Saturday, November 24th, 2007 3pm, Ruta Maya World Headquarters, 3601 S. Congress, Austin, Texas
AUSTIN CITY-WIDE UNDER 21 POETRY SLAM KICKS OFF SEASON #6!
Presented by the Texas Youth Word Collective, $5 cover, free for slam participants and under 5
CONTACTS: Ron Horne (512) 632-5033, Co-Dir.
Dr. Siobhan (512) 422-6653, Co-Dir.
E-Mail: u21slam@yahoo.com
Website: www.txywc.org
The new season of the Austin City Wide Under 21 Poetry Slam has FINALLY arrived! And just in the knick of time. Take a break from all the turkey, shopping, and football to witness the most talented young spoken word artists in Austin doing their thing with gusto! It’s the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. After filling your belly with food, come to the City Wide and have a big ole helping of dessert for the mind!
Last season’s Austin Under 21 Poetry Slam Team took the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival in San Jose, California by storm, wowing audiences and judges alike with their brilliant group pieces. The hard work and chemistry of 2007 Slam Champion Shay Harris (Reagan H.S.), Ruby Wilmann (LBJ H.S.), Brent Caballero (Hendrickson H.S.), and 2006 Slam Champion Jonathon “Korim” Sterling paid off when the team placed 6th in the Nation this past July! Coached by the incomparable Mike Whalen, (Neo Soul coach to the finals of the National Poetry Slam) the Under 21 Slam Team represented the spirit of Austin with their creativity and team spirit.
Last season students from schools across the Greater Austin area including Bastrop, Cedar Park, Austin, Hendrickson, LBJ, Westwood, Pflugerville, San Marcos, and St. Stephen’s Episcopal High Schools, as well as Austin Community College competed in the Austin City Wide Under 21 Poetry Slams.
Participants in the City Wide Under 21 Poetry Slam have represented Austin at the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festivals in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and San Jose. The top four poets of this season will win an all expense trip to Washington D.C., and compete against over two hundred youth poets from across the United States and England!
So, we invite you to come help us launch this, our 6th season of the City Wide Under 21 Poetry Slam. See what all the excitement is about and be inspired by the voices and leaders of tomorrow. This project is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.