classic slam
Thank you to the poets, educators, teaching artists, judges, volunteers, and staff who filled Los Angeles with your bold voices and brilliant hearts!
We can't wait to see you there.
A day of youth spoken word poetry
The culmination of Get Lit’s in-school program is the annual Classic Slam — one of the largest youth Spoken Word events in the country. It’s a youthful celebration of fire and feeling, with fresh perspectives that demonstrate storytelling at the highest level.
host, Judges & DJ
how it works
Schools who participate in Get Lit’s curriculum take a team through the Get Lit Model of claiming a Classic poem and writing an original Spoken Word response.
At quarter and semifinals, schools from around Los Angeles come together for a day of excitement, poetry, and community. The top four teams from qualifying rounds will take the stage at Classic Slam Finals on Saturday, where they’ll compete for the title of Classic Slam Champions. Their poems will be scored by renowned judges and the winners will be awarded thousands of dollars in cash prizes.
This Year’s Theme
Every Classic Slam is rooted in a guiding theme that shapes the creative vision of the night and reflects the spirit of the moment. Inspired by Get Lit’s sold-out performance at The Ford, If I Awaken in Los Angeles, this year’s theme invites us into a living, breathing portrait of the city we call home.
A love letter, a challenge, and a call to imagine what comes next, this theme uplifts the voices and stories that define Los Angeles. It honors a city that holds contradiction and possibility at once, where art and identity are constantly evolving.
We hope this theme encourages each performer and audience member to engage deeply with their own relationship to Los Angeles. Through poetry, we are invited to witness, question, and celebrate the communities and experiences that shape our collective story, and to envision the future we are building together.
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The Classic Slam is the culminating event in Get Lit’s in-school curriculum. Schools that teach the Get Lit curriculum can put together their own poetry team to compete at the Classic Slam. To prepare for the Classic Slam, students will memorize a Classic poem and write their own original Spoken Word response to perform onstage.
The Classic Slam competition is open to teams of 4-6 students from any school, classroom, or club that has used Get Lit’s curricula during the school year. Each competing poet must be between the ages of 13-19 and enrolled in middle or high school at the time of the Slam. Teams must have a minimum of one adult sponsor/mentor and have at least 6 different Classic and Response sets prepared for the Slam.
After you purchase your ticket for Classic Slam finals, you’ll join us on April 18 at the Greenway Court Theater (544 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles; free off-site parking available). At the Classic Slam Finals, you’ll watch the top teams from our qualifying rounds compete for the title of Classic Slam Champions and see performances by our celebrity judges, the show host, and more.
We welcome donations, volunteers, in-kind giving, corporate sponsorships, and more. For information, please reach out to Samantha@GetLit.org
