Spoken Word Contest with Dasan Ahanu
Youth Spoken Word Contest Canceled: The Wortham Center has decided to cancel the Youth Spoken Word Contest. We are committed to supporting our community during recovery and rebuilding following Tropical Storm Helene. Please stay tuned for other artistic opportunities once Wortham can safely open. Thank you for your understanding.
A chance to express yourself!
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in Asheville is holding a spoken word contest. Western North Carolina students grades 6–12 (ages 11–18) are invited to submit a performance of an original poem.
$100 prizes will be awarded to the top three artists. The winners will perform with spoken word artist Dasan Ahanu on Saturday, October 26 for a live audience. (Learn more about Dasan Ahanu below.)
About Dasan Ahanu
Christopher Massenburg, better known as Dasan Ahanu, is a public speaker, organizer, curator, educator, poet, spoken word artist, songwriter, and emcee, and loyal Hip Hop head born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is co-founder and managing director of Black Poetry Theatre, a Durham-based theatre company that creates and produces original poetry and spoken word-based productions. As an active participant in poetry slam, Dasan has competed regionally and nationally as a founding member and coach of Durham, NC’s own Bull City Slam Team. In 2010 and 2014, Ahanu led the Bull City Slam Team in winning the Southern Fried Southeastern Regional Poetry Slam, the largest regional poetry slam in the country. He also led the team to a 3rd place finish at the 2010 National Poetry Slam and a 2nd place finish in Group Piece Finals at the 2012 National Poetry Slam.
Spoken Word Contest Guidelines
- Original poems only.
- Limit of ONE submission per person.
- Contest is open to any student in grades 6-12 (ages 11-18) in Western North Carolina (Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, and Transylvania Counties).
- There is no theme; all styles are welcome.
- Winners will be announced and notified by October 14.
- To enter the contest, use the submission form link located on this page. Contest submissions must include a video of the artist performing their spoken word piece.
- Deadline is October 9, 2024.
- Submissions will be judged by Wortham staff. See judging rubric below.
- If you have any questions, please email Development Associate Jaime Graeber at jaime@worthamarts.org.
Performance Tips
Many people think of Spoken Word as poetry that is written and then said out loud. It is more than that. Spoken Word combines creative writing with the skill of oration and the subtle nuance of theatre and improvisation. It is an exercise in affirmation and self-determination. It is a way to have necessary conversations with those who may not want to, may not be prepared to, or didn’t know they needed to have them. Learn more
Judging Rubric
All submissions will be judged by Wortham Staff. The following rubric will be used by judges on each submission.
