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Nov. 3, 2015 — Project VOICE, which practices the art of spoken word poetry, will give a free performance at 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 12 in Shafer Auditorium at Allegheny College. Two related workshops and an open mic night are also planned as part of the Year of Meadville, a partnership between Allegheny College and the Meadville community to build a just and sustainable future for the town.

Project VOICE uses spoken word poetry to entertain, educate and inspire. Through award-winning performances and innovative workshops, Project VOICE promotes empowerment, improves literacy and encourages empathy and creative collaboration in classrooms and communities around the world. A performance by Project VOICE not only entertains but also encourages students to create their own work.

In addition to the free performance, Project VOICE performers Phil Kaye and Franny Choi will present a professional development workshop on November 12 at 4 p.m. in Pelletier Library at Allegheny College. Educators from Crawford Central School District and the Meadville area interested in learning how this art form can be incorporated into their classrooms can register for the workshop by following the link to Youth Voices at allegheny.edu/yearofmeadville.

A community open mic night will be held at 8 p.m. on Friday, November 13 in the lounge of the Academy Theatre in downtown Meadville. The art created over the course of Project VOICE’s two-day visit will be performed, but all are welcome to share their spoken word pieces.

Dana Wilson will present a youth voice community workshop on Saturday, November 21. Wilson is vice president of programs at Bridges, a youth development organization in Memphis, Tennessee. More information can be found at allegheny.edu/yearofmeadville, or call Autumn Vogel, Year of Meadville organizer, at 814-332-2749.

Project VOICE comes to Meadville through the work and vision of Gabby Miller, a Meadville Area High School senior who wanted to share the power of spoken word poetry with her community. Miller’s work was supported by a grant from the Crawford Central Community Foundation.