Louder Than a Bomb Youth Poetry Festival - May 1-9
Announcing the 2015 Louder Than a Bomb Canada
Youth Poetry Festival -May 1-9, 2015
HAMILTON: The annual Louder Than a Bomb Canada: Youth Poetry Festival (“LTABC”). This year marks the second annual LTABC, presented by Hamilton Youth Poets, which launches on May 1 at City Hall. The festival runs from May 1-9 at various venues across Hamilton's downtown core. It has been planned to correspond with Children’s Mental Health Week (May 3-9), National Youth Arts Week (May 1-7) and National Youth Week (May 1-7). This year’s festival will feature over 130 youth competitors, and more than 10 teams founded in local high schools.
We are thrilled with this year’s theme — Our City, Our Voice, Our Future — because it brings teens together across racial and socio-economic lines; it encourages creative self-expression, positive mental health, and literacy. LTABC is a platform for social change. Please see our official program below.
About HYP:
Hamilton Youth Poets transforms the lives of young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication, and performance education.
CROSSING THE STREET
Friday, May 1st | 2:30PM - 4:30PM
Location: Wentworth Room, Central Library. 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: Free
Featuring:
Dominique Chestand
Malcolm London - Spoken Word Artist
Kevin Coval - Spoken Word Artist
Nea Reid - Organizer and Festival Host
Join us for the annual Louder Than a Bomb Canada Festival kick off. This event is mandatory for all youth competing in this year’s festival. Teams meet and write alongside their peers. It is a day of poetry, performance, and community building. We are tearing down our arbitrary borders. We will build together as one.
LOUDER THAN A BOMB CANADA OFFICIAL LAUNCH
Friday, May 1st | 5:00PM - 8:30PM
Location: Council Chambers, Hamilton City Hall 71 Main Street West, Hamilton
Cost: Free
Join us for a public celebration of young voices, music, performance, and so much more The winning team will move into Grand Finals May 9th - Top individual score will move on to Indie Finals May 8th.
CHECK THE METHOD
Saturday, May 2nd | 3:00PM - 5:00PM
Location: Wentworth Room, Central Library, 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: Free
Featuring:
Ian Keteku - Spoken Word Artist
Kevin Coval - Spoken Word Artist
CHECK THE METHOD (CTM) is a workshop offering world class instruction in poetry and hip hop spoken word. Led by Ian Keteku, poets can expect to gain new insights about how to put the pen to page and tell your story. Come meet a diverse group of writers of all ages and find the power living in your own voice.
UNIVERSITY SLAM
Saturday, May 2nd | 6:30PM - 9:30PM
Location: Spice Factory, 121 Hughson Street North, Hamilton
Cost: $5.00 *Free to participating poets (Wristband in Effect)
Featuring:
Malcolm London - Spoken Word Artist
Louder Than a Bomb Canada brings together college aged poets, writers, spoken word artists, and emcees for an Olympic-Style slam. Top 3 scores move on to HYP Slam Finals and 1st place wins $100.
Competing poets please register in advance at info@hamiltonyouthpoets.org.
THE AFRICAN CYPHER
Sunday, May 3rd | 3:00PM - 4:30PM
Location: Wentworth Room, Central Library, 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: Free
Featuring:
Josh Taylor - Choreographer, Co-Founder Defining Movements Dance
The African Cypher is the birthplace of ritual celebration, council, storytelling and dance. No props, no burning hoops – nothing. Whatever this dance thing is. It is beautiful, part circus/part soul. No matter the context or style. We all ultimately dance for an audience of one.
Director: Bryan Little
Country: USA | 2012
Language: English
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 88 min
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Trailer: http://vimeo.com/43178378
INDIES SLAM PRELIMINARY BOUTS
Monday, May 4th through to May 8th
Time: 1:00PM - 6:00PM
Location: Central Library, 4th 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: Free
Each team (or individual) competes in 2 preliminary bouts. Each individual bout consists of 2 individual rounds. Qualifying teams and individuals move on to compete in indies Finals, May 8th.
INDIES SLAM
Tuesday, May 5th | 12:00PM - 6:00PM
Location: Central Library, 4th Floor, 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: Free
Each team (or individual) competes in 2 preliminary bouts. Each individual bout consists of 2 individual rounds. Qualifying teams and individuals move on to compete in indies Finals, May 8th.
EMCEE OLYMPICS
Wednesday, May 6th | 6:00PM - 9:00PM
Location: Central Library, 4th Floor, 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: $5
Featuring:
Lex Leosis - Hip Hop Artist
Emcee Olympics offers young rappers the opportunity to compete in different rounds, each designed to stretch emcees’ skills, from freestyling to prepared rhymes to writing on the spot. Competing MC’s can register for this event by emailing info@hamiltonyouthpoets.org.
TEAM SLAMS
Thursday, May 7th | 1:00PM - 6:00PM
Location: Central Library, 4th Floor, 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: Free
Each team (or individual) competes in 2 preliminary bouts. Each individual bout consists of 3 individual rounds and one team round. Qualifying teams and individuals move on to compete in indies Finals, May 8th.
LTABC Performance
Thursday, May 7th | 7:00PM - 9:00PM
Location: Central Library, 4th Floor, 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: $5.00
Featuring:
Dominique Chestand - Spoken Word Artist
This annual event hosts our National and International teaching artists as they show off their own poetry skills. The event ends with the announcement of the individual and teams advancing to the Finals.
INDIES FINALS
Friday, May 8th | 6:00PM - 9:00PM
Location: Central Library, 4th Floor, 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: $5.00
No preliminary Bouts, only indies finals. This will be an Olympic-style poetry slam headlined by the top 12 individual poets. These dozen will bare more than their souls and stories centre stage.
LOUDER THAN A BOMB CANADA TEAM FINALS
Saturday, May 9th | 6:00PM - 9:00PM
Location: Central Library, 4th Floor, 55 York Blvd, Hamilton
Cost: $10.00
Featuring:
Ian Keteku - Spoken Word Artist
Louder Than A Bomb Team Finals will feature the top four scoring high school teams in an Olympic style poetry slam. This night will feature musical and dance performances, celebrity guest judges and the most talented youth poets in the city. Awards for all competitions will presented at this All-Star Event.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Email: info@hamiltonyouthpoets.org
Website: http://www.HamiltonYouthPoets.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HamiltonYouthPoetrySlam?fref=ts
Twitter: @HYP_Slam #LTABC
Indiegogo Campaign: http://www.igg.me/at/LTABC2015