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LOUDER THAN A BOMB 2010

The Real Renaissance

The 10th Anniversary of Chicago's Youth Poetry Slam Festival

San Miguel students to perform in Preliminary bouts for their fifth appearance at the festival!

Students from the Poetry Team at Gary Comer Campus will be competing against other students from Chicago in the Young Chicago Authors "Louder Than a Bomb" Poetry Slam Festival.  Performing their own poems, San Miguel students have been recognized with the "Spirit of the Slam" award in 2007 and performed their group poem "Lessons Learned" as an exhibition at the Finals.  This poem was featured on Chicago Public Radio and is also listed on the Yourmic.com website. In 2008, Poetry Team member Chris Goodwin advanced to the semi-finals with his original untitled poem.  The San Miguel Poetry Team is consistently among the youngest attending the event.

Download the poem, "Lessons Learned"
by Cantrell Hill, Tiara McClelland, Dominique Wilson, and Wesley Brown

Download the poem, "Untitled"
by Chris Goodwin

Schedule

San Miguel students will be performing:
Wednesday, February 24 at 2:00pm
Saturday, February 27 at 12:00pm

Feb. 22-28 - Preliminary Bouts at Columbia College - Chicago
Feb. 25-27 - (Evenings) The College Slam
Mar. 1 - Semifinals at Steppenwolf (1650 North Halsted Street)
Mar. 6 - Finals at the Vic ( 3145 North Sheffield Avenue )

For ticket reservations, contact Shadell Jamison at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Interested in volunteering?  Contact Maired Case at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Detailed Schedule of Events

Intersections Youth Literary Conference (separate registration through Toni Asante Lightfoot - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) - February 19, 2010 - all day.  1104 S. Wabash on the 8^th Floor at Columbia's Film Row Cinema.  Themed "What's So Funny."

Crossing the Street opening plenary celebration with Willie Perdomo, a short presentation with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and a preview of the LTAB documentary film.  February 20 12-3:30PM.  Little Village HS Lawndale Campus, 3120 S. Kostner.

LTAB Documentary Fundraiser - a viewing of the Siskel/Jacobs LTAB documentary to help raise funds for the tournament.  Tentatively at 1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor at Columbia's Film Row Cinema.  2-20 6PM, $25.

Preliminary Bouts now all week starting Monday February 22 - Sunday February 28^th starting at 10AM.  All teams required to compete in two prelims. Group rates available.  623 S. Wabash and 1104 S. Wabash at Columbia College.

College Slam now three days of prelims on Feb. 24, 25, and 26^th with Finals on the 27^th all in the evenings.  Winner performs at Team Finals.

Festival Events panels, workshops, showcases, duo slam, women's reading, haiku deathmatch all to be announced and interspersed throughout prelims.

Semi-Finals the top 16 teams from prelims, and top 12 indies from prelims compete at this event all day in the Steppenwolf Theatre 1650 N Halsted.  Two semis happening simultaneously.  Monday March 1^st.

Encyclopedia Show at the Chopin Theatre.  7:30PM on Wednesday March 3^rd.

Chicago Diaspora Showcase Chicago LTAB/YCA Poetry Legends come together to celebrate the 10^th Anniversary of LTAB.  Location and time TBA (an evening on the 4^th or 5^th).

FINALS at the Vic Theatre 3145 N. Sheffield Saturday March 6^th at 6PM.  Winners go on to compete at Brave New Voices 2010 in Los Angeles in July.

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Young Chicago Authors (YCA), founded in 1991 by Bob Boone, encourages self-expression and literacy through creative writing, performance and publication. YCA provides student-centered, artist-led workshops free to youth ages 13-19 in local schools and communities. YCA’s process emphasizes artistic development, mentorship, and creating safe spaces where a young person's life matters. Through their words, young people can promote tolerance and remove barriers to transform their lives and society. Now in its 18th year, YCA serves more than 3000 teens through workshops, performances and publications, and reaches audiences and readership of more than 40,000 adults and teens annually. YCA is home to the youth poetry festival Louder Than A Bomb, and Say What magazine.


Young Chicago Authors - 1180 N. Milwaukee Ave., 2nd Floor - 773.486.4331



Get in touch with Young Chicago Authors:

For Workshops, including Saturday Writing Program, contact:
Toni Asante Lightfoot ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

For Publications, including SayWhat Magazine, contact:
Natasha Tarpley ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

For Performances, including WordPlay and Louder Than A Bomb, contact:
Robbie Q. Telfer ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Young Chicago Authors is supported by generous grants from:

Alphawood Foundation, C.N.A. Foundation, Chicago Tribune Foundation, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs-City Arts Program, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Leo S. Guthman Fund, Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Humanities Council, Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, McCormick Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Northern Trust Charitable Trust, Polk Bros Foundation, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, Prince Charitable Trusts, Queenan Foundation, Sahara Enterprises, Inc., Schopf & Weiss Charitable Giving Fund, Speh Foundation,Woods Fund, and contributions from many individual donors and community partners.