Exit 36 Slam Poetry Festival

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Pompano Beach Cultural Center

Tarriona "Tank" Ball

Tank and the Bangas frontwoman, Tarriona "Tank" Ball

to Appear at Exit 36 Slam Poetry Festival

Grammy-Award Nominee to Share Poetry from Her Acclaimed Book

Pompano Beach Arts is excited to announce that the 6th Annual Exit 36 Slam Poetry Festival will feature Grammy-nominated artist Tarriona "Tank" Ball. The fiery powerhouse lead singer of Tank and The Bangas is also an accomplished spoken word artist, who will read from her first book of poetry, Vulnerable AF, the real-life story of a relationship in the author's past, told in verse and short prose pieces. The 3-day festival features the country’s best spoken word artists in a dynamic slam competition along with artist talks, writing workshops and other fun-filled events. The event will take place December 7-9, 2023, at several of the city’s cultural venues. Festival Pass tickets (admission to all events) are $30. For tickets and more details, visit www.pompanobeacharts.org.

“In its sixth year, the Exit 36 objectives remain the same -- to pay homage to poetry, spoken word, literacy, community engagement, and to celebrate the arts. We are thrilled to welcome to our stages the 20 amazing poets who will compete, and also the spectacularly gifted Tarriona "Tank" Ball as a featured artist,” said Ty Tabing, Director, Cultural Affairs Department.

“We are thrilled that Tank will be celebrating the dynamic art of spoken word with our community,” said Ty Tabing, Director, Cultural Affairs Department. “Her deeply personal debut poetry collection hits on themes we can all relate to infatuation, love, and heartbreak. We are honored she will be performing at Exit 36.”

The annual festival, the brainchild of Pompano Beach resident Sharonda “Eccentrich” Richardson, will reward the first-place winner with a prize of $2,500, with second and third place awards of $1,500 and $1,000, respectively. Eccentrich is the winner of a Pompano Beach Cultural Arts Award recognizing outstanding creativity. She has graced the stages of over 45 venues from Florida to California. She is a member of the celebrated spoken word team, Dada, which finished first in the nation during the 2017 National Poetry Slam. Her poetry is also featured on Button Poetry, an acclaimed platform committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion, and fundraising for performance poetry.

“We are honored and grateful that this year, Exit 36 is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Florida Division of Arts and Culture,” stated Richardson. “Providing an empowering platform to discuss topical and emotional issues is a critical artform and we are honored to use this event to encourage young people to continue to develop their writing, critical thinking and speaking skills.”

Hailing from New Orleans, Tarriona "Tank" Ball is a songwriter, author, poet, and the frontwoman of the two-time Grammy-nominated group Tank and The Bangas. The four-piece group has a rare knack for combining various musical styles, including fiery soul, deft hip-hop, deep-diving R&B, and subtle jazz. Writing in The Washingtonian, Heather Rudow described the group's work as "lively fusion of funk, soul, hip hop, rock, and spoken word.” Tank is also known for her impressive spoken word skills and in 2021 released her first book of poetry, Vulnerable AF, the real-life story of a relationship in the author's past told in verse and short prose pieces. She has collaborated with artists Norah Jones, Lalah Hathaway, Robert Glasper, Moonchild, Brasstracks, Terence Blanchard, and many more.

Exit 36 Slam Poetry Festival Schedule

· Thursday, December 7 | Pompano Beach Cultural Center

Prelims 6pm-7pm

Poetry reading w/Tank 7:30pm – 8pm

Prelims 8pm to 9pm

Cypher on the rooftop 9pm to 11pm

· Friday, December 8 | Pompano Beach Cultural Center

Workshop 5pm to 6pm

Prelims 6pm to 7pm

Artist Talk w/Tank 7pm to 8pm

Prelims 8pm to 9pm

Since You Here Anyway Side Slam 9pm to 11pm

· Saturday, December 9 | Ali Cultural Center and Pompano Beach Cultural Center

Workshop 10a -11am (Ali)

Story Slam 11am-12pm (Ali)

About the City of Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs Department

The mission of the Cultural Affairs Department is to provide cultural programming that includes visual arts, digital media, music, film, theater, dance, and public art for the enjoyment and enrichment of residents and visitors to Pompano Beach, Broward County, and the greater South Florida area. The department programs and manages the City’s premiere cultural arts venues including the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, Ali Cultural Arts Center, Bailey Contemporary Arts Center, and the Blanche Ely House Museum. The department also oversees the City’s Public Art Program and the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town grant awarded to the Pompano Beach Crossroads place-making arts initiative.