Porque cada palabra importa.
A dynamic space for adult poets and spoken word artists to develop their craft, amplify their voices, and connect with audiences. Through open mic nights, workshops, and productions, every.Word Poetry creates a platform for diverse stories and perspectives, promoting artistic excellence and cultural dialogue.
Monday Night
Open Mic
Every Monday, join us for a free adult open mic celebrating poetry, music, and care-centered community. Presented by every.Word Poetry in partnership with The VORTEX, this weekly series highlights rotating formats across the first three Mondays of each month and welcomes artists of all experience levels.
Monday formats include:
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First Monday Feautres – curated performances alongside open mic sign-ups
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Poesía Cada.Palabra or Girls, Gays, and They’s Night
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Second Monday in January & December
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Third Monday from February–November
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Events take place across The VORTEX campus, primarily on the outdoor Garden Stage, with select nights hosted inside The Butterfly Bar or Eloise Stage depending on programming and weather.
Free admission.
Register through Eventbrite. Early sign-ups and limited show-day sign-ups are available.
Check-in begins at 7:00 PM | Show 8–10 PM
The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. | Food & drinks available
Our Productions
every.Word Poetry produces curated spoken word showcases that bring live poetry to the stage. Presented in theaters and performance venues across Austin, these events highlight the work of poets, musicians, and multidisciplinary artists through staged productions.
All productions are paid opportunities. Poet selection is curated by the Artistic Team. Rehearsal processes vary based on the scope of the production.
Tickets are offered on a sliding scale to keep performances accessible while supporting artist pay and production costs.
Upcoming Production
Lines for Liberation
Written and performed by Michael Hatcher, Jasmine Games, Dre' Jackson, & Ms. Trin-I-Tee
Creative Leadership by Florinda Bryant, Dr. Eva Margarita, & Aaliyah Jenkins
February 26th – March 1st, 2026 on the Eloise Stage at The VORTEX
every.Word Poetry invites the public to their Black History Month spoken word poetry experience, Lines for Liberation. Four poets are taken on a journey towards freedom, discovering what a future for Black lives looks like and how they might liberate themselves in order to be transported to a time co-crafted by these literary seers.
The poets bring the audience to the future through the lens of Black folks. It is not a story so much as a collective dream and shared imagination of liberation that persists through time. Though only an ensemble of four, the poets work to encapsulate and paint a picture of Black life in space beyond what can be easily conceptualized, pinpointing shared fears and hopes when thinking beyond the present. They are the past, present, and future, always.
Past Production
The Blasphemy of a Good Bath
Written and performed by Michael Hatcher
every.Word Poetry presented The Blasphemy of a Good Bath, a new spoken word performance by Michael Hatcher exploring care, cleansing, and memory. This intimate, in-progress showcase ran October 23–26 on the Eloise Stage at The VORTEX in Austin, TX.
Each night opened with a curated showcase of poets, musicians, and multidisciplinary artists selected by the Artistic Team. Invited artists were chosen based on demonstrated talent, community impact, reliability, and thematic alignment with the work.
Past Production
Something in Me About the Ground
Written and performed by Jasmine Games
Directed by Dr. Eva Margarita
Presented on September 23rd, 2024, on the Garden Stage at The VORTEX, Something In Me About the Ground was an early showing of Jasmine Games’ debut choreopoem. This intimate, multidisciplinary work explored ancestral memory, generational resilience, and the rituals that ground us in everyday life.
The piece was featured as part of our regularly scheduled every.Word Poetry Open Mic, offering audiences a first look at a project in development and bridging the gap between community gathering and theatrical performance.
Something In Me About the Ground is currently in development, with plans to premiere as a fully produced, evening-length show in 2027.