Ever wonder what it’s like to attend the Detroit Youth Poetry Con? Citywide Poets Manager Justin Rogers walks you through the jam-packed day of creativity and fun, step-by-step.
On March 14th, enter The Detroit Youth Poetry Con, where the atmosphere is bubbling over with teen poets, artists and creators like you!
Upon check in, grab a limited Detroit Youth Poetry Con T-shirt and sign up for our morning open mic, or perhaps gather at a table of your friends for an Uno tournament. Lunch and snacks are available for you throughout the day to fuel your creativity, all free!
After you’ve fueled up and settled in, the first workshop of the day begins, hosted by teens from InsideOut Literary Arts Youth Advisory Board, followed by another open mic where you might share a poem or lyrics, or just sit back, relax, and cheer on your peers as they step to the mic! Before your next session, smash into the photobooth with your friends and wield fun props for an epic photo strip.
For your afternoon workshop, you’ll get to choose from 6 breakout workshops focusing on creative careers. Whether you’re interested in photography, working as a freelance artist, or talking with podcasters, journalists, or poets, there is something for everyone!
After getting acquainted with the leaders and professionals in your afternoon breakout, you’ll have the opportunity to meet this year’s Visiting Artist: poet and MC Mahogany Jones! She’ll be delivering a private performance just for you and leading a Master Class writing workshop on poetry and hip-hop.
Throughout the day, there are activities to explore and decompress, including a free library where we’ve gathered books that can be added to your personal library! We’ll have vendor tables where your peers will sell their handmade items, a decompression zone to just relax, and a hands-on notebook making art experience. If you’re in Cosplay or are dressed like it’s the Met Gala, our Youth Advisory Board will pull you for a picture and enter you into our Fit Check competition. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the Con!
Poetry Con will end the same way it starts—with an open mic! Take the stage to share how you’ve been inspired by the day, help choose the winner of the Fit Check Award (or win it yourself!), hear the Line of the Day, and vibe out with peers, poets, artists and the community that makes InsideOut thrive, all while having dinner and before departing inspired into the rest of your weekend.
What are you waiting for? Register today! Free and open to all teens.
Justin Rogers
Citywide Poets Manager