Be Heard MN Youth Poetry Slam Series

Program Details

The Be Heard MN youth poetry slam series (Be Heard) is an annual series that seeks to identify a cohort of six teen poets with Minnesota addresses to represent youth voice through public performance, commissioned works, panel discussions, and more while simultaneously receiving mentorship in writing, performance, and publication from some of Minnesota’s premiere spoken word artists.

Be Heard alumnae have gone on to receive full-tuition scholarships for college, fellowships, grants, publication opportunities, and more. Past coaches have included Crescent Moon, Danez Smith, Hieu Minh Nguyen, Khary Jackson, and more.

How Can You Support Youth Voice?

DONATE NOW!

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS for #BeHeardMN

$25 Supports one meal for a #BeHeardMN poet during travel
$75 Covers meal costs for one day for one #BeHeardMN poet
$250 Covers housing costs for one night for two #BeHeardMN poets
$500 Supports transportation to Festivals for #BeHeardMN poets
$1500 Covers housing and provides meal support for #BeHeardMN poets
$3500 Covers ground transportation and housing for #BeHeardMN poets
$8000 Covers the expenses of the entire crew to one festival
$10000 Covers the entire #BeHeardMN crew’s expenses to two festivals

                             SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS  

$10+
$50+ ·       Personalized thank you!
$250+ ·       Personalized thank you!

·       Name added to supporters listed on the website
$500+ ·       Personalized thank you!

·       Name added to supporters listed on the website

·       Receive one free swag item
$1000+ ·       Personalized thank you!

·       Name added to supporters listed on the website

·       Receive one free swag item

·       Receive one free ticket to any TruArtSpeaks event in 2026
$2500+
  • Personalized thank you!
  • Name added to supporters listed on the website
  • Receive one free swag item
  • Receive one free ticket to any TruArtSpeaks event in 2026
  • Name listed in the printed programs for semi-finals and finals

All donations are charitable and tax-deductible.

For more information contact info@truartspeaks.org

Get Tickets for Finals at The Guthrie on March 28th!

Check Out This Video to Learn More About the Be Heard Series!

Check Out This Link to Hear From Our Partner Teacher at Cristo Rey About the Importance of The Be Heard MN Youth Poetry Slam Series and Our Residency Work in His Classroom

Listen Here!

Meet the Co-Coaches!

Eshay Brantley (she/her), a multidisciplinary artist born in southside Chicago, moved to Minneapolis in 2004. Social justice advocate, teaching artist, and mother. Brantley’s artistic work commenced in a ritual-based performance. She is dedicated to nurturing the narratives of Black folks, Black womanhood, and Black maternal. Over the past ten years, she has worked with Children’s Theater Company, TruArt Speaks, Minneapolis Community Ed, Park Square Theater, Washburn High School, PBS Twin Cities Public Television, The University of Chicago, Guthrie Theater, Ambiance Theater, Exposed Brick Theatre, Tangible Collective, and Women for Political Change. Brantley served as a Spotlight Education Teaching Artist in Residence at Hennepin Theater Trust in 2022-2023, ECI’s emerging curators fellowship in 2023, and Ife Lab Fellow in 2024. Eshay is committed to the work she does in the Twin Cities arts community and continues to plant seeds for a better future for Black babies.

Meet the Co-Coaches!

Isha Camara is a Gambian-American poet and visual artist from South Minneapolis, Minnesota. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Masters at Randolph College in Creative Writing. Her work has been featured in MUZZLE Magazine, Poets.org and The Mahalat Review and Southeast Review. She has performed for the Madison Public Library, Walker Art Center and American Composers Forum. Isha seeks to sate her curiosities by layering myths with modern desires, questions, obsessing over these old stories by polishing them inside poetic forms and digital art.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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