Miami,– Miami Dade College’s (MDC) acclaimed Miami Book Fair launches Speak Up, a teen poetry and performance program supporting the artistic, personal, and professional growth of high school students through poetry and spoken word performance at MDC’s Koubek Center, beginning Sept. 25, on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Registration for this free workshop is open until Sept. 20. Space is limited – sign up today!
The program is open to all teens (grades 9-12) in Miami-Dade County, requires no prior experience, and is as free of charge as it is free of homework. All students with an interest in creative writing and performance should apply.
The program partners experienced teaching artists and spoken word performers with teenagers to boost literacy and empower youth in Miami through a community-based poetry and performance practice, including weekly after-school creative writing workshops, open mics, student showcase readings, and more.
Following is an expanded description of the Speak Up program:
After-school creative writing workshops
The focus of these workshops is to cultivate the creative writing process through poetry, spoken word and performance, to empower participants, equip them for success, and build a lasting literary community in South Florida.
Open mics and student showcases
Open Mics are held throughout the year in Miami-Dade County to provide student poets with the opportunity to showcase their original work produced in the workshops, and to network with other creative youth in the community. These open mics will also serve as a platform to connect with potential participants for future workshops. These open mics and student showcases will eventually serve to launch anthologies produced by the students themselves.
Speak Up is made possible with the support of Meredyth Anne Dasburg Foundation; Linda and David Frankel; Global City Development; Jerome A Yavitz Charitable Foundation; David and Beverly Feiges; Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Department; and the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs.
To register for Speak Up, visit https://mdc.formstack.com/forms/2019_speak_up_application_form
For more information, visit https://www.miamibookfair.com/speakup/, email
For more information, schedules, and tickets for Miami Book Fair, visit www.miamibookfair.com call 305-237-3528 or email
Follow the Miami Book Fair on social media @miamibookfair: #MiamiReads, #MiamiBookFair2019 #MBF2019
