Brave New Voices is coming to Madison, WI, for the first time!
Brave New Voices is the only national youth poetry festival of its kind. Every year, hundreds of young poets and the nation’s leading artists convene in a different U.S. city for four days of arts education, performance, and civic engagement. This year, Brave New Voices is in Madison, Wisconsin, and the theme is “Poetry in Motion.”
This is more than just a festival, though. It is a movement that inspires young voices and fosters creative expression. Notably, it was through the essence of Brave New Voices that OMAI’s First Wave scholarship program was born. First Wave supports students who are passionate about the arts and encourages them to continue their creative pursuits while obtaining their undergraduate degrees at UW–Madison.
By hosting Brave New Voices, OMAI not only supports high school poets but also engages the entire Madison community in the power of spoken word and artistic expression. OMAI invites you to join the nation’s leading artists and activists for four days of live events where hundreds of young poets will attend youth workshops, town halls, educator sessions, performances, and the biggest youth poetry slam in the U.S.
All the events are free, with donations suggested for the finals.
Day 1: Wednesday, July 16 (tickets)
- 7:30–9 p.m. Opening Ceremonies
- 9:30–10:30 p.m. Queerosity
The events will be held on UW–Madison campus. The exact location will be emailed to registered attendees.
Day 2: Thursday, July 17 (tickets)
- 10:30 a.m.–noon Youth Town Halls, Writing Workshops, Adult Workshops
- 2–3:30 p.m. Youth Town Halls, Writing Workshops, Adult Workshops
The events will be held on UW–Madison campus. The exact location will be emailed to registered attendees.
- 7:30–8:30 p.m. Body Politics, a play by Shasparay (Lake Mendota Room: Dejope Hall)
- 7:30–8:30 p.m. MC Olympics (Play Circle Theater, Memorial Union)
Day 3: Friday, July 18 (tickets)
- 10:30 a.m.–noon Semifinals Round 1 (Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra)
- 2–4 p.m. Semifinals Round 2 (Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra)
- 8–10 p.m. Evening Showcase: OMAI GAWD (The event will be held on UW–Madison campus. The exact location will be emailed to registered attendees.)
Day 4: Saturday, July 19 (tickets)
- 5–7 p.m. Brave New Voices Youth Poetry Slam Finals (Shannon Hall, Memorial Union)
Brave New Voices is
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Co-presented by Madison Metropolitan School District, First Wave Hip Hop and Urban Arts Scholarship Program, Recreation & Wellbeing, Wisconsin Historical Society, and Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives