Event Recap and Photos from our Untitled Open Mic, Youth Slam & Feature | 6.1.22

June 1st brought out our Youth Slam, in more ways than one, but really it was just the tip of the iceberg. Bridget Russo's 8th Grade students at the Lowell Community Charter Public School have been finishing off their academic year with a poetry/spoken word unit. They read the book, Bronx Masquerade, by Nikki Grimes and develop their own writing and performing skills. Through a grant from the Lowell Cultural Council, FreeVerse! brings in high schoolers and recent grads to run creative, small-group workshops with the 8th Graders over the last month or so of the school year, and this year we included an open mic and a couple of slams as part of the Untitled Open Mic, now in its new venue at Coffee & Cotton in Mill No. 5, which just happens to be directly above the LCCPS classrooms. We had thirteen 8th Graders come out to slam (along with several student and faculty judges), plus a slam for the four workshop leaders to strut their stuff, plus an open mic for all ages to close out the evening. The energy got lit and the poetry got hot, and there's a good chance that even the floorboards of Mill No. 5 will remember this night. If you were there, remember these young poets because you are sure to hear from them again. If you missed it, keep your ears open because FreeVerse! is sure to be busy again in the new school year.

FreeVerse! Youth Leaders and Youth poets from Lowell Community Charter Public School.

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