Hope at Hand presents 2nd Annual Jax Poetry Fest
Jax Poetry Fest kicks off Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at Hope at Hand headquarters in the St. Nicholas area. Engaging poetry lessons are provided by Jenn Wolfe, Dr. Nile Stanley and North Florida Poetry Hub. On Wednesday, April 5th, the Jax Poetry Fest will be at Art Walk providing interactive poetry activities for the public, along with spoken word at Hemming Park Café. Join Jax Poetry Fest for blackout poetry at Chamblin’s Uptown or a Dr. Maya Angelou lesson at the Downtown Public Library. Wednesday, April 6, 2017, offers additional poetry classes at Hope at Hand with Ruth Van Alstine, Yvette Angelique Hyater-Adams, and Lena Shaqareq. Friday, April 7th is the grand finale at Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum. Hope at Hand members will introduce award-winning spoken-word poet, educator, and activist Dominique Christina. Steffani Fletcher, founder of Hope at Hand notes, “We are thrilled to have Dominique Christina as part of Jax Poetry Festival 2017, as well as the talent and dedication of our local poets and teachers in and around Jacksonville. With community interest and sustained funding, we have expanded the festival from a one day event to a four day event over the course of a year. Jax Poetry Festival is the perfect way to kick off National Poetry Month!”
To learn more about the times and events at #JaxPoetryFest2017, please visit our Facebook page: Jax Poetry Fest. FB Jax Poetry Fest will be updated regularly.
TUESDAY, APRIL 4
2:30 Dr. Nile Stanley, UNF at Hope Haven Children’s Clinic
ALL WORKSHOPS ARE LOCATED AT: HOPE AT HAND, 3886 ATLANTIC BLVD.
Poetry performance for adolescents at Hope Haven (closed performance)
6:00-7:00 pm Instructor: Jenn Wolfe - Find Your Poetic Voice! Please join us for a special writing circle to help you find and explore your poetic voice with Women Writing for (a) Change, Jacksonville. In this workshop, we'll explore how poetry and poetic techniques can enrich your writing, infusing it with new ideas and themes. We'll look at a section of rich, juicy poems, and see how they might inspire our creative process. You don’t need to be a professional writer to participate, just enjoy writing in community. Open to women and men.
6:30-8 pm North Florida Poetry Hub
In partnership with the Florida State Poets Association, Hope at Hand has created a local chapter for poetry enthusiasts. This new chapter, North Florida Poetry Hub, will meet monthly from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Hope at Hand, 3886 Atlantic Boulevard. North Florida Poetry Hub will adhere to bylaws, guidelines and membership fees set forth by the Florida State Poets Association. Ages 16+ Search FB- North Florida Poetry Hub
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5
5:00-9:00 pm Art Walk
LOCATION: HEMMING PARK, 111 W. Duval Street Jax., FL 32202
Produced by Downtown Vision, Inc. (DVI), Art Walk is on the first Wednesday of every month
Interactive poetry 5-9PM - Hope at Hand booth
Spoken word 5-9PM - Hemming Park Café with Dr. Nile Stanley, UNF
Blackout poetry 5-8PM - Chamblin’s Uptown
Maya Angelou lesson 6:30-7:30PM – Downtown Public Library, Maker Space
High School Poetry Contest – Winners announced at 7 PM at Hemming Park Café
THURSDAY, APRIL 6
LOCATiON: HOPE AT HAND, 3886 Atlantic Bvd. Jax, FL 32207
1:00-2:30 pm Ruth Van Alstine - So, you wrote a poem. Now what?
This session will give tips and tricks on how to "polish up" that poem and make it shine!
3:00-4:30 pm Hope at Hand staff
3 quick lessons on Langston Hughes, Anne Sexton and Robert Frost
4:30-6 pm Lena Shaqareq - Versed in English: Using Poetry to Tackle Common ESL Errors
Targeting English language errors that ELLs (English Language Learners) make when learning English, through the use of poetry. A poetry class for all ages!
6:00-7:30 pm Yvette Angelique Hyater-Adams - The Intersectionality of Identity: A Poetic Expression the Politics, Personal, and Power of Who You Are. If Audre Lorde, Lucille Clifton, Mark Doty, James Baldwin, Sharon Olds, Julia Alvarez, Joy Harjo and Robert Bly touch and inspire you, this workshop features writing poetry honoring the many threads of personal identity.
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017
LOCATION: KARPELES MANUSCRIPT MUSEUM LIBRARY 101 W. 1st Street Jax., FL 32206
6:30-8:30 From Denver, CO Hope at Hand presents performance poet Dominique Christina
Jax Poetry Fest is sponsored by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, the City of Jacksonville, the Cummer Family Foundation and the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation. Additional support provided by Fletcher's Medical Supplies, Tim’s Wine in Ponte Vedra and Cooper’s Hawk Winery.
About Hope at Hand, Inc.
Hope at Hand is a 501(c)(3) charity that provides poetry lessons for at-risk youth populations in North Florida. Founded by veteran educator Steffani Hendricks Fletcher in 2009, Hope at Hand combines poetry and art to help youth process life, love, and progress in a changing world. Hope at Hand partners with over 20 youth agencies in North Florida. Hope at Hand programming instills confidence and independence while improving social connections and emotional growth through poetry. All poems presented incorporate the concepts of choice and change. To make a donation or to learn more about Hope at Hand and its partners, visit www.HopeatHand.org. Hope at Hand is registered with United Way of NE Florida.