Louder Than a Bomb

In 2005, WBEZ first brought the Finalists from Young Chicago Authors' Louder Than a Bomb Teen Poetry Slam Competition and Festival here to our studios to record their work. Seven competitions later we have recorded a total of 150 pieces by these remarkable youth poets, which have broadcast both here in Chicago and around the world through additional licensing at PRX.org. Nearly 100,000 visits have been made to the program page since wbez.org relaunched in March 2007.

Click here to visit the Louder Than a Bomb archive.

Over the years, additional production work has also been done to showcase these young writers and their stories. In 2007 and 2008, hour-long documentaries were also produced to explore this unique community of writers and share their work with a larger audience. In April 2010 a five-part Profile Series was broadcast on WBEZ to learn more about these youth as writers, produced by Nick White and Kevin Coval, and in April 2011 four amazing feature videos were produced by Robin Amer to showcase these unique writers and their work.

In 2012, WBEZ is proud to be a presenting partner of this nationally-acclaimed Festival. The largest of its kind in the world, Louder Than a Bomb has been successful in its aim to bring teens together across racial, gang, and socio-economic lines. Program coordinators are happy to report an 85% high school graduation rate, based on alumni surveys, and most notably has had zero incidents of violence in its 10 years of working with students from across the city. The Festival remains a friendly competition that emphasizes self-expression and community via poetry, oral story-telling, and hip-hop spoken word.

For tickets and full 2012 Festival details, click here.

To learn more, check out the recently released documentary film "Louder Than a Bomb" - by Siskel/Jacobs Productions - which is winning Audience Choice and Best Documentary Awards around the country.

For more information, contact Breeze Richardson at 312.948.4653.