Teens With a Purpose (TWP) believes that everyone has a story to tell. We are looking for committed, opinionated teenagers with an interest in performance poetry, theatre, songwriting, debate, rap or just being heard. Together students will read, write, critically analyze, bond and can perform on premier stages throughout our region.
The Hear This Youth Poetry Festival is more than a local event; it’s part of a national network of youth literary arts and creative youth development organizations, including Urban Word, New York; Words Beats & Life, Washington DC; DewMore, Baltimore; Southern Word, Tennessee; & Youth Speaks San Francisco with alumni including Amanda Gorman, the Poet for President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2020. HRYP is a unique opportunity for students 13-19 years of age that puts young people at the center of their learning experiences as a way to engage them in their own education, through performance poetry.
The festival also provides young poets who are civically engaged with the opportunity to via for the prestigious Youth Poet Laureate (YPL) title. This title honors their poetic prowess + propels them to compete in the Eastern Regionals and potentially, the National YPL Competition. Youth Poet Laureate identifies youth writers + leaders who are committed to civic/community engagement, poetry & performance, leadership + education across Hampton Roads & Virginia. FAQ here
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To Qualify for YPL Programs – youth must submit their work by 2/28/2025 here. There are two opportunities for youth to apply to take part in the Hampton Roads Youth Poet Laureate and/or Virginia Youth Poet Laureate Programs.
To Qualify for the HRYP Slam program – youth must participate in the Qualifying Slams and move to the finals where winners will be selected. Slam rules FAQ
Incentives: Cash prizes for semi & final winners. Finalists get; recording studio time and placement on TWP’s platforms (spotify, etc); published poems in the Creative Tongues Youth Poetry Anthology, and perform at local and regional events. At the end of the festival, six finalists will qualify to represent all of Hampton Roads at Brave New Voices. The Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival, powered by Youth Speaks, is the only festival of its kind. Every year, over 500 young poets, their mentors, and the nation’s leading artists and cultural workers convene in a different U.S. city for 4-5 days of arts education, artistic expression, and civic engagement. This year’s festival will take place July 16th-20th.
Registrations may be submitted online (https://www.twp-themovement.org/programs)
