Saturday, June 13, 2009 – 8 pm, The Independent (Corner of E. 5th Street and Brushy)
Presented by the Texas Youth Word Collective: In the spring of 2003, a 14 year old spoken word phenom named Shannon Leigh led a group of teenaged poets to the City of Broad Shoulders, Chicago. Not knowing what to expect, she was transformed by her experience at the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival. She was the first female voice from our fair city to toss the dart and hit the national map that would firmly establishAustin in the upper echelons of the youth spoken word movement. Her fierce and powerful voice was the clarion call for the youth of Austin .
Since then, Austin has witnessed hundreds of courageous teen wonders, taken teams to six different cities, and placed in the top ten three times at Brave New Voices (see the HBO series). This year, 2009 sees the circle come full with the program’s first all-girl team, fiery sirens speaking truths that few dare, hungry to make their own mark in the youth spoken word movement back where it started for Austin, in Chicago.
Shannon Leigh, one of the co-founders of the Texas Youth Word Collective, a nationally recognized spoken word artist, and daughter of the other co-founder of this program (Dr. Sheila Siobhan), passed away last June, 2008 at the tender age of 20. In her lived Joan of Arc, in her lived Amelia Earhart, in her lived Benazir Bhutto, in her lived Laura Croft. She was real and imaginary; too young and small to be powerful, too fearless and driven to be anything but. To pay homage to a young person that was the impetus for the establishment of regular youth slam/spoken word in Austin as well as an example and trailblazer for how writing and performance could lift the lives of others, this fundraising event to get the 2009 Austin Youth Poetry Slam team of female warriors to Chicago is dedicated to this vibrant young woman.
The event, a triumphant celebration of her life, will be hosted by Funky Mike Whalen, two time coach of the Austin Youth Poetry Slam team, with spins provided by our resident dj, DJ F. Scott. The 2009 Austin Youth Poetry Slam Team will be there providing a preview of the poetry they’ll take with them to BNV and The Cipher will perform songs from their soon to be released CD “From Soldiers to Warriors”. Adult poets from the Austin Poetry Slam, Neo Soul, Killeen Poetry Slam, among many, many others will grace the stage and place a penny of truth where Shannon Leigh once stood. Please come for a night of stirring, thought-provoking poetry and music.
Oh… and don’t forget to bring some extra cash with you for TYWC products (including the 2009 Austin Youth Slam Team’s new CD) and the Silent Auction. Also on hand will be the poetry anthology “My Drifting Ship” and compilation CD “They Call Me Warrior” with works by Shannon Leigh.
The Austin Youth Poetry Slam is a project funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division, by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the kind and generous donations from you, the Austin community. Without you, we cannot be.
ADMISSION: Suggested $10 donation
CONTACTS: Tova Charles (512) 963-8292
Dr. Sheila Siobhan (512) 422-6653, Co-Director
Ron Horne (512) 632-5033, Co-Director
E-Mail: u21slam@yahoo.com