Poetry Out Loud coming to IT! in February

ZOUNDS!! POEMS COMING AT YOU!

2010 POL county winner David Butler-South Tahoe High

Poetry Out Loud is celebrating its fifth year in El Dorado County! Can you believe it? Woo-hoot! This national poetry recitation contest has now become an Arts Council tradition. Every January and February since 2010, the El Dorado Arts Council has partnered with the California Arts Council to put on this competition in our county high schools.

Here's how the contest works--students from each participating county high school commit to heart a poem and perform it at the classroom level, where they are judged by their teachers. Winners of the classroom contests go on to perform two poems at the school-wide competition where they are judged by trained Arts Council members. School winners then move on to the county-wide competition held this year on Thursday evening, February 6th, from 7:00 to 9:00 at the Imagination Theater on the county fairgrounds.

2011 POL county winner Rebecca Shields-Oak Ridge High

Anybody who's ever been to the county competition will tell you it's not to be missed. Students recite their poems in two riveting rounds. During each recitation the audience holds a collective breath, letting each word swirl in the heart and head. Then--explosive applause! The atmosphere is electric; the stakes are high: each school winner vies for first place--and a $100 prize--plus the opportunity to compete against thirty-three county winners in the California Poetry Out Loud contest held in March at the state capitol. In turn, state winners fly (courtesy of the contest sponsors, the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts) to Washington, DC to perform against 52 state winners for the grand prize of $20,000!

2012 POL county and state winner Corbin Gomez-Oak Ridge High

2013 POL county winner and state runner-up Connor Ricketts-Charter University Prep

This year, nine local high school programs are in the Poetry Out Loud lineup: Blue Ridge, Charter University Prep, El Dorado, Golden Ridge, Golden Sierra, Independence, Oak Ridge, Ponderosa, and Union Mine.

The county competition is free. All are invited! Come experience poetry as it's meant to be heard! Be dazzled!  

(Arrive early for best seating.  Last year we had a full house!)