poetry

Rhythm, dynamic words, dramatic flow–these are some of the core elements of spoken word poems. But what if you infuse this type of poetry with aspects of storytelling and other oral traditions? This cross-genre approach to writing and performance can open us up to a whole new art form.

The goal of this one-day workshop is to engage in a unique combination of personal story and poetry. We will start by learning about Nigerian and Igbo oral storytelling traditions of rhyme and verse. Then we’ll fuse this storytelling with the contemporary art of spoken word to create our own poems. Theater and choral reading techniques will also be covered to help students prepare poems for stage performance.