Dodge Poetry in the Community Workshops

NJPAC kicks off summer with free Dodge Poetry in the Community workshops for teens ages 13–18.

The summer’s Dodge Poetry lineup also includes impassioned spoken word on the stage with performances by renowned poet Sonia Sanchez and the Slam Team of the New York City collective, the Nuyorican Poets Café.

The Dodge Poetry in the Community workshops, led by Newark mentor poets and Rutgers University–Newark MFA students, give Newark’s young people the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of poetry and experience how their words can express joy and healing, and can be used as tools for social change.

Now in its second season, Dodge Poetry in the Community is part of an expanded partnership between NJPAC and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The youth workshops will continue in the fall and are produced in partnership with NJPAC’s Arts Education, MENTOR Newark, Clinton Hill Community Action, Temple of Hip Hop and the Ronald L. Rice Arts Center West.

Interested teens can register for multiple sessions. One series will take place on June 16 and 30 at Zion Hill Baptist Church, 152 Osborne Terrace, Newark, from 6-8 pm. The event is a collaboration with Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA) and is led by Margie “Mia X” Johnson, manager of the Arts and Creative Placemaking department at CHCA and the city’s first poet laureate.

A second series will take place on June 18 and 27 at NJPAC’s Center for Arts Education, 124 Rector St., Newark. The June 18 session runs 4:30 – 7:30 pm and June 27 from 2 – 3:30 pm, followed by an open mic from 4 – 7:30 pm.

A third series will take place on June 17 and 23 at MENTOR Newark, Heritage Hall, 50 Halsey St., Newark, from 3:30 – 6:30 pm.

Summer Dodge Poetry events also include a free online conversation and ticketed performances. Tickets are on sale by calling 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722) or visiting njpac.org.