The Word is a transformative literary arts program for New Haven young people. The Word partners experienced teaching poets, award-winning spoken-word artists, and emcees with creative students, teachers, and administrators across the city to equip youth to become stronger poets and culture creators.
2019 middle school JAM
The 2019 Citywide Middle School Poetry Jam featured 5th through 8th grade New Haven Public School students sharing their original poetry, spoken word, and rap. Some young authors, in collaboration with the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, took inspiration from New Haven’s 2019 NEA Big Read book, Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, to create poems about identity and change. The evening began with a bilingual performance by New Haven Academy sophomore Alan Veloz, included a brilliant guest appearance by Dee TruePoetry, and ended with a bilingual poem created collectively by the performers and audience.
This is The Word's first album ever! It is a collection of poems and raps created by students in New Haven high schools (and beyond) inspired by the NEA Big Read book, Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine.
In partnership with the International Festival of Arts & Ideas and The Future Project, students at the citywide Weekly Word Workshops and in The Word’s residencies at High School in the Community, New Haven Academy, Wilbur Cross, Riverside Academy and Sound School created written and spoken word responding to Citizen. Select pieces were then recorded at Baobab Tree Studios and performed at The Word’s Citizen Jam at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. Inbox us to order your hard copy! **Contains some explicit language**