BNV Participating Organizations

Youth Speaks
Youth Speaks is building the next generation of leaders through the written and spoken word. A non-profit literary arts, education, and cultural resource center for teenagers, our innovative programs nurture and develop the youth voice and promote positive social dialogue across boundaries of age, race, class, gender, culture, and sexual orientation.
By coupling public performance and publication opportunities with educational workshops, mentoring programs, and cooperative learning, Youth Speaks is committed to creating spaces that celebrate the youth voice and its essential role in the literary continuum.

Youth Speaks is the premier nonprofit presenter of spoken word and youth poetry programs in the country. Founded in 1996, Youth Speaks produces multiple artistic forums, such as the Living Word Festival, Second Sundays, the Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam, Bay Area Hip Hop Theater Festival, Brave New Voices, Spoken City and the Bringing the Noise Reading Series. Equally key to Youth Speaks’ mission is its comprehensive curricula of arts education and youth development programs, such as free after-school and in-class writing workshops, and school assemblies. Based in San Francisco, Youth Speaks has reached tens of thousands of youth in the Bay Area alone.

For more information visit http://www.youthspeaks.org.



PenWest
"PEN USA was founded in 1943 as a chapter of International PEN, the largest literary and oldest human-rights organization in the world. Created in 1921 by D.H. Lawrence, Joseph Conrad, and George Bernard Shaw, among others, PEN stands for ©–Poets, Essayists, and Novelists.©˜ Its membership of professional writers strives to protect the rights of writers around the world while fostering vital literary communities. PEN USA sponsors a wide range of ongoing programs, including PEN in the Classroom, which sends PEN members into local high schools, Emerging Voices, a fellowship program for writers from underserved communities, and Freedom to Write, an action campaign on behalf of imprisoned writers."

TelePoetics
Telepoetics, Inc. is the first 100% black-owned, 100% woman-run, artistic telecommunications company in the world. Telepoetics, Inc. was founded in 1994 by Merilene M. Murphy, its Poet/President, as a United States 501(c)(3) literary and education corporation to globally produce, promote and distribute poetry and performance arts projects via telephony and Internet technologies. Telepoetics and the Brave New Voices Committee are the local presenters of Brave New Voices 2004 Los Angeles. Telepoetics is coordinating International Webcast Registration.

TELEPOETICS, INC.
1939 1/4 W. Washington Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90018
Telephone: 323.419.0001
FAX: 323.419.0995
Merilene M. Murphy, Poet/Pres.

Cinespace
CineSpace is every movie lover's dream - an upscale restaurant, lounge and cinema all rolled into one. Come try our signature Dinner & A Movie event where we feature the classics you miss & the indy films you can’t miss with delicious food and drinks! We are also the perfect venue for any private event, film screening, or wrap party. CineSpace is located on the second floor of a newly restored, historic building on Hollywood Boulevard, just one block west of the Pantages theater. Call 323.817.FILM to make reservations or check out www.cine-space.com for more information.

CineSpace
6356 Hollywood Blvd.
2nd Level
Hollywood, CA 90028

Telephone: 323.817.FILM
www.cine-space.com

Downbeat 720
A high school open-mic
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:20pm
Poets, MCs, Singers, Comedians, Dancers, Breakers, EVERYONE INVITED!
Miles Playhouse
1130 Lincoln Blvd. (just N of Wilshire in Santa Monica)
FREE! FREE! FREE!

DownBeat 720 is working to be the premier high school open-mic in Los Angeles. Imagine a spot where MCs cypher outside, breakers dance in a space set up for them as students are walking in, and in the corner a poet is working on her piece to perform that night. Kids from different highschools from all over the city--mingling and conspiring, developing relationships and growing. ALIVE.

And every DB720 also has an adult feature. For example, in the past, Hip-Hop artists like Busdriver and members of the LA Slam Team (2003 National Slam Champions) have performed for the kids.

It's a great event and we're working at blowin' it up in the '04!

For more info, contact downbeat720@netscape.net or call (310) 458-8634

Other sponsoring organizations:
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Kaos Network
California Youth Theater
LACD (Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department)
Perceval Press
Da Poetry Lounge
(Voice) Kotton Club
Green
Peace Garden
Quality Inn: 1901 W. Olympic Boulevard

Funding Organizations :
Ford Foundation
Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and the Pepsi Cola/ Hip Hop Summit Partnership
California Youth Theater
City of Los Angeles Culural Affairs Department