The Arts Council of York County will host their second annual “One Word Poetry Festival” on March 30 – April 3, 2022. The 5-day event will include poetry workshops for various ages and backgrounds, readings, a poetry slam, open mics, and a poetry brunch featuring celebrated poet Rachel McKibbens. 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 Wednesday, March 30 with a Creative Writing Showcase at Winthrop University featuring students from the University’s Creative Writing program. On Thursday, March 31, there will be a Youth Open Mic event for students ages 13-18 at the Rock Hill School District Office. Events on Saturday include a variety of free workshops, a poetry slam, and a commencement performance to determine Rock Hill’s next Youth Poet Laureate. The festival concludes on Sunday, April 3 with a ticketed poetry brunch featuring Rachel McKibbens. 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 21-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.
