Celebration of your Story with Marquis “Ten Thousand” Burton

Participants will celebrate themselves through writing and performing spoken word poetry. Marquis “Ten Thousand” Burton, a Spoken Word Poet in the Western NY area, will work with participants in creating their poems and performing them.

The theme of this project is a Celebration of Your Story by finding a means of self-expression and self-esteem through the vehicle of Spoken Word Poetry. Poems performed in a Slam allow the poet to express strong emotion, address fears, and inspire the listener. The poet uses language to express inner thoughts and ideas. Our participants will have a unique and inspiring experience creating their poems and performing them.

Every individual has unique characteristics that define who we are. However, finding oneself, and coming to terms with one’s individuality, while navigating social injustices, and dealing with systemic racism & trauma makes it difficult. As individuals, we see each other’s struggle with belonging, establishing our identity, figuring out our futures, and dealing with societal and environmental issues. Helping them realize healing is a never-ending task, even a small measure of healing requires time. We are constantly trying to find different and unique ways for all of us to find a connection with the world in which we all live. We believe that learning about and participating in a Slam Poetry experience will give our students the connection they are searching for and increase their self-esteem through their performances.

In creating/writing poems, participants will be using figurative language, poetic techniques, and poetic structure. They will investigate their individual personalities, and what/who has influenced who they are, relive memories that have played an influential part in their personal growth, and embody that information into a poem of self-expression.
Performing Arts is an art form subject integral to Slam Poetry:
To perform their poems, participants will be taught public speaking techniques such as diction, voice inflection, expression and projection, appropriate body language for the poem, eye contact, and stage presence.