
Spoken Word
The Brave New Voices of Youth: Come As You Are
“When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.” – Raquel Willis, activist, and writer, quoting Audre Lorde. 600 young poets from around the world converged in the San Francisco Bay Area for the 20th Annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival. Brave New Voices features slam poetry, workshops, educator training, town halls, and performances with leading artists. Powered by Youth Speaks, #BNV2017 is the global stage for young poets to speak to the most pressing issues of our time. The festival’s theme, “Alive now, to see the river rupture,” comes from a poem written by a Brave New Voices’ alumni, Hieu Minh Nguyen. This theme captures the volatile time we are living in, a moment on the verge of rupture.”
Find out more at http://youthspeaks.org/bravenewvoices/festival/