kuumba lynx
Welcome! Hundreds of young poets, proudly representing over 50 cities and towns across the United States and beyond have come to Chicago. They all came to participate in the spectacular, internationally renowned, 12th Annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival, presented by Youth Speaks Inc. in partnership with Columbia College Chicago and Young Chicago Authors. This event is an opportunity for young writers and free thinkers to celebrate themselves, their stories and their voices during a significant time of tremendous change and challenge in our country and the world. There is a lot going on this week & we hope that you are able to join us in celebration of a new generation of poets, writers, thinkers, educators, activists and leaders. There is much for you to engage with, be inspired by, challenge, and learn at this festival. Last year when the festival was held in Washington DC, three young poets from Chicago – in an incredibly profound moment captured in the HBO series Brave New Voices – performed a moving piece about the rash of death among the young people of Chicago. The poem, which included a list of names & ages of Chicago youth who had been killed over the time that they wrote, included the line “I’m 18; I play pickup basketball with ghosts.” Each year, Brave New Voices celebrates first & foremost the brave young people who are standing up and entering their voices into public forums through spoken word, performance, civic & cultural leadership.
This year, a secondary theme is the celebration of live and living. One of our great events, Brave New Voices Speak Green, which takes place in partnership with the Redford Center and the US Green Building Council, is a part of this appreciation for the importance of reclaiming living among youth and the communities in which they sleep, eat, and learn. By looking at the overall environmental consequences of pollution, global warming, unhealthy food and more through the lens of urban, suburban, rural, native, north, south, east and west teenagers, we hear the call for life. Through LIFE is Living, which takes place all day on Saturday at Clarendon Park, we push the idea further, celebrating the many lives and forms of expression that take place in our cities. The day, which includes performances, The Estria Graffiti Invitational, dance battles, soccer and basketball, gardening, building, and honoring, will bring local community members together with young people from across the country as we scream LIVE. Throughout the week, the International Youth Poetry Slam brings out some of the brightest young minds in the world as they speak to every topic under the sun in the most compelling, creative and intelligent ways imaginable. We invite you to the quarter-finals and semi-finals for free, providing you can find a seat, and ask for a nominal fee to come join us on Saturday, July 18th at the Chicago Theater for the Grand Slam Finals. Come hear these Brave New Voices. We promise you, it will be worth it. In peace and poetry, James Kass Founder and Executive Director Hodari B. Davis National Program Director/ Festival Producer
THE Schedule We recommend purchasing an All Access Festival Pass. Festival
Pass holders receive preferred seating for the entire Slam (Quarters, Semi’s and the Grand Slam Finals). Includes entry for Bringing the Noise, Brave New Voices Speak Green, the Writing Workshops, & the Teacher’s Professional Development Day. Get yours at www.bravenewvoices.org
Wednesday, July 15th
Location
*Today’s events are free, but space is extremely limited. We are also offering free writing and performance workshops today. Chicago youth are invited to attend. Please check www.bravenewvoices.org to register. Brave New Voices Speak Green : 7:30pm – 9:30pm Inspiring young people to become champions for the environment.
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies 610 S. Michigan Ave
Brave New Voices Presents: The First Wave Show 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Columbia College Chicago 618 South Michigan
Thursday, July 16th
Location
Quarter Final Rounds of the International Youth Poetry Slam 50 Teams Bout it Out. 16 Teams Emerge to the Semi Finals. *Today’s events are free, but space is extremely limited.
Columbia College Chicago
ROTATION I : 9:30am - 11:45pm Atlanta, GA + Skokie, IL + Minneapolis, MN +Taos, NM + Ft. Lauderdale, FL
618 S. Michigan Ave
Lowell, MA + Madison, WI + New Orleans, LA + Miami, FL + Los Angeles, CA
Ferguson Hall 600 S. Michigan Ave
Washington D.C. + Leeds, UK + Philadelphia, PA + Las Vegas, NV + Ypsilanti, MI
