 3rd with an opening showcase ceremony featuring Tim Hall, Brandy Blaze, José Olivarez, and Melissa Lozada-Oliva. After an exciting night of remarks and performances, teens will take the stage. Saturday, May 4th, will be a full day of Teen Team Slam competition, along with a series of non-competitive activities including open mics, workshops, and more! The day will close with the Team Finals, where a winner will be announced, followed by a dance party at the ICA. On Sunday, May 5th, a Post High School Resource Fair will be held for young poets to explore ways of continuing their creative practices beyond high school involvement. The Independent Finals will follow into the afternoon, and the festival will conclude with closing remarks.
In the months leading up to the festival, Mass Poetry and partnering organizations will be putting on a series of individual preliminary slams, culminating in the Individual Slam Finals hosted on Sunday afternoon. The six winning poets will be invited to join Mass Poetry’s team to compete at the
Brave New Voices Festival in Washington D.C. on July 17-21.
