Spoken Word Artists Opportunity"Equillibrium

[Lydia Howell]

Dear community,

This is a really great opportunity, see details below and the word attachment. Please pass this along and if there are any questions, please email or call me.

Bao Phi, The Loft



The Equilibrium Spoken Word and Performance Poetry Mentorship Program
The Loft is proud to announce the new Equilibrium Spoken Word and Performance Poetry Mentorship program. This innovative initiative provides a paid opportunity for 2 spoken word artists to work with a professional mentor. These artists will then mentor 6 to 8 High School students in the art of performance poetry.

Originally conceived by spoken word poets Juliana Hu Pegues and Tatiana Ormaza in 2005/2006, the project included mentorship with master poet David Mura followed by a collaboratively led workshop for young Asian American and Latina women at South High School and Patrick Henry High School. The project was supported by the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Loft Literary Center, with a culminating performance as part of the Loft’s Equilibrium series.

With Ms. Pegues and Ms. Ormaza’s advisement and guidance, the Loft will continue this series with support from St. Paul Travelers, this year serving the African/African American and Native American communities. We will now be accepting applications for the 2 artists, 1 poet from the African/African American community and 1 poet from the Native American community. These 2 artists will be mentored in 4 writing workshops with acclaimed writer Alexs Pate. They will then select 6 to 8 young African/African American and Native American writers from South High School and St. Paul Central High School. They will mentor these young writers in workshops and perform alongside those students at a final show for Equilibrium at the Loft in late April/early May.

Artists are encouraged, but not required to, apply in pairs. Special consideration will be given to artists who have had prior experience working together. We are especially interested in artists who will benefit from both a mentorship and a teaching experience, and are interested in a collaborative project. The 2 selected artists will each be awarded a $2,500 stipend and the opportunity to work with Mr. Pate. The artists will be paid half the stipend at the beginning of the project and half after the final performance.

This program is made possible by the generous support of The Arts & Diversity Committee of St. Paul Travelers made available through a grant to COMPAS.

Thien-bao Thuc Phi

Program Associate
The Loft
1011 Washington Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55415

612-215-2585

baophi@loft.org
http://www.loft.org