Brave New Voices Speak Green

A project designed to bring the future into the room, through spoken word poetry and courage.

Since 2006, we have partnered with Youth Speaks to engage leading spoken word poets, ages 13-25, as ambassadors for environmental change through our Brave New Voices Speak Green project. This national spoken-word poetry contest and traveling show on green issues invites young voices of color into the sustainability dialogue.

With a growing national focus on green economies and how our global green challenge affects urban communities, and especially youth, a whole new generation is speaking up to spark change, and Brave New Voices continues to gain momentum. Speak Green poets have performed in front of influential leaders at venues including the Sundance Mayors Summits, on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual Greenbuild event.

“Artists like the Green Team poets have the power to remind us of the power of our own humanity. By taking something as broad as climate change, and running it through the prism of personal experience and artistic expression, well, what emerges are stories of undeniable honesty and power, stories that can inspire commitments to action, solutions, and change.”—James Redford

PAST EVENTS

On July 21, 2010, the Brave New Voices Speak Green's 4th Anual Live Competiion took place at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Photos and more coming soon!

On April 27, in honor of Earth Day 2010—and in partnership with Youth Speaks, the U.S. Green Building Council, and OPX Global—the Redford Center presented a special Brave New Voices Bringing Noise for the Earth program, a performance on the Kennedy Center stage. The powerful program featured spoken-word poetry and inspirational stories of action and change from members of the Brave New Voices Green Team, DC’s own Youth Slam Team, and winners of the first annual USGBC LEED Awards for Youth Environmental Activism.

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