Birmingham Teen Poetry Initiative {Flow Tactics}

Flow Tactics began as a pilot program three years ago by poet and community activist, John Paul Taylor, director of the nonprofit group Real Life Poets. He was asked by the Birmingham Public Library’s Haruyo Miyagawa to help teens eager to improve their skills for BPL’s popular annual WORD UP! Poetry Slam. John Paul and additional RLP instructors offered guidance and encouragement by hosting two-hour workshops held one Saturday each month at BPL’s Central Library. After the WORD UP! Poetry Slam, participating teens entreated RLP to continue offering the workshops. John Paul agreed on the condition that the participants (now averaging 20 per session) raise their commitment to reading, writing, and performing poetry and that they work toward two larger goals: expanding performance opportunities beyond Birmingham and giving back to the community. The teens wholeheartedly agreed.

This fall, Real Life Poets and the Flow Tactics student-poets want to up their poetry-writing/performance game for the 2013-2014 season. Help us keep poetry alive…Click HERE to donate today!