Youth and Schools
Poets Out Loud empowers young voices through creative writing and slam poetry. We offer school workshops, after-school courses, mentoring, and a flagship performance, all run by professional poets.
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“This whole writing and mentoring process has opened my eyes to the world of poetry. And I don’t ever want to go back.”
A bright new poet emerges:
Poets Out Loud Youth Slam 2024
Poets Out Loud Youth Slam is a thrilling live competition hosted annually with Byron Writers Festival. Hosted by Sarah Temporal, this must-see event showcases the power of young voices.
The winner of the 2024 Poets Out Loud Youth Slam is Boaz Blennerhassett, 15 years old from Hinterland Christian College.
He performed as one of nine finalists to a packed house in the Citadel, Murwillumbah, where poet and educator Sarah Temporal presented the young poets she has mentored through Poets Out Loud in 2024.
The program, now in its fifth year, pairs aspiring young writers with professional performance poets as mentors, helping them build the confidence to share their work on stage. The result is a fresh generation of young regional poets who know how to captivate and move an audience with the power of their words.
Performing in Poets Out Loud Youth Slam gave them a chance to win the $400 prize and be heard alongside some of Australia’s leading writers as part of Byron Writers Festival. The event was supported by a micro-grant from Red Room Poetry.
The winning poem from 15 year old Boaz was a moving exploration of the question, ‘how will I see myself when I am old?’ He impressed the judges with his deep thinking, skilled word craft, and emotive delivery.
Boaz also won this competition the very first time he slammed back in 2022, when he said the only reason he went in it was for the free pizza!
Here’s what Nicole Smede, co-artistic director of Red Room Poetry, had to say about Boaz’ performance of his winning poem:
“Wow, what a mature poet. Boaz is a wordsmith beyond his years. With a calm energy and delicately timed delivery, he instinctively knows how to hold and gift a phrase, a line, a poem, to the listener – a sensitivity it takes some decades to find, if they ever find it. This program and mentorship makes me excited for the future of spoken word and poetry in this Country and the power it carries in influencing change.”
The importance of nurturing the next generation of poets was a sentiment echoed by Mandy Nolan on the night:
“This is a really amazing program that’s been happening in this region. I for a long time have been teaching and mentoring comedians. Up in Murwillumbah, Sarah has been running Poets Out Loud. There’s a massive generosity in the work that she does, instilling the confidence in young poets and poets of all ages to find their voice and the language that lives in them. I love the way that she does that. She’s been creating, over the years, an incredibly flourishing poetry scene in this region.”
Entries for the 2025 Poets Out Loud Youth Program are open now for Northern Rivers schools and young people aged 12-18.
SIGN UP FOR 2025 Youth and Schools program
“It’s really powerful and I’d encourage anyone to do it. All the nerves go away as soon as you’re up there. Just feeling other people connect with the poem was so special.”
“These are young, courageous, brave, edgy thinkers, and we need more of these. It just makes me feel that we are in really good hands.”
Mandy Nolan, Judge for 2023 Poets Out Loud Youth Slam
“I was really impressed by how you scaffolded the writing process in order to get even the most reluctant writers expressing themselves. They were eventually so proud of what they created that they couldn’t help but share their writing.”
Summer Holiday program for teens
SLAM CAMP is a school holiday program for teens to explore creative writing and performance, so that you take your passion to the next level! Run by Poets Out Loud director Sarah Temporal, the 2024 camp was held at Drill Hall Theatre and featured guests sessions from comedian Mandy Nolan and musician Mitch King.
Please contact us if you’d like to hear more about Slam Camp 2025.
“The right words in the right order can change the world.”
Our team
Sarah Temporal, Director. Sarah Temporal is a prize-winning poet who has inspired hundreds of young people to express themselves with the spoken and written word. Along with producing the Poets Out Loud Youth Slam, Sarah mentors young writers, runs after school writers’ groups, and designs workshops to inspire learners from Years 5-12. Sarah has delivered poetry education sessions for Red Room Poetry, Byron Writers Festival, GranSlam!, Kyogle Writers Festival, Murwillumbah Youth Festival, the Storyboard masterclass program. She is available for workshops, teacher PD, and poet-in-residence. See more >>
Jedda Winkworth, Poet-mentor. Jedda is a writer and poet who is passionate about the power of spoken word to move, heal and inspire change. She was selected to represent Griffith University in slam poetry demonstrations at the 2018 Georgetown Festival, Malaysia. Published in Talent Implied Anthology, Getamugstit magazine and Healing Times magazine, Jedda has competed in events such as the Nimbin Performance Poetry Cup and the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Open Slam. Jedda is a contributing artist to Poets Out Loud Youth Program and mentors young writers for the Youth Slam.
Katinka Smit, Poet-mentor. Katinka Smit began performing as a poet alongside an acting career (mostly theatre) in Newcastle in the 90s. She has worked as a life skills coach with disadvantaged youth, as a speech and drama tutor in youth theatre, and volunteers for the Byron Writers Festival’s Story Board and youth master class sessions. She was a 2018 finalist in the Nimbin Performance Poetry Cup. Katinka is a poet-mentor assisting young writers in Poets Out Loud Youth Slam.