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Project SpeakOUT

Ozone House's Project SpeakOUT was first conceived during a discussion with several local youth poets who were worried that their peers would never have the opportunity to experience spoken word poetry as they have. Since then our focus has been to promote creative writing, community building, and expression in a safe and supportive environment for youth. Program elements of Project SpeakOUT include: Spoken Word Workshops, Lyricist Lounge, Noise Permit, Ypsilanti Area Youth Poetry Slam, and Brave New Voices.

All across the country, youth are picking up the pen and grabbing hold of the microphone with a new energy, passion, and level of talent never before seen, and they are willing to communicate their true selves to audiences of their peers and adults who are willing to listen. It is our hope that Project SpeakOUT will be able to bring poetry to the young people of our community in order to take that creativity, energy, and talent to the larger network of youth groups and educators around the nation, while at the same time offering them life-changing skills and experiences.

2008 Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival
July 15-20 in Washington DC

Brave New Voices 2008 features teen poetry slam champions from cities, rural, and suburban areas, from the Deep South, Native American reservations, Alaska, college towns – even from parts of Europe and Africa – and will reach an audience of over 10,000 throughout the week. These young writers are a diverse, creative, intelligent group of trendsetters and community leaders (65% of whom qualify for the free lunch program at their home schools). They come to BNV each year to attend world-class workshops and performances by renowned poets, writers and musicians, and to participate in the Olympic-style Youth Poetry Slam, building a national community of young, intelligent, and courageous artists.

For the first time ever, the seven-day festival will be held in Washington, D.C., just 3 months before thepresidential election. BNV directly addresses the youth perspective on local and national issues, using spoken word as a tool for civic engagement, arts education, and literacy development – and reflecting the changing demographics of the United States.

Team members of the 2006 Ypsilanti Youth Poetry Team posing for a picture with State Representative Alma Wheeler Smith, January 19th, 2006

Project Speak Out at the 2005 National Poetry Slam in San Francisco.