2025

BRAVE NEW VOICES

Livest Youth Poetry Festival

Brave New Voices is the premier festival for youth poetry and spoken word. Each year poets and top artists from across the nation gather for four days of electrifying performances, transformative workshops, and powerful civic action.

Tickets

July 19

July 18

July 17

July 16

7:30 PM • Opening Ceremony

The night will feature inspiring and brilliant artists sharing live poetry, music, and more.

9:30 PM • Queeriosity

Queeriosity is a space for LGBTQIA+ youth and their allies to come together and celebrate their voices and art on their own terms. It is a showcase, an open mic, and a ball, all in one.

July 19

July 18

July 17

July 16

10:30 AM • National Town Halls

The Brave New Voices Town Halls will embrace and display how art is activism and how poetry allows us to share our stories and create a container to discuss the world’s most urgent issues. Youth will share space to strategize the best ways to support one another and the communities they are returning to while learning how to activate the activist or community organizer within. This event is free but spots are LIMITED and a ticket is REQUIRED to secure your spot.

2:00 PM • Power Lab Workshops

The Brave New Voices Town Halls are a mix of radical learning practices — gathering some of the brightest young minds to consider what we can do with our collective power. Part workshop, part craft lesson, part round table, the town halls are designed to turn poetry into practice. Youth will share space to strategize the best ways to support one another and the communities they are returning to, while learning how to activate the activist or community organizer within.

7:30 PM • Body Politics: A Play by Shasparay, Directed by Mark H

This show is a personal revelation of award-winning Shasparay’s experiences as a fat woman navigating issues of shame, bullying, health, love, and fetishization in a fatphobic world. Using an interdisciplinary approach including comedy, poetry, dance, and theater, BODY POLITICS speaks to the nuanced nature of the so-called "fat experience".

9:00 PM • MC Olympics

MC Olympics is an Olympic-style hip-hop competition featuring the best young emcees in the nation. Emcees spit their best verses, freestyles, and complete songs through multiple rounds, where we highlight every emcee’s skills across styles and sub-genres, from pen game to stage presence to originality. Come through to see who will be crowned the next MC Olympics Champion. This event is free, but spots are LIMITED and a ticket is REQUIRED to secure your spot.

July 19

July 18

July 17

July 16

10:30 AM • Semifinals Round 1

Round one takes place in the morning where 4 simultaneous bouts occur per round. All semifinals feature open seating on a first come first serve basis.

2:00 PM • Semifinals Round 2

Round two takes place in the afternoon where 4 simultaneous bouts occur per round.

8:00 PM • Omai Gawd

Join us for a curated evening of some of the most talented voices in poetry. Featuring legendary alumni of the OMAI First Wave Scholars Program and special guests. This event is free but, spots are LIMITED and a ticket is REQUIRED to secure your spot.

July 19

July 18

July 17

July 16

5:00 PM • Brave New Voices Finals

The top 4 highest-scoring youth poetry slam teams in the world will compete to see who will take home the crown and the coveted title of Brave New Voices Poetry Slam Champion.

Festival schedule

Danielle Horton

Festival Co-Director

Jax Neal

Festival Co-Directors

Vania Luna Gutierrez

Future Corps Co-Director

Chloe Philpot

Future Corps Co-Director

Staff

2025 Festival Team

Safety & Wellness Policy

The organizers of the Brave New Voices (BNV) Festival pledge our ongoing commitment to creating inclusive and accessible spaces that are safe for the minds and bodies of all youth participants and festival attendees.

As we share Festival activities, logistics, and As we share Festival activities, logistics, and other announcements over the next few months, we encourage you and your teams to visit this page frequently for the full Brave New Voices Festival Safety and Wellness policies.

Where is the Brave New Voices Festival being held this year? When?

Below are Frequently Asked Questions about this year’s registration deadlines, fees, chaperone requirements, and schedule of events. Please look through this section if you have any questions about the process.

Note: This page will be updated frequently and will be your go-to resource for all Brave New Voices Festival updates, resources, events, and announcements.

The top 4 highest-scoring youth poetry slam teams in the world will compete to see who will take home the crown and the coveted title of Brave New Voices Poetry Slam Champion.

The 2025 Brave New Voices Festival is happening July 16 - 19th, 2025 in Madison Wisconsin. Teams should arrive at the Festival for team intake between 1:00pm - 3:00pm on Wednesday, July 16th. Teams should plan on departing from their accommodations no later than 11:00 am Sunday, July 20th.

