The N.H. State Council on the Arts, which administers the program in the Granite State, today announced that two semi-finals will take place in the coming weeks: at Plymouth State University Silver Center for the Arts on Feb. 17 (snow date: Feb. 18) and at the Derry Opera House on Feb. 19 (snow date: Feb. 20). Each event begins at 6 p.m.
Since 2005, high school students from across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud, a poetry recitation competition designed to improve public speaking skills, help build confidence, and teach literary history. This year, approximately 3,000 students from New Hampshire high schools and high school groups participated.
In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the 2025-2026 Poetry Out Loud program focuses on poems that celebrate American history and culture. All of the poems for this year’s competition are in the public domain.
Contestants’ recitations are evaluated by trained judges who evaluate physical presence, voice and articulation, evidence of understanding, interpretation, accuracy and overall performance.
Poetry Out Loud school champions advance to semi-finals, then top semi-final finishers move on to the New Hampshire state championship, scheduled to take place in Representatives Hall at the State House on Friday, March 6 (snow date: March 9) beginning at 5 p.m.
New Hampshire’s state champion will have the opportunity to join with champions from other states and territories at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, scheduled to take place April 27-29, 2026 in Washington, D.C., coinciding with National Poetry Month.
Managed at the national level by the National Endowment for the Arts and in New Hampshire by the State Council on the Arts, Poetry Out Loud provides free lesson plans and other educational materials to teachers and organizers, curates the online poem anthology, funds and produces the national championship and provides monetary awards to champions at the state and national level.
In addition to funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, additional support in New Hampshire comes from Brightspot Consultants; the Currier Museum of Art; Derry Public Arts Committee; the Frost Place; New Hampshire Writers’ Project; North Country Education Services; the Putnam Foundation, a donor-advised fund of the N.H. Charitable Foundation and Slam Free or Die.
To learn more about 2026 New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud, visit nharts.dncr.nh.gov/programs/poetry-out-loud. For additional information, contact Allison Hawkins, New Hampshire State Council on the Arts at 603-271-0791, allison.hawkins@dncr.nh.gov. -- NH Department of Natural & Cultural Resources press release
No comments:
Post a Comment