Hoken Lecture Hall 623 S. Wabash
Chicago, IL + Seattle, WA + Stockton, CA + Providence , RI + Hampton Roads, VA
Hoken Annex 623 S. Wabash
Nashville, TN + Bay Area , CA + Austin, TX + Chicago All Stars + Taos, NM
Music Center (Concert Hall) 1014 S. Michigan
ROTATION 2 : 12:00pm - 2:15 pm PG County, MD + Worcester, MA + Trinidad and Tobago + Chapel Hill, NC + Cleveland, OH
618 S. Michigan Ave
THE Schedule Chino, CA + Espa単ola, NM + Jacksonville, FL + Houston, TX + Ann Arbor, MI
Ferguson Hall 600 S. Michigan Ave
Rochester, NY + Oahu, HI + Manchester, UK + Kansas City, MO + Boston, MA
Hoken Lecture Hall 623 S. Wabash
Newark, NJ + Columbus, OH + Phoenix, AZ + Detroit, MI + Illinois Allstars
Hoken Annex 623 S. Wabash
NYC, NY + Denver, CO + San Jose, CA + Albuquerque, NM + Columbia, CT
Music Center (Concert Hall) 1014 S. Michigan
ROTATION 3 : 3:30pm - 5:45pm Boston, MA + Stockton, CA + Leeds, UK + Jacksonville, FL + Taos, NM
618 S. Michigan Ave
Albuquerque, NM + Ann Arbor, MI + Seattle, WA + Washington, D.C. + Rochester, NY
Ferguson Hall 600 S. Michigan Ave
Illinois Allstars + Columbia, CT + Baton Rouge, LA + Los Angeles, CA + Providence, RI
Hoken Lecture Hall 623 S. Wabash
Espa単ola, NM + Chicago Allstars + Manchester, UK + Ft. Lauderdale, FL + New Orleans, LA
Hoken Annex 623 S. Wabash
Newark, NJ + Madison/Milwaukee, WI + Chino, CA + Santa Fe, NM + Las Vegas, NV
Music Center (Concert Hall) 1014 S. Michigan
ROTATION 4: 6:00pm - 8:00pm Bay Area, CA + Detroit, MI + Houston, TX + Miami, FL + Kansas City, MO
618 S. Michigan Ave
Cleveland, OH + Nashville, TN + Atlanta, GA + New York City, NY + Columbus, OH
Ferguson Hall 600 S. Michigan Ave
San Jose, CA + Skokie, IL + Hampton Roads, VA + Chapel Hill, NC + Austin, TX
Hoken Lecture Hall 623 S. Wabash
Denver, CO + PG County, MD + Philadelphia, PA + Oahu, HI + Lowell, MA
Hoken Annex 623 S. Wabash
Minneapolis, MN + Ypsilanti, MI + Ann Arbor, MI + Phoenix, AZ + St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago
Music Center (Concert Hall) 1014 S. Michigan
THE Schedule Friday, July 17th Semifinals of the International Youth Poetry Slam 11:00am – 1:00 pm 16 Teams Bout it Out over 4 venues. 4 Team Emerge to the Grand Slam Finals. *Today’s events are free, but space is extremely limited.
Locations The Museum of Contemporary Art 220 East Chicago Ave.
WBEZ Community Space 848 E. Grand Ave Navy Pier [sold out]
Victory Gardens Theater 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue
Columbia College Chicago 1104 S. Wabash Film Row
The Brave New Voices Educators Conference takes place on Friday, immediately after the semi-finals. Please check www.bravenewvoices.org for details. Bringing the Noise :: 7:30pm Featuring Saul Williams, Typical Cats, Beau Sia, Queen Godis, Ang13, Lemon, Iyeoka Okoawo, Alix Olson and the BNV MC Olympic Finalists. Hosted by Marc Bamuthi Joseph
The Merle Reskin Theater 60 East Balbo Drive $10. For tickets visit brownpapertickets.com
Saturday, July 18th
Location
BNV March for The Restoration of Life :: 10:30am – 113:0am
From Wilson Station to Clarendon Park
LIFE is Living: Celebration of LIFE in partnership w/ Kuumba Lynx 11:30am – 4:00pm Featuring Saul Williams, Rebel Diaz, BNV Green Team + Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle. All-day Basketball and Soccer, Skating, Gardening + Footwork Battles + Dance Battles + Mobile Recording + Eco Literacy + Skate Park + Live Concert + BNV Offering for Life + Art Installations and many other artists, including special guests.
Clarendon Park Clarendon and Montrose
Grand Slam Finals of the International Youth Poetry Slam Emceed by Kevin Coval. Hosted by Chinaka Hodge 7:00pm – 10:00pm 4 Teams Bout. 1 Becomes 2009 Youth Slam Poetry Champions.
The Chicago Theater 175 N. State Street Tix: $8 24 and under $18 General, $50 VIP thechicagotheater.com
oFFIcIAl TeAmS
Representing 50 Cities and Towns!
Alburquerque, NM Ann Arbor, MI Atlanta, Georgia Austin, TX Baton Rouge, LA Bay Area, CA Boston, MA Chapel Hill, NC Chicago, IL Chino, CA Cleveland, OH Columbia, CT Columbus, OH Denver, CO Detroit, MI Espanola, NM Fort Lauderdale, FL Guam Hampton Roads, VA Houston, TX Jacksonville, FL Kansas City, MO Las Vegas, NV Leeds, United Kingdom Los Angeles, CA Lowell, MA
Madison/Milwaukee, WI Manchester, United Kingdom Miami, Fl Minneapolis, MN Nashville, TN Newark, NJ New Orleans, LA New York City, NY Oahu, HI PG County, MD Phoenix, AZ Philadelphia, PA Providence, RI Rochester, NY Sacramento, CA San Jose, CA Santa Fe, NM Seattle, WA Skokie, IL St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago Stockton, CA Taos, NM Washington, DC Worcester, MA Ypsilanti, MI