Teams will participate in mandatory online Brave New Voices Training and Networking Events in the months leading up to July 16th. Please see the schedule of these training sessions below.

Brave New Voices Grand Slam Finals will be held Saturday, July 19th, 2025 in Madison Wisconsin. Portions of the festival will live on our YouTube Channel for your convenience.

How does team registration work?

The first step for all teams to participate in the Brave New Voices Festival is to apply through the BNV Registration Page as either a competing or a non-competing team. This is required for all new and returning teams that want to participate in Brave New Voices 2025. At this year’s festival, up to 20 teams will be invited to participate. Please submit your application by March 15th, 2025. Once we receive your application; your team will be notified of their acceptance or waitlisted. We will also follow up with further details and your organization will become a part of the BNV Network, if you are not already. Once the application is completed and your team is accepted for BNV 2025, the rest of your team is expected to complete the BNV Registration.

Registration consists of two parts:

1) Online Enrollment

AND

2) Online Payment

Payment

While most of the festival costs are subsidized by Youth Speaks, every competing team attending Brave New Voices is required to pay a modest fee of $3,000 to help cover the cost of the festival. This fee covers the fees for 4 youth participants and 2 responsible adults (including the team coach and/or chaperone). Meaning $3,000 registration fee covers 6 BNV Participants.

For the safety of Brave New Voices participants, we require an adult to youth participant ratio of 1 to 4. A team of 4 must include 1 adult coach/chaperone and a team of 5-6 youth MUST include 2 adult coaches/chaperones.

If you would like to include more youth, adult staff, or parents chaperones from your organization to participate in all the other offerings of Brave New Voices, there is an additional cost of $500 per additional person and you are required to maintain a ratio of 1 adult staff member that is responsible for every 4 youth participants. Youth participants include anyone age 20 and under. Adult coaches and chaperones must be age 21 or over.

Fees for non-competing teams and entourage are $500 per additional person and Non-competing teams may bring up to 5 additional people. Non-competing teams must abide by the same 1 to 4 adult to youth ratio.

As part of Youth Speaks Partnership with the University of Wisconsin– Madison, this year’s BNV registration fee will also cover the cost of lodging for BNV teams within the University of Wisconsin's Dormitories.

How do we pay to register?

BNV 2025 Registration and Enrollment

Payment Instructions

Pay for your Team’s Membership using PayPal or via Check. Please then email hopsitality@youthspeaks.org once your BNV Team registration is paid.

Please include:

The form of payment
Name of the BNV team
Name of the organization/funder/entity paying (if different from BNV Team Name)
Total number of team members this payment covers

PayPal

In the memo section, write “[City and Team Name] BNV 2025 Registration”. Notify Youth Speaks if a different entity is paying the fee.

Check Payment

Send checks to:

Youth Speaks, Inc.
265 Shotwell Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Include in the memo: “[City and Team Name] BNV 2025 Registration”.

Payment for BNV Team Registration is due by April 15th, 2025.

Payment for BNV is due along with your registration forms.

Costs Covered by Youth Speaks

Youth Speaks will cover the following meals for Brave New Voices participants:

Day 1 (July 16th): Dinner
Day 2 (July 17th): Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 (July 18th): Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 (July 19th): Breakfast, Lunch

Meals Covered by Teams

Day 2 (July 17th): Dinner
Day 3 (July 18th): Dinner
Day 4 (July 19th): Dinner
Day 5 (July 20th): Breakfast (Departure)

Teams are also responsible for any incidentals.

Enrollment Requirements

After application confirmation, each team must complete enrollment forms for every team member.

Information Required:

Personal/Individual Information (demographics, contact, social media, photo ID)
Team Information (coach/chaperone names and demographics)
Medical Information (emergency contact, medical history, allergies/dietary needs)

Coaches and Chaperones must keep records. Retain copies of health insurance and any disability access info.

Additional Requirements

Mandated Reporter Training for all participants 18+
Background Check for all participants 18+

Required Forms

Please submit all signed BNV Release and Agreements using the provided form. This includes:

BNV Standards and Behavior Form
Coaches Code of Conduct
Media Release Form
Background check confirmations for anyone over 18

You will not be allowed to attend the festival if these forms are not filled out. These forms are necessary for the safety of all participants.

