from “le détroit” · the strait
InsideOut Literary Arts brings its Detroit Youth Poetry Slam to the Charles H. Wright Museum on May 7, where teen poets compete for a spot on the 2026 Detroit Youth Performance Troupe.
Detroit's young poets take the stage at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Thursday, May 7, for InsideOut Literary Arts' annual Detroit Youth Poetry Slam. Teens perform original work and compete for a spot on InsideOut's 2026 Detroit Youth Performance Troupe.
The slam runs as a two-round competition, according to InsideOut's event listing. The top-scoring poets are then invited to interview for a place on the Performance Troupe, which the organization describes as a rigorous, teen-centered creative mentorship program. A seat carries intensive coaching and a calendar of future performance opportunities.
La Shaun Phoenix Moore, a performer and InsideOut coach, hosts the evening. The poets competing come from InsideOut's afterschool poetry programs for Detroit teenagers, the pipeline that feeds the troupe each year. InsideOut says its young writers go on to perform across Detroit, publish their work, and build a place in the city's artistic history.
The event is free and open to the public, per the Wright Museum's event page, though it asks attendees to register in advance. Seating is limited and not guaranteed.
The Detroit Youth Poetry Slam runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, at the Charles H. Wright Museum, 315 E. Warren Ave. in Midtown. Registration details are on the museum's website and InsideOut Literary Arts' events page.
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