Over 600 poets from more than 50 cities will participate in the six-day event, which also will include celebrity guests Common, Rosario Dawson, Hill Harper, and others.
Youth Speaks Inc., the nation's leading spoken word organization, is bringing its 13th Annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival to Los Angeles from July 19 to 24. Convening the top young poets and spoken word artists, aged 13-19, from across the United States and internationally, Brave New Voices 2010 will feature a diverse group of young writers, trendsetters and community and cultural leaders, as well as world-class workshops led by renowned poets and artists. Acclaimed hip-hop artist Common will emcee the event finals, which will be judged by Hill Harper, Rosario Dawson, and other socially conscious celebrities and community leaders. Additionally, entertainment mogul Russell Simmons is producing a compelling new special for HBO about Brave New Voices. As many as 1,000 youth (poets and audience members) from varied parts of the United States and beyond will take part in this one-of-a-kind event.
Having grown bigger each year since its inception in 1998, Brave New Voices presents the voices of 21st Century America and its significant demographic diversity. The festival highlights arts education and performance, local program development and national movement organizing. Through the multiple conference events, workshops, and spoken word competitions, a new generation of artists and leaders can transcend traditional stereotypes by speaking their truths and listening to the truths of others. The 2008 event (and its six-month build up) was filmed by HBO and presented by Russell Simmons as part of a seven-episode series that aired in 2009.
The Grand Slam Finals of the festival will be hosted at the Saban Theater (formerly the Wilshire Theater) on Friday, July 23 at 7:00 p.m.
"Brave New Voices 2010 is going to be a remarkable event that will continue to build our community among an ever-growing number of youth who are returning to literature and reinvesting in education through the power of the spoken word," said James Kass, founder and executive director of Youth Speaks. "This is a special forum that enables a generation of young artists and leaders to speak for themselves and their communities. The ideas espoused through their poetry can help change our world for the better," he added.
Russell Simmons noted, "Brave New Voices is building bridges across radically diverse ethnic, racial and socio-economic lines. This is the future of our global community, and people everywhere should take notice and get involved."
An abbreviated schedule of festival events is listed below:
Monday, July 19, 2010
Opening Ceremonies
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Brave New Leaders Conference
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Brave New Voices Speak Green, featuring Van Jones and Tom Feegel
Quarter-Finals of The Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Semi-Finals of The Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam
Friday, July 23, 2010
Grand Slam Finals of The Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam (at the Saban Theater)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Brave New Teachers Conference
Sponsors for this year's event include the Ford Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Redford Center, US Green Building Council and American Airlines. For more information about Brave New Voices 2010, please visit http://www.bravenewvoices.org/ or contact Jeannine Schechter Jacobi at jeannine@freshpr.net.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment