Tacoma’s poetry festival, Louder Than A Bomb, goes virtual
The Tacoma Louder Than A Bomb (LTAB) poetry slam is one of the growing list of events which is going virtual because of the coronavirus.
Hosted by Write 253, a literacy arts organization that seeks to encourage young people in Tacoma and Pierce County to express themselves, the event will be live streamed on Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m.
There are 24 slots for poets ages 12-19 in the South Sound whose performances will be shared.
Michael Haeflinger, executive director of Write 253, said he hopes still to capture some of the magic of the event, which had been scheduled for March.
“What we’re going to try to do is replicate it as much as possible,” Haeflinger said.
That means having a panel of judges, music and a partnership with the Tacoma Public Library, which will be assisting with technical aspects. Every poet must submit two poems which they record and share with Write 253.
The videos will be played in a show with both an audience and a panel of judges watching.
“We’re trying to make it as accessible as possible for as many people as possible,” Haeflinger said. “We’re looking a little bit into the future, too. Presuming we’re not able to do another festival in the spring, this would be a substitute for that.”
Haeflinger hopes the event can serve as a “beta test” to gauge interest.
One participant is Tara Ryan, who is a rising sophomore at Henry Foss High School and is going to compete for the first time.
“I was at LTAB last year with my friend and her family. I was really inspired and excited that something like this was happening in Tacoma,” Ryan said.
The organization is offering tips on how best to record but is mostly relying on the tech savviness of the students.
“It was challenging to record and just to technologically adapt, but I’m excited about what it’s going to look like,” Ryan said.
As for whether considerations are being made for kids without access to the internet, that will be something the organization looks to address “down the road.”
“Until there is more certainty around public gatherings, then we’re going to do our best to figure out a way to create spaces for young people to be creative and be productive,” Haeflinger said.
The decision to move virtual is a bittersweet one as it just isn’t the same as having the event occur in person.
“What’s lost with Louder Than A Bomb is energy. You have a room of 150 people in the crowd,” Haeflinger said. “It’s a spectacle around poetry, and it’s hard to do that on Zoom.
“I think anyone who is doing art is feeling that.”
Students interested in submitting must fill out a form, attach their videos and sign a media release.
This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 10:00 AM.
