Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Final is Thursday.
Twelve students from across the state are participating in this year’s event in Smyrna.
The Delaware Division of the Arts oversees Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud competition and executive director Jessica Ball says the winner will represent the state in the national competition with “...all of the finalists from all over the country. They will be in DC from April 30 to May 3 competing in the National Finals, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed.”
Hodgson Vo-Tech junior Maiss Hussein won last year’s Delaware competition.
DDOA Director Ball notes that spoken word has drawn interest from a broad spectrum of students.
“Popular music, and in particular hip hop, has had a lot to do with that. Last year was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and we did take time during last year’s Poetry Out Loud to talk about the link between that art form and this art form.”
Thursday’s state final begins a 6pm at the Smyrna Opera House.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
