Birmingham Public Library Hosting 2023 Word Up! Poetry Festival on December 8


What: 2023 Word Up! Poetry Festival 
When: Friday, December 8, 5:00-9:00 p.m.
Where: The Central Library, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203
About the event: Sponsored by The Flourish Alabama in collaboration with the Birmingham Public Library, Word Up! is a poetry festival featuring 6 high school teams who will compete for $5,000 in cash prizes by sharing original spoken word poetry. The poetry slam will be 5:00-9:00 p.m. on Friday, December 8. The 6 high school finalists are Huffman, Jackson-Olin, Parker, Ramsay, Wenonah and Minor. For inquiries or further information, visit theflourishal.com/wordup or contact The Flourish Alabama at theflourishalabama@gmail.com.  

 Birmingham, AL — Get ready to see the top youth poets in Jefferson County compete for $5,000 in cash prizes as The Flourish Alabama teams up with the Birmingham Public Library for the fourth consecutive year to present the 2023 Word Up! Poetry Festival. The poetry slam featuring 6 teams from Birmingham and Jefferson County will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, December 8, at the Central Library downtown, 2100 Park Place.

The 2023 festival promises to be an exhilarating showcase of young creativity and poetic talent from talented young people here in Birmingham. 

In its ongoing commitment to empower the youth of Birmingham, Word Up! will feature students competing for a chance to win over $5,000 in cash prizes by sharing their original spoken word creations. The event schedule includes semifinals at 5:00 p.m. and finals at 7:00 p.m., offering a captivating experience for attendees. 

"I'm really excited to hear the students express their hopes, dreams and concerns," said Jahman Hill, co-founder of The Flourish Alabama. "We say the children are our future, and this is an opportunity to listen."
 
Word Up! aims to provide a vital platform for the youth in the Birmingham area to amplify their voices and express themselves creatively. Recognizing the importance of fostering artistic expression, the festival serves as a much-needed outlet for participants to showcase their talents. The Flourish Alabama has been hosting writing and performance workshops for students over the past six weeks preparing the poets for the event. 

The Flourish selected 6 school teams to showcase their talents at the festival: Huffman, Jackson-Olin, Parker, Ramsay, Wenonah and Minor high schools.  

 For further information, visit theflourishal.com/wordup  or contact The Flourish Alabama at theflourishalabama@gmail.com. 

Don't miss the chance to witness the vibrant creativity of Birmingham's youth at the Word Up! Poetry Festival—a celebration of expression, empowerment, and community.


The Flourish Alabama is a nonprofit dedicated to helping artists Bloom. To achieve their mission, The Flourish creates and facilitates “multi-medium” programming, artistic economic development, and creative placemaking. 


The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is one of the largest public library systems in the Southeast. The mission of BPL is to provide the highest quality to our community for lifelong learning, cultural enrichment and enjoyment. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter under @BPL




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