Our Spring 2006 Poetry Workshop Begins.. and Takes Off at JHS 292 in East New York!

Amazing young poet, Naima (a.k.a. Fire),

sets things ablaze with her hard-hitting poetry

This past Saturday, March 18th, The In Progress Group in association with the Center for the Arts & Culture @SJB jump started our new Spring 2006 Poetry & Performance Workshop for Teens and Adults at a special site, JHS 292 Margaret S. Douglas, in East New York, Brooklyn. It was a wonderful start to what is sure to be another amazing poetry workshop facilitated by Luis Bernard of The In Progress Group.

Luis Bernard breaks things down for the poetry workshop teens and adults

The Spring 2006 Poetry & Performance Workshop is the follow-up to our highly successful Creative Writing Workshop that concluded this past November at CAC@SJB, and with a group that consisted of extraordinary, talented teenagers, highschool students, college students, adults, and special guest spoken word artists, our second poetry workshop was off and running!

The group of participating teen and adult poets get ready for an afternoon
of amazing poetry performances at JHS 292 in East New York, Brooklyn

After brief introductions, the workshop began with the insightful words and poetry of talented spoken word artist / vocalist, Shanelle Gabriel, who insprired all with her performances in both spoken word and song. She's a young talent with an amazing future ahead of her! We are so grateful to Shanelle for taking the time to visit us, inspire us, and getting us started on the right foot. After that, the poetry from all the teen and adult participants was on!

Spoken Word Artist/Vocalist, Shanelle Gabriel,
shares her poetry and some of her music at the workshop

One after the other, the youth and adult poets took turns sharing their poetry in what turned out to be an amazing display of diversity, uniqueness, intelligence, and depth.. especially from some of the youngest participants of the workshop. The adults in attendence were left awe-inspired, and shaking their heads by the poetic content and performances of the gifted teens.

Young poet to watch, 14 yr. old, Kiara, served notice that she is wise well beyond
her years with her amazing display of poetry and confidence at the workshop

Some of the older poets served notice as well that they were not to be taken lightly as each shared their own unique styles of poetry that inspired the teens, while making us all think, laugh, and even cry.

Richie Robles makes them laugh with his special brand of poetry..

..while talented, Purchase College student, Anthony,
amuzed the workshop group with his unique brand of poetry..


..and Karen's poetry touched all our hearts.

This great start to our Spring 2006 poetry workshop could not have been possible without the absolute kindess and generous hospitality of Mr. Everett Hughes, the Principal of JHS 292, and especially, Ms. Joann Kellum, JHS 292 Afterschool Coordinator, who was gracious enough to invite us to have our first session at their wonderful school. The workshop session was actually held in JHS 292's School Library, which was a perfect setting for all the youth and adult poets to get inspired and open their minds. We are so grateful to them for opening their doors to us, and are forever thankful for all the support they provided us during the afternoon session. We thank you for helping build the bridge between JHS 292, in East New York, and CAC@SJB in Bedford-Stuyvesant. We look forward to crossing this new bridge often with you in the very near future.

Special guest speaker and spoken word artist, Falu,
energized the workshop with her amazing poetry and spirit

We really thank our special guest poets, Shanelle Gabriel and Falu, for inspiring us all with their wonderful poetry performances, their talent, and their example of how it should be done! These two young, and extremely gifted women are truly the cream of the crop on the spoken word circuit today. If you ever get the chance to see them do their poetry live, you will witness beauty, grace, and greatness! Thanks for making the trip and taking the time to help our students, and for helping us get the workshop started with a bang!

And, of course, you know Glenn was in the house!

SPECIAL NOTE: The poetry workshop will continue at the Center for the Arts & Culture @ St. John the Baptist at 75 Lewis Ave. (bet. Hart St. and Willoughby Ave.) in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, for the remainder of the workshop. The remaining workshop dates are Saturdays, March 25, and April 1 & 8, from 1 - 4 pm.

Make sure to click on the "Directions to CAC@SJB" link at the right side of this blogsite for transportation directions to the Center. For more info regarding the Spring 2006 Poerty Workshop, contact Luis Bernard at (347)623-2547 or Glenn Echevarria (718)455-6864 x-152.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL THE PARTICIPANTS AT OUR SECOND WORKSHOP SESSION AT THE CENTER! MAKE SURE TO BRING YOUR PEN & PADS!!