The Arts Council of York County will host their third annual “One Word Poetry Festival” on April 27 – April 30, 2023. The 4-day event will include poetry workshops for various ages and backgrounds, readings, a poetry slam, open mics, and a poetry brunch. SC Humanities supported the festival with a Fast Track Literary Grant.
The goal of the One Word Poetry Festival is to expose the Rock Hill community to the power of poetry and celebrate the countless ways that it impacts lives. The Festival Director is the award-winning Poet Laureate of Rock Hill, Angelo Geter.
The festival kicks off on Thursday, April 27 with a Youth Arts Showcase at 7:00 p.m. at the Rock Hill School District Office. On Friday, April 28, there will be a “Vibes and Verses” Open Mic event at the Gettys Center parking lot (201 E. Main Street) at 8:00 p.m.. Events on Saturday include a variety of free workshops and a poetry slam at the Gettys Center at 8 p.m. The festival concludes on Sunday, April 30 with a ticketed poetry brunch featuring poets laureate from around South Carolina, including Jennifer Bartell, Poet Laureate of Columbia; Asiah Thomas, Poet Laureate of Charleston; and Joe Angela Edwins, Poet Laurate of the Pee Dee. To view the complete schedule and purchase tickets, visit the festival website at: https://onewordpoetryfestival.com/.
Festival Director Angelo Geter said, “Rock Hill is an often overlooked community when it comes to the arts…but the community truly does have some amazing artists who contribute great work to the landscape of the city. The One Word Poetry Festival seeks to place a spotlight on the literary arts and poetry in the community.”
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 20-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
