Youth violence is a rampant issue in Boston, especially in lower-income neighborhoods like Roxbury and Dorchester. This year, my committee on the Boston Mayor’s Youth Council is working to address and raise awareness of that problem by creating a documentary in partnership with non-profit and city organizations.
To make sure a diverse group of voices are heard, we also want to partner with Boston youth. If you are a middle or high school student that lives in Boston and likes to perform poetry, we want to partner with YOU!
In addition to presenting information such as statistics and city proposals, the Boston Mayor’s Youth Council wants to make our documentary as engaging as possible, and we believe the best way to do that is to have a member of our target audience (Boston youth) be a part of it and share their unique perspective through a spoken-word performance. Spoken-word poetry is a powerful, poetic form of expression designed to raise awareness to an issue, and it is a perfect medium for accomplishing our goal.
If you are interested in writing and presenting a 3 to 5 minute spoken-word piece about youth violence for our documentary, fill out this form! Oh, did I mention there is a cash prize of $100?
Yep, that’s right, if your piece is selected, you can win up to $100 for first place and $75 for second. Applications are due by January 15th, 2021, so hurry up and submit your piece for an opportunity to make a difference in the fight against youth violence in Boston, as well as earn some money while you do it.
A Call to Alms 