Las Vegas, NV is a city that is home to a vibrant literary heritage and a thriving contemporary life. It is a place where poets and spoken word artists can find the resources they need to reach their full potential. From regional slam champions to authors and teachers, there are several organizations that provide support for these creative individuals.
Nevada Poetry Out Loud
is one such organization that focuses on the memorization and interpretation of classical and contemporary poetry.Vanessa Latrice Williams is a Las Vegas-based poet, teacher, spoken word artist, and author whose work has been featured in the Young, Gifted & Black anthology by Spotlight Poetry, Beyond the Neon by Zeitgeist Press, and his own book entitled “Poetically Affirmed”. He has been teaching and performing for more than 10 years and is a two-time winner of the Beyond the Neon Slam.
Youth Speaks
is another organization that creates safe spaces for young people to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as creators of social change. Founded in San Francisco in 1996, Youth Speaks launched comprehensive programs for teens with 26% out of school and produced the country's first youth poetry slam in 1997. Tanna Marie is a Las Vegas-based musician and poet who uses her art to highlight both the magic of Las Vegas and areas that need to grow.Jennifer is a climate reality leader and mentor who serves as a communications advisor for the Las Vegas section of the Climate Reality Project. She earned her master's degree in Journalism and Media Studies from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas and her degree in Communication Studies from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania. Andy previously taught and directed at the nationally awarded Rainbow Company Youth Theater in Las Vegas. He has published his poetry in several literary journals as well as on his blog, Writing from Space Memoir, Essays and Poetry from the Wide-Open Spaces of Northeastern Nevada. He graduated from the Las Vegas Academy of Arts and earned his degree in dance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City.
China
has established cultural and youth empowerment programs in the city of Las Vegas, the Clark County School District, the Las Vegas Urban League, and the Clark County Parks and Recreation Division.These organizations provide resources for poets and spoken word artists to hone their craft while making a positive impact on their community. Las Vegas is an ideal place for poets and spoken word artists to find support for their craft. Nevada Poetry Out Loud, Youth Speaks, Tanna Marie, Jennifer, Andy, China, Rainbow Company Youth Theater, Clark County School District, Las Vegas Urban League, Clark County Parks and Recreation Division are just some of the organizations that provide resources for these creative individuals. With these resources available to them, poets and spoken word artists can reach their full potential while making a positive impact on their community.
