The Colorado Creative Industries (CCI), a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT), and Lighthouse Writers Workshop announced today that PBS12 will air a documentary featuring Colorado’s state finals for Poetry Out Loud. This annual event was held on March 1, 2023 at the Lakewood Cultural Center. Thirteen students from 12 schools and organizations across Colorado performed poems live on stage to celebrate poetry. The event was emceed by Colorado Springs Poet Laureate Ashley Cornelius and judged by some of Colorado’s finest poets and performers.
The hour-long program, “It’s Words by Heart: Poetry Out Loud 2023,” documents the finals competition and includes both performances and interviews with all the participating students. The program will air on PBS12 on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 7 p.m. State Champion Hana Kebede will be representing Colorado at the National Finals of Poetry Out Loud in Washington D.C. on May 8-10, 2023.