COVID-19 Waiver

Includes liability release and understanding of Covid regulations for participants and mentors.

BNV Pre-Festival Sessions

Session 1 (5/30): Welcome to BNV 2025, Full Festival Overview + Digital Pedagogies
Attendees: Coaches, Chaperones, Youth (Guardians/Parents encouraged)
Session 2 (6/6): CODES OF CONDUCT + Slams and Regulations
Mandatory: All Coaches and Chaperones
Session 3 (6/13): Safety and Mental Health Prepping for the Fest
Attendees: Coaches, Chaperones, Youth
Session 4 (6/20): BNV University - "Culture Keeping 101"
Attendees: Youth Only

Enrollment

BNV 2025 Enrollment and Pre-Festival Sessions

Enrollment Process

Once we receive your application and confirm your participation, each team is required to fill out enrollment forms for each team member who will attend Brave New Voices.

Information Required for Enrollment Forms

Personal/Individual Information: Basic demographic information, contact info, social media, and a photo for identification.
Team Information: Names of coaches/chaperones, including their demographic information.
Medical Information: Emergency contact, general medical history, and any allergies/dietary needs.

Coaches and chaperones must maintain records of this information for their teams. It is also advised to retain a copy of each team member’s health insurance and any relevant disability access information.

Additional Requirements

Mandated Reporter Training: Required for all participants 18 years of age and older.
Background Checks: Required for all participants 18 years of age and older.

Forms to Be Signed

Please submit all signed BNV Release and Agreements using the designated form. This includes:

BNV Standards and Behavior Form
Coaches Code of Conduct
Media Release Form
Background check confirmations for participants over 18 (including coaches and chaperones)

You will not be allowed to attend the festival if these forms are not filled out. They are necessary for the general safety of participants during the festival.

COVID-19 Waiver

This includes a release of liability and acknowledgment of COVID-19 safety regulations for both participants and adult mentors.

BNV Pre-Festival Sessions

All accepted team members, including coaches and chaperones, are required to participate in the following pre-festival sessions:

Session 1 - May 30: Welcome to BNV 2025 and Full Festival Overview + Digital Pedagogies
Attendees: Coaches, Chaperones, Youth
Note: Youth Guardians/Parents are also encouraged to attend.
Session 2 - June 6: CODES OF CONDUCT + Slams and Regulations
Mandatory: All Coaches and Chaperones
Session 3 - June 13: Safety and Mental Health Prepping for the Fest
Attendees: Coaches, Chaperones, Youth
Session 4 - June 20: BNV University - "Culture Keeping 101"
Attendees: Youth Only

Do I have to get a background check/fingerprinting?

Our festival defines a youth as being between the ages of 13-19. However, if you are age 18 and up, you are required to have a background check as you are considered an adult according to state and federal policy. Please submit all Background Checks via the BNV Registration Application.

Youth Speaks is not responsible for maintaining these records beyond the Festival. Teams and individuals are responsible for keeping a copy for their own records.

Where do we get a background check?

The process is different state-to-state but the general idea is finding either an independent contractor for the background check process or see if your state/Attorney General has a way to get background checks done. We recommend searching online for background check, fingerprinting, live scan services, etc near you for the most accurate local information. Sometimes you do have to pay to get this done. You may have local offices that can assist with this as well. In addition, School-approved letters work as well. (If you do not have a copy of your background check, the head of your organization or group can send a letter clearing chaperones or coaches as long as that person works for the organization and has been cleared to work with youth through a fingerprinting/ background check process with that organization. Anyone else outside will need individual background checks submitted.)

What costs will my team/group be required to cover?

Registration fees will cover:

All-access festival pass to attend workshops, town halls, late night events, slams and special public events during Brave New Voices
Housing & accommodations for four (4) youth and up to two (2) adult chaperones for the length of the Festival (3 nights / 3 days)
Six (6) meals for four (4) youth and up to two (2) adult chaperones for the length of the Festival.

Youth Speaks will cover the following meals for Brave New Voices participants:

Thursday, July 20

Welcome Dinner

Friday, July 21

Team Breakfast
Team Lunch

Saturday, July 22

Team Breakfast
Team Lunch

Sunday, July 23

Grab & Go Breakfast

All-access festival pass to attend workshops, town halls, late night events, slams and special public events during Brave New Voices

Teams are responsible for covering the following meals:

July 20 travel meals (dinner provided)
July 21 dinner for team (breakfast and lunch provided)
July 22 travel meals for team (breakfast and lunch provided)
July 23 travel meals (grab & go breakfast provided)

*All snacks and incidentals

How long does it take to hear back from an agency about a background check?

