The Martin Luther King Spoken Word contest brings together a community of poets, word artists and fans of these art forms. Together, we celebrate the power of words, within the VU community and beyond. Raise your voice, show your creativity and expression, and inspire others with your story.
Theme
The theme of the Martin Luther King Lecture 2024, and therefore of the Spoken Word contest, is ‘Freedom, Justice, and Hope’. Create your own twist on this timeless theme, be inspired by Martin Luther King's words: We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope – or talk about something close to your heart. Share your dreams and tell us your untold story.
How to participate
- Keep it short but powerful: your performance may last a maximum of two and a half minutes. Longer videos will not be judged.
- Both Dutch and English submissions are welcome.
- The theme of the Martin Luther King Lecture must be reflected in the texts.
- You must appear in the video of the performance.
- Ensure that your recording is professional, without background noise and without musical additions such as instruments, and not made in a personal space such as a bathroom.
- Submit a video of your performance via the form below. Upload your video to YouTube (create a private link) and put the link in the form.
- Also submit a file containing your text via this form.
- The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, 24 September 2024. Submissions by email will not be judged.
- Keep Wednesday evening, 9 October free in your calendar.
Yes, I will participate in this contest!
Nominations
An expert jury, comprising Dave Ensberg-Kleijkers (chair), Mitchell Esajas, Uchaindani Watson, and Chanty Louis, will nominate three candidates. They will be invited to perform for the audience on Wednesday, 9 October, between 19:00 and 19:30. The jury will select one winner from these three candidates, who will then have the opportunity to present their performance again on stage. The winner will receive 500 euros, while the other two candidates will each receive 250 euros.
Participate today. The stage is waiting for your voice and story!
Do you have any questions or comments? Please contact us at relaties@vu.nl.
About the Martin Luther King Lecture
Martin Luther King's non-violent struggle for equal rights is still an inspiration today. With his speeches, he enthused many and managed to build bridges and remove resistance. In 1965, King received the honorary doctorate in Social Sciences from VU Amsterdam. This annual lecture is in memory of his work and to inspire the prevailing zeitgeist. Prior to the lecture, a Spoken Word contest is held at VU Amsterdam.
Read more about the Martin Luther King Lecture 2024