FYI …

Philly Takes the Mic: Philly Teens Showcase Creative Talents at Open Mic on July 11th

 

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, NAACP ACT-SO, Philadelphia Writing Project, and the Penn Museum Partner to Empower Young Writers in Philadelphia

 

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- On July 11, 2015, The Alliance for Young Artist & Writers is teaming up with NAACP ACT-SO, Philadelphia Writing Project, and the Penn Museum to host Philly Takes the Mic, an open mic event showcasing the creative talents of Philadelphia teens at the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

 

Philly Takes the Mic is a part of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Summer Series, sponsored by the non profit, The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, which aims to provide opportunities for students to perform their work in a fun, inclusive, and supportive environment.  The summer series also consist of workshops across the country to inspire teens in grades 7 – 12 to engage in creative activities throughout the summer and engage with their creative peers. These free workshops take place through partnerships with community organizations nationwide.  

 

Participants can also learn more about and submit their work to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance and currently the longest-running, most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative teens in the United States. This year’s Awards open for submissions on September 16, 2015. Award alumni include Robert Redford, Truman Capote, John Lithgow, Ken Burns, Joyce Carol Oates, Audrey Niffenegger, Lena Dunham, Zac Posen, and more, all of whom won when they were teens.

 

The 2015 Summer Series reading in Philadelphia is made possible by support from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, NAACP ACT-SO, Philadelphia Writing Project, and the Penn Museum. Event details are below. A full list of opportunities through the Summer Series is available at www.artandwriting.org/summerseries.

 

PHILADELPHIA READING & OPEN MIC EVENT DETAILS:

·       July 11, 2015, 2:00-5:00 pm (time includes open mic and self-guided tour), Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

·       Invitation Only. RSVP to: Michelle Nealy at mnealy@naacpnet.org. 

 

Interview Opportunities:

·       Ellen Owens, Director of Learning Programs, Penn Museum

·       Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director, Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

·       Larry Brown, Director, NAACP ACT - SO

 

 

About Event Partners

The NAACP's Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African American high school students. ACT-SO includes 26 categories of competition in the sciences, humanities, business, and performing and visual arts. More than 260,000 young people have participated from the program since its inception.

 

The mission of the Philadelphia Writing Project is to enhance the teaching of writing as a critical tool for learning in all Philadelphia schools. Further, their mission is to support and provide high quality professional development based on current literacy research while encouraging inquiry and leadership in and across classrooms and schools.

 

Founded in 1887, the Penn Museum is one of the world’s great archaeology and anthropology research museums, and the largest university museum in the United States. With roughly one million objects in their care, the Penn Museum encapsulates and illustrates the human story: who we are and where we came from.

 

The mission of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is to identify teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and bring their remarkable work to a national audience through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Established in 1923 by M.R. Robinson, the founder of Scholastic Inc., the Awards are the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teenagers in the U.S. and the largest source of scholarships for artists and writers. Notable Alumni include Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Lena Dunham, and Richard Linklater. The Alliance administers several other programs to support and nurture creative youth, including the Art.Write.Now National Exhibition and the Art.Write.Now.Tour, the Scholastic Awards Summer Series and the Alliance Summer Arts Program, as well as the National Student Poets Program.