Slam Poetry and writing workshops all part of Youth Voices

Youth Voices is a Belize City based initiative that will bring talented individuals together in a platform to showcase the power of words.  Slam poetry contests and writing workshops are a part of this movement, which intends to grow and culminate with a tour.  According to the organizers, the launch for Youth Voices will be Friday night at seven at the Image Factory.

Sarina Heusner, Coordinator, Youth Voices

Sarina Heusner

“Tomorrow Friday seventh of January at seven p.m. sharp, the grand launch of Youth Voices. In case you don’t know already, Youth Voices is a platform that seeks to empower youth through the spoken word. And at this launch there will be a slam competition judged by yourself, Ritamae Hyde, Ludwig Palacio and Felene Cayetano.”

George ‘Rithm’ Martinez, Special Guest Artist, Youth Voices

“My role has been thus far as an outside artist, one of the international artists that have come in to lend my support to this initiative to support it. I will also be doing some workshops with some of the Youth Voices participants, some of the kids, so that they can learn how to write so that they can express themselves. How to use their words and how to communicate.”

George ‘Rithm’ Martinez

Jose Sanchez

“Over the coming year, it is the general idea to have youths on stage doing slam poetry. What is really the benefit of what they will be doing?”

George ‘Rithm’ Martinez

“This is a yearlong campaign to promote this initiative. But the idea behind slam poetry is to keep kids out of trouble; we want young people to have something constructive to do with their time. Secondly, the idea of delivering words in a space where you get to express yourself is another positive component for how you feel about yourself. We want to bolster young people’s self esteem. And finally, in the slam poetry dynamic, there is this competitive feeling, where you might have aggression in your words but it is how to translate that aggression into something positive. So we trying to translate the aggression from violence into creativity. This will culminate in 2012 with a national tour which we will work with international artist and the local artists that are going to be a part of Youth Voices in 2011.”

The public is invited to attend the launch at the Image Factory and also to mingle with the artists.  Youth Voices has been the beneficiary of a grant from the U.S. State Department and the launch is co-sponsored by Cellular World and the Santiago Castillo group of companies.