Our Upcoming Events:
Citywide Poets Visiting Writer Series: Reading and Open Mic Featuring Aja Allante
February 12th, 2:00 pm
Join Citywide Poets’ Visiting Writer Reading and Open Mic on Saturday, February 12th at 2PM featuring InsideOut Alumna and poet Aja Allante! Taking place here on Facebook Live, this event is free and open to youth and adult artists of all ages.**Teen writers interested in attending a free youth workshop with Aja on February 12th at Noon can register at bit.ly/cwpregistration to receive the Zoom link.
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Aja Allante is a queer, black poet from Detroit’s eastside. Aja uses poetry not only to establish her voice, but to amplify it as she questions and grows into the world around her. She began performing at age 16 through InsideOut Literary Arts, slamming and coaching a youth poetry team in Michigan’s Louder Than A Bomb poetry festival. In 2019, at only 18 years old, Aja self published a collection of poems titled “necessary evils”. Aside from writing her way through adulthood, Aja served as MC for the Concert of Colors Youth Stage 2021, facilitated poetry workshops, and worked with InsideOut on various community projects.
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Citywide Poets is InsideOut’s award-winning afterschool program provides teens with weekly creative writing workshops, publication, and performance opportunities. In this literary community, teens learn their words are powerful and embrace creative expression as a tool for self-development and civic engagement.
Learn more at www.insideoutdetroit.org/cwp
Our Past Events:
Citywide Poets Visiting Writer Series: Reading and Open Mic Featuring Wes Matthews
December 11th, 2:00 pm
Join Citywide Poets’ Visiting Writer Reading and Open Mic on December 11th at 2PM featuring InsideOut Alumnus Wes Matthews! Taking place here on InsideOut’s Facebook Live, this event is free and open to youth and adult artists of all ages.
**Teen writers interested in attending a free youth workshop with Wes on December 11th at Noon can register at bit.ly/cwpregistration to receive the Zoom link.
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Wes Matthews is a Detroit-born, Philadelphia-based poet and essayist. His work has been published in 68to05, Scoundrel Time, Muzzle, and elsewhere. Wes served as the 2018-19 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate and received the Congressional Award for “outstanding and invaluable service to the community.” He is the recipient of the 2020 College Alumni Society Prize for his poetry and the 2020 Lillian and Benjamin Levy Award for his music criticism.
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Citywide Poets is InsideOut’s award-winning afterschool program provides teens with weekly creative writing workshops, publication, and performance opportunities. In this literary community, teens learn their words are powerful and embrace creative expression as a tool for self-development and civic engagement.
Learn more at www.insideoutdetroit.org/cwp See less
Yell Our Own Names: InsideOut Youth Performance Troupe Chapbook Reading and Release
December 4th, 4:00 pm
Durfee Innovation Society2470 Collingwood StreetDetroit, MI48206 Map
Join us for the InsideOut Youth Performance Troupe’s final in person reading of the 2021 performance season! These young poets will be sharing their original poems and reading pieces from the new Performance Troupe chapbook “Yell Our Own Names.” This event is free and open to the public! Saturday, Dec. 4th / 4PM / Durfee Innovation Society (2470 Collingwood St)
InsideOut Youth Performance Troupe members are selected annually through a competitive submission process and receive coaching, mentorship, and performance opportunities locally and regionally. The Performance Troupe is generously supported by Toyota Motor North America.
The Ground and the Sky: Creative Writing Workshops for Youth with Ibtisam Barakat & Naomi Shihab Nye
November 14th, 2:00 pm
Arab American National Museum13624 Michigan AveDearborn, MI48126 Map
What are we rooted in? What can we imagine? Come ready to open the doors of your imagination for your dreams to touch where no one has yet reached. Renowned writers Naomi Shihab Nye and Ibtisam Barakat will lead this two-part writing workshop for high school students – no experience necessary!This online workshop series, taking place via Zoom, will help to envision, create and accomplish new greatness. The past is mapped out, but that map contains many mysteries, worth exploring, and the future needs a blueprint. Bring a blue-ink pen with you if you wish, for navigation of the great sea of ideas and possibilities. We are appreciating the past and going to the future, together! FREE with RSVP