The Lingua Franca Spoken Word Movement presents:
Cape Town – Washington D.C.
Youth Poets Exchange Programme
Over the last two decades, slam and spoken-word poetry have become global phenomena, with booming industries in the U.S. and Europe. As the art form takes hold of Cape Town’s youth, the Lingua Franca Spoken Word Movement aims to foster youth voices to ensure that Cape Town retains and expresses its unique way of telling its story.
We have an opportunity to further cultivate Cape Town’s youth poets as some of the world’s leading spoken word artists. We also have the opportunity to the world-renowned Washington DC Youth Slam Team an unparalleled experience of South African arts and storytelling.
This cultural exchange is a platform to showcase Cape Town’s youth talent to the world.
Cape Town’s youth poets undoubtedly have the potential to be catalysts and drivers of social justice and change; the transformative power of their spoken art challenges and provokes thought and speak against injustices that are too often silenced.
Likewise, Washington D.C.’s youth poets are leading voices in the worldwide spoken word movement, championing the critically acclaimed 2014 Brave New Voices Youth Poetry competition and performing as widely as the White House and Tshwane.
Bringing these two groups together for a stimulating and enriching collaboration will bear fruit to a historic moment in South Africa’s literary and artistic legacy.
Milestones:
Milestone 1 – R20 00
The Tipping Point
To cover basic travel costs (flights, transport, etc.);
cultural and heritage site excursions; food; costs of workshops,
including facilitation stipends; and other basic and required fees and costs.
Milestone 2 – R35 000
Provide the best travel means and venues throughout the programme;
Publish a chapbook of Cape Town youth poets’ writing;
Facilitation stipends for South African poet legends to provide our youth poets an even more enriching experience.
Milestone 3 – R50 000
Provide poetry books to further encourage and cultivate reading amongst our Cape Town youth poets;
And take our 8 selected youth poets from Cape Town for a week-long writing retreat outside of town for an intense enrichment programme to further refine their writing skills and develop them as career artists.
Support us!
Buy Rewards and share the crowdfunding campaign: www.thundafund.com/youthpoetryexchange