The wait times for background checks vary from state to state, so make sure to plan accordingly and do them as early as possible.

Where do we send background check information when we receive results?

Please submit all background information through the BNV Registration Application. Please either take a screenshot or upload a copy of your background information.

When is the registration due date?

The registration due date for Competing and Non-Competing Teams is April 15, 2025. Please prepare to submit both payment and enrollment forms before then. If there is anything you will need, we will let you know before the festival.

What if I Apply or Register Late?

We cannot guarantee accommodating a late Team Registration. If you do not meet the registration deadline, we may give your team’s “spot” to the next team on the waiting list. We will do our best to place you in your Semi Finals bout if you are a competing Team and a slot opens up for your team to attend. If there is a last minute issue, please contact hospitality@youthspeaks.org so that you can attend the mandatory pre-session trainings and gather the paperwork required for your registration.

What is the difference between Competing and Non-Competing Teams?

Competing Teams will perform their work in two semifinals bouts of the slam and will be scored by 5 judges at each event. The team competition takes place in the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam on July 18th (Semi Finals) and 19th (Finals).

Non-Competing Teams are invited to attend all public and private events at Brave New Voices. These may include youth-only spaces, special events and training/workshop sessions. However, non-competing teams will not perform their work or be scored in the slam. Non-Competing Teams are encouraged to join us on stage as calibration poets for the slam. Contact slamcoordinator@youthspeaks.org for more information.

Suggestions for preparing for Brave New Voices?

Beyond the Mandatory Trainings for Coaches and Chaperones, we encourage organizations to check in with their participants on an ongoing basis during the festival. It is the duty of Coaches and Chaperones to adequately prepare their youth to participate in the Festival as well as to set healthy boundaries with them. This may include, but is not limited to the following:

When gathering youth in-person for any BNV related events, insuring you are following adequate Covid-Safety guidelines
Spaces where you gather are ADA Compliant
Encouraging a schedule of participation that builds in adequate rest and time for self-care and considers the impact of the climate and time zone difference on participants
Encouraging youth to use the Mental Health resources we’ve provided throughout the Festival.

What are the slam rules?

Slam Rules will be updated and shared during the Pre-Session Codes of Conduct training. For more questions please email the Slam Coordinators.

Slam Coordinators (slamcoordinator@youthspeaks.org)

I am having trouble with the BNV registration form. Who do I contact?

If you are having issues with logging into the BNV Registration Application, making your payment via paypal, registering your participants, or any other problems with the registration process, please email hospitality@youthspeaks.org.

Brave New Voices Deadline and Key Dates

March 15, 2025: BNV 2025 Team Coach Registration and Interest Due
March 30, 2025: BNV 2025 Teams Acceptance or Waitlisted contacted by Youth Speaks
April 15, 2025: BNV 2025 ALL Team Registration & Registration Fee Due
This includes registration of final team members, chaperones, etc.
May 30, 2025: BNV Pre-Session: Welcome to BNV 2025 and Full Festival Overview + Digital Pedagogies
Attendees: Coaches, Chaperones, Youth,
Youth Guardians/Parents are also encouraged to attend
June 6, 2025: BNV Pre-Session CODES OF CONDUCT + Slams and Regulations
Mandatory for ALL Coaches and Chaperones
June 13, 2025: BNV Pre-Session: Safety and Mental Health Prepping for the Fest
Attendees: Coaches, Chaperones, Youth
June 20, 2025: BNV Pre Session: BNV University "Culture Keeping 101"
Attendees: Youth Only
July 16, 2025: BNV 2025 Day 1. Welcome and arrivals 1:00pm-3:00pm.
July 17, 2025: BNV 2025 Day 2
July 18, 2025: BNV 2025 Day 3
July 19, 2025: BNV 2025 Day 4
July 20, 2025: Travel home. Check out of Dorms by 11:00am

If you do not see your question answered here, please email our Brave New Voice Committee at info@bravenewvoices.org. This page will be updated frequently.

Emergency Contact: Stephaine Cajina (scajina@youthspeaks.org)