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HAWAI‘I YOUTH POET LAUREATE

There are no longer any performances available for this show.

This is a FREE Live @ the MACC streamed event.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Live @ the MACC presents Hawai‘i’s first-ever youth poet laureate presentations and selection of the state's first Youth Poet Laureate. 


The event will include performances by 11 youth poet finalists from throughout Hawai‘i, appearances and performances by several special guests, and culminating in the announcement of the young poet selected to be the state’s first youth poet laureate, a title never before granted to a young person in the state. Founded in 2008 by Urban Word, the National Youth Poet Laureate Program identifies and celebrates young poets who exhibit a commitment to artistic excellence, civic engagement, youth leadership and social justice.
 
This year, MACC’s Education Department has been working with teachers and students statewide to encourage and prepare them for this opportunity. Finalist participants in the program range in age from 10 to 18. 
 
Special guests for the event, offering performances and some mentoring messages to the finalists, are Meera Dasgupta, current U.S. Youth Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo, current U.S. Adult Poet Laureate, Brandy Nālani McDougall, Maui-born poet and professor at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and Dr. Camea Davis, Director of the National Youth Poet Laureate Program. There will also be a special appearance by Maui County Mayor Mike Victorino
 
Emcees of the event are Travis Kaululā‘au Thompson and Ittai Wong. Born and raised in Kalihi, Oʻahu, Travis T. is a nationally ranked slam poet, spoken word artist, educator, and professional teaching artist for the MACC. Ittai Wong is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and educator, a published poet and two-time international grand slam champion, featured on the HBO documentary series, Brave New Voices.

     


The development of a Hawai`i youth poet laureate program at the MACC is the first collaboration between an arts organization and Urban Word, an award-winning youth literary arts and youth development organization that initiated the National Youth Poet Laureate Program. The organization collaborates with local youth literary arts organizations across the country to provide uncensored platforms for youth voice. It is championed by the leading national literary organizations, including the Library of Congress, the Academy of American Poets, Poetry Foundation, Cave Canem, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
 
CLICK HERE for an audio preview. 

This Live @ the MACC event is made possible by the generous support of the County of Maui, the Office of Economic Development and National Performance Network.  Participants were tested negative in advance. Masks are removed only during their socially distanced appearances.
 

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