Hamilton Youth Poets
- Jeff Martin
- 05 May 2016
What’s all the hype about HYP?
The art of spoken word is an ancient tradition that predates the written word. In the 1950s and 1960s, the concept of poetry as a spoken art form was revived, most notably by the Beat poets and the literary-poetry scene of New York’s Greenwich Village. And this tradition continues today with the Hamilton Youth Poets (HYP).
Created in 2012, HYP provides a platform for new young voices to muse about their city through poetry, journalism and hip-hop says Nea Reid, HYP artistic director. “HYP gives Hamilton’s youth an opportunity to develop their creative skills and have their voices heard. It’s a brave and positive space to express ideas, stories, experiences or simply a new concept.”
HYP supports youth who want to engage in the literary arts, develop their voice, and bring it all together at poetry slams -– competitions in which poets perform original work alone or in teams before an audience, which serves as judge. Slams feature a broad range of voices, styles, cultural traditions, and approaches to writing and performance. The poet’s work is judged as much on the manner and enthusiasm of its performance as its content or style. Just as Beat poets were heavily influenced by jazz music, slam poets embrace urban rhythms like hip-hop for inspiration.
“Teams come together and talk about their lives, where they’re from, their social situations and the world around them.” says Nea. “They connect with people that they never would have met. And that creates bridges, community and social activism. Our festival audiences are always surprised at how prolific, creative and smart our youth are.”
The poetry slam has revitalized interest in poetry and performance, sparked by construction worker and American poet Marc Smith’s 1984 reading series at a Chicago jazz club. This generation of poets seems just as politicized as their Beat predecessors, drawing upon racial, economic, and gender injustices as well as social and political issues for subject matter. They’re speaking out and speaking up.
“I draw on commonalities of our human experience,” says HYP poet Eddie Lartey. “I’m able to get up on stage and talk about love, struggle, beauty and hopefully connect to someone in the audience – someone who is feeling what I’m feeling. For me, this is the most important thing about poetry and performance – it’s that emotional connection to people.”
Nea lauds the support HYP has received from the community, especially from Hamilton Community Foundation. “Their support has allowed us to pursue high-calibre year-round programming, to grow and to embrace more young Hamilton poets.” It has also helped HYP’s small but passionate team of young artists conduct workshops at schools across Hamilton. HYP’s mentorship program not only provides the opportunity for participants to enhance their writing, organizing and leadership skills, but also it is also supporting youth employment as workshop leaders are paid for their efforts.
“We gave a workshop with 700 young people just before the March break,” says Nea. “We talk about what happens when you become part of a collective of writers – how you develop literary skills, public speaking abilities and leadership qualities needed to take you further in life. We explain how slams work, the impact of HYP’s mentorship program, and how they’ll gain experience as arts organizers.”
HYP uses a pedagogy that puts young people at the centre of their own learning experience. HYP empowers students, some of whom have felt disenfranchised by the educational system, to pursue their academic ambitions.
For youth poet Victoria Daniels, HYP has helped her develop a skill set to graduate high school and get accepted into her program of choice at Mohawk College. “HYP and the slams have given me a purpose and people to connect with. It’s so beautiful to see people who have struggled share their experience through poetry. Poetry is as much therapy as it is creativity.”
This year’s annual festival, Louder Than a Bomb Canada, brings together writers, emcees, poets and teams founded in schools and community centres. As the nation’s largest youth poetry festival– 2,200 people attended the event last year – it offers an opportunity for young people to come together, to speak and be heard. The festival runs from May 6 to 14 at various locations across Hamilton (www.hamiltonyouthpoets.org) and the finals take place on May 14 at Theatre Aquarius.
“Our stories matter,” says Eddie. “They enrich the stories of our neighbourhoods, our communities and our city as a whole. They’re part of a much bigger conversation. And Louder Than a Bomb Canada is going to be an exciting and validating experience for poets and audience members alike.”
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