FOLA 2021 Is Here
The 2021 Festival of Literary Arts (FOLA) Is Comprised of Four Virtual Poetry Events. All Events Are Free
Fri., 4/16 (4:00-5:30 PM, EDT) - (FOLA Event #1) "Ekphrastic Poetry - What Do You See?" (A virtual poetry workshop) Opening Remarks by PGAHC Chief Executive Officer/Curator, Rhonda Dallas. Workshop Co-Facilitators, Anne Harding Woodworth and Prince George's County Poet Laureate, Sistah Joy. Guest Poets: PGCC Reflections Literary Team; Featured Visual Artists: Sandra Davis and Cheryl Foster
Sat., 4/17 (1:00-3:00 PM, EDT) - (FOLA Event #2) "Generations Apart, Yet Still Connected" (A virtual intergenerational poetry workshop) Workshop Co-Facilitators: MD State Poet Laureate, Grace Cavalieri, and Prince George's County Poet Laureate, Sistah Joy. Guest Poets: 2021 Youth Poet Laureate, Sainey Ceesay, and Teen Poetry Ambassadors of Dialect of Prince George's. Community engagement via Zoom Chat.
Sat., 4/17 (4:00-5:30 PM, EDT) - (FOLA Event #3) "State of the Wor(l)d," a poetry and teen discussion, which includes "reflections by Prince George's County Youth Poets Laureate (YPL) on coming of age and how the world changed with us." Forum speakers include the current and all past Prince George's County YPL: Dominque Holder - 2016 YPL; Samantha Jackson - 2017 YPL; Michaela Lacy - 2018; Mi'Jan Credle - 2019 YPL; Marissa Michel - 2020 YPL and Sainey Ceesay - 2021 YPL. Event Host: Patrick Washington, Exec. Dir. of Dialect of Prince George's & Mngr. of the DMV area's YPL Programming.
Sun., 4/18 (3:00-4:30 PM, EDT) - (FOLA Event #4) "Community Check-in and Healing Conversation," a virtual Poetry Open Mic hosted by Prince George's County Poet Laureate, Sistah Joy with Guest Poet/Musician, Jali-D. Opening remarks will be offered by MD State Senator and PGAHC Deputy Chief Officer, Melony Griffith. This forum will include poetry and an Open Mic discussion with Dialect of Prince George's County Youth Poets Laureate, Youth Poetry Ambassadors, and community participants on topics such as COVID-19, xenophobia, gun violence, police brutality, depression, grief, loss, mental health, domestic terrorism, civil rights, fear, anger, faith, love and more.
The Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council (PGAHC) and the Prince George's Office of the Poet Laureate gratefully acknowledge the partnership and generous support of the PGCMLS, M-NCPPC, Dialect of Prince George's, and The Nora Roberts Foundation, which allow these FOLA events to take place.
For information about poetry events, how to become more involved with the Prince George's Office of the Poet Laureate, the Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council
