You're invited to celebrate all things love and poetry for Chicago's Pride Month!
In honor of Chicago’s Pride Month, The Blackstone, Center on Halsted, and StoryStudio Chicago invite the community to celebrate all things love this June during a slam poetry competition on Wednesday, June 12. During the competition, Chicago’s creative community will come together in The Blackstone’s historic Art Hall just as the local artists used to gather at the hotel in the early 1900s.
How to Participate
Local poets, writers, and all creatives are welcome to submit their poem to [email protected] by 11:30 p.m. Monday, May 27 to be considered for the slam poetry competition. A panel of judges from Center on Halsted and StoryStudio Chicago will review submissions and select 15 entries to move on to the final round of the competition by Friday, June 7. The 15 poets selected will perform their poem live on June 12 in The Blackstone’s Art Hall before the panel of judges, and one winner will be announced at the end of the evening and be awarded a complimentary one-night stay at The Blackstone.
Poets are also encouraged to share a reading of their poem on Instagram using #BlackstoneSlam and tagging @theblackstonehotel, @center_on_halsted, and @storystudio_chicago.
The competition itself is complimentary and open to the public. Guests interested in attending can register here: https://www.facebook.com/events/323792614955424/
Submission Guidelines
- Poems must be submitted by 11:30 p.m. on Monday, May 27 to [email protected] with the subject line “Blackstone Slam Poetry Competition”
- Poems should focus on the theme of love, including love for yourself, love for the LGBTQ+ community, equal love, falling in love, etc.
- Poems must be original content
- Poems should be no longer than 3 minutes when performed
- Poems should avoid using profane language as this event will be open to all ages
- No props are permitted during the performance as in accordance with traditional slam poetry guidelines
