Spoken Dreams Poetry Competition

To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Gantt Center will host Spoken Dreams, our first virtual spoken word competition! We are calling all spoken word artists in the region to submit a poem and video of their performance to win a $200 Visa gift card. A jury will select the top 10 poets who will appear live during the poetry slam. The winner will be selected by the audience and announced at the end of the hour. Hosted by Bluz Rogers, this competition will highlight the transformative intersection of poetry and performance.

Join us for this virtual experience with some of the best spoken word artists in the region! Your vote will determine who is crowned the winner of our Spoken Dreams competition.

The competition will be streamed live via Zoom on April 22 at 7 pm. Click/tap here to access the live stream.

Boris "Bluz" Rogers has been unwavering in his quest to stretch the boundaries of poetry. Bluz is an award-winning poet having won three Emmy Awards, been a 2010 Southern Fried Poetry Slam Grand Champ, and is Slam Master and Coach of the 3-time National Poetry slam championship team, Slam Charlotte.

A published author and recording artist, Bluz's poetry is universal and dismantles social, economic, and ethnic barriers reaching into the heart of the community where he is an active member. He has worked with several organizations such as CBS Radio, Disney, Raycom Sports, ESPN, and SPEED TV (where he wrote and performed several intros for nationally televised shows for NASCAR). Bluz's voice is a progressive tool used to foster transformation. Nowhere has Bluz's impact been more apparent than when he performed at the induction ceremony for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Bluz was not only the first performer but also the first African-American performer, which was a historic event. His talent and voice have also been used by the city of Charlotte to help win the All America City Award, plus he has worked with the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets.

Bluz has shared the stage with many distinguished poets and recording artists ranging from Taylor Mali and Nikki Giovanni, to Outkast, John Legend, and Pink Floyd. Bluz is also committed to devoting time to his wife and children.