Ohio Arts Council Announces Poetry Out Loud
by Jami Goldstein
High school students in Central Ohio area invited to compete in national poetry recitation contest
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation present Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council, the Thurber House and Ohioana Library Association. Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. Schools in the Central Ohio region will be invited to participate in a pilot program of classroom and schoolwide contests, advancing to state competitions in April 2006. State champions will advance to the National Finals in May 2006, in Washington, D.C.
Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry recitation and performance. The program builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among youth. Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word and theater into the English class. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
''This is a wonderful opportunity for Ohio to embrace a literary phenomenon happening within our communities,” said Wayne Lawson, Executive Director of the Ohio Arts Council. “Poetry Out Loud has the potential to make a significant impact on literary and language arts throughout the country and we are excited to be a partner in the program.”
“Learning great poetry by heart develops the mind and imagination,” said Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “It isn’t just an arts program. By immersing themselves in powerful language and ideas, the students will develop their ability to speak well, especially in public. This is a skill they will use in the workplace and the community for the rest of their lives.”
“The public recitation of great poetry,” said John Barr, President of the Poetry Foundation, “is a way to honor the speaker, the poem, and the audience all at once. Poetry Out Loud brings new energy to an ancient art by returning it to the classrooms of America.”
Ohio Arts Council to implement local programs, offer free curricular materials
The NEA and the Poetry Foundation have each contributed $500,000 towards the 2006 Poetry Out Loud program in support of materials, grants, prizes and the National Finals next May. Ohio will receive approximately $8,000 from this budget, with matching funds provided by the Ohio Arts Council. With this support, the Ohio Arts Council will target at least 40 to 50 high schools in the Central Ohio region.
Additionally, the NEA and the Poetry Foundation will provide state arts agencies with free, standards-based curriculum materials for use by participating schools. These materials include print and online poetry anthologies, a program guide to help instructors teach recitation and performance, and an audio CD featuring well-known actors and writers such as James Earl Jones, Anthony Hopkins, Alyssa Milano, and Native American author N. Scott Momaday. Program materials are available for download on the Web site, www.poetryoutloud.org, which offers additional resources.
How to get involved in Poetry Out Loud
High school teachers who are interested in participating in Poetry Out Loud should know that the program requires two or three weeks of class time. Participating schools are expected to run their program between January and March. The Ohio Arts Council will hold its final contest April 29, 2006 at the Southern Theatre in downtown Columbus. The National Finals will take place on May 16, 2006, in Washington, DC.
High schools in Central Ohio that wish to be part of the official Poetry Out Loud program must contact the Ohio Arts Council to participate. The Ohio Arts Council will determine which schools are eligible to take part in the official Poetry Out Loud program. Schools that are not in the official program may conduct their own contests using the online resources. Contact Sandra Miller at sandra@journal1913.org or 740/587-7363, or visit www.poetryoutloud.org for more information.
Poetry Out Loud Prizes
Students who participate in the official Poetry Out Loud program may be eligible to compete in the State and National Finals next April and May. Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. One runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. Poetry Out Loud will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends at the National Finals, with at least a $20,000 college scholarship for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, has embarked on an ambitious plan to bring the best poetry before the largest possible audience. In the coming year, the Foundation will launch a major new poetry website and sponsor an unprecedented study to understand poetry’s place in American culture. Founded in Chicago by Harriet Monroe in 1912, Poetry is the oldest monthly devoted to verse in the English-speaking world. Harriet Monroe’s “Open Door” policy, set forth in Volume I of the magazine, remains the most succinct statement of Poetry’s mission: to print the best poetry written today, in whatever style, genre, or approach.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts – both new and established – bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
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