Courageous Cadence | The Poet House

Youth Open Mics: A Third Space for Young Writers, Poets, and Performers

Courageous Cadence Youth Open Mics are free creative gatherings for Austin-area youth ages 13-19. Held on select Saturdays throughout the school year, each event offers young people a welcoming third space to write, connect, and share their voices outside of school and home.

Who Can Participate

Age

High school youth ages 13-17 (or 18 & 19 if within one year of post-secondary transition)

Artistry

Spoken word poets, performers, and emerging storytellers

Experience

No prior stage or writing experience required; all levels welcome!

2026-2027 Youth
Open Mic
Dates

All gatherings are held on Saturdays from 2:00-5:00 PM at The VORTEX.

September 19, 2026
October 17, 2026
November 21, 2026
March 20, 2027
April 17, 2027
May 22, 2027

What to Expect

Participants do not have to perform to attend. Young people are welcome to come as they are, bring a friend, and participate at their own pace.

Creative writing, performance activities, and space to create

Opportunities to connect with other young artists over snacks and conversation

A youth-hosted open mic featuring poetry, music, storytelling, and performance

Leadership and support from Youth Committee members, teaching artists, and background-checked adult supervisors

What Is a Third Space?

A third space is a welcoming place outside of home and school where young people can build community, express themselves, develop leadership skills, and experience a sense of belonging.

Core Program Pillars

Creative Empowerment

Write original poems, explore your voice, and turn your experiences into powerful stories. Past participants have created poems about identity, family, and healing that were published and performed live.

Leadership Development

Build confidence through group collaboration, public speaking, and ensemble work. Youth have led community discussions and shared their stories in front of live audiences.

Community Engagement

Use poetry to talk about real issues like race, gender, disability, and justice. Participants have explored topics like police violence, cultural pride, gentrification, and mental health through spoken word.

Literacy Development

Strengthen your reading, writing, and media-making skills, including social media, zines, and digital storytelling. Past cohorts have designed their own zines and shared work on The Poet House’s platforms.

Public Performance

Perform your work on stage in a fully produced show at The VORTEX with lights, sound, and a live audience. You'll also have the chance to create promo reels, skits, and behind-the-scenes content.

Mentorship

Learn from working poets, performers, and educators who support your creative and personal growth. Past guest artists have included published author KB Brookins and 2024 National Blackberry Peach Slam finalist Michael Hatcher.

Bring Courageous Cadence to Your Community

Partner with Courageous Cadence to create meaningful poetry and performance opportunities for young people. Book a youth poet for a performance, hire one of our teaching artists to lead a youth workshop, invite us to host an open mic, or collaborate with us on a customized creative experience for your school, organization, or community event.

Your partnership supports youth artists, expands access to spoken word programming, and helps young people build confidence, community, and creative leadership.

Courageous Cadence is a tuition-free program. While participation is completely free, we gladly accept donations to support program costs. Suggested donation amounts: $25, $50, or $100, comparable to typical youth entry fees for arts programs.

Amplify Youth Voices

Since its founding, Courageous Cadence alumni have gone on to:

Earn degrees in fields such as Art Therapy, Creative Writing, and Theatre
Work as community activists, youth leaders, and organizers
Perform as spoken word artists, theatre makers, and slam poets
Facilitate workshops and mentor younger youth in arts and justice spaces
Continue their artistic growth through public performances, residencies, and professional productions

Courageous Cadence supports youth not only as artists, but as changemakers who continue to amplify their voices and stories long after the program.

History

Courageous Cadence was founded in 2020 by Jasmine Games, Co-Executive Director of The Poet House. Originally developed through Jasmine’s graduate studies in Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities at The University of Texas at Austin, Courageous Cadence began as a Performing Justice Project that adapted ensemble performance practices to center spoken word poetry as a tool for racial, gender, and healing justice.

The early development of Courageous Cadence was supported by community partnerships with Speak Piece Poetry Project, Austin Bat Cave, and the UT Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities program. The program first launched as a virtual residency during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering online programming in Fall 2020 and Summer 2021. In 2022 and 2023, Courageous Cadence expanded into in-person summer residencies hosted through the African American Youth Harvest Foundation’s Urban University Summer Camp.

In Spring 2024, The VORTEX hosted the first full in-person Courageous Cadence residency, marking the beginning of an ongoing partnership between The Poet House and The VORTEX. During the 2025-2026 school year, Courageous Cadence grew into a tuition-free, school-year program featuring monthly intensives, guest artist workshops, writing and performance development, ensemble creation, and a private spring residency culminating in a fully staged public showcase. Participants also explored publishing and digital storytelling as additional ways to share and preserve their work.

Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, Courageous Cadence is entering a new chapter. Rather than operating primarily as a private residency for a selected cohort, the program is expanding into a series of free youth open mics and creative third-space gatherings. Hosted and co-crafted with Courageous Cadence Youth Committee members, these gatherings offer young people a consistent place outside of home and school to write, perform, build relationships, develop leadership skills, and experience creative belonging. Each event is supported and supervised by background-checked adults committed to maintaining a safe, welcoming, and youth-centered environment.

Through this transition, Courageous Cadence continues its original commitment to helping young people use poetry, performance, and community-building to explore identity, justice, healing, and the issues shaping their lives.