Poetry Out Loud is Around the Corner!

Poetry Out Loud 2026 is taking place at the end of the month, and you are invited!

After months of poetry recitation competitions in classrooms across the country, the 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Finals are gearing up. The finals will take place on from April 28-29 in Washington, DC.

This year, state and jurisdictional champions will recite poetry from an anthology celebrating historic voices in recognition of America's 250th anniversary. The semifinals will take place on Tuesday, April 28th. The finals will be held on Wednesday, April 29. The finals will be hosted by actress Justine "Icy" Moral, currently starring as Martha Jefferson in Ford Theatre's 1776 production.

Students will compete for the national champion title and a $20,000 cash prize. The second- and third-place finalists will receive $10,000 and $5,000 awards.

Both events take place at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium. Come cheer on your state's student champion, or enjoy an evening of free poetry! The semifinals and finals will also be livestreamed here.

View a full schedule of recitations and view all finalists at the Poetry Out Loud website.

Philly Jazz Month is Here!

The second annual Philly Jazz Month is here!

Philadelphia has long been the birthplace of notable and transformative figures in jazz history. By bringing people together to celebrate our jazz heritage, we honor the many contributions of the jazz community and appreciate the vibrant jazz scene that thrives today. 

Throughout April, there's something for everyone to enjoy, from eclectic live performances to in-school educational programs designed to unite communities and uplift local artists. 

Here are just some of the exciting upcoming events:

• Saturday, April 18: Philly Jazz Month at Bok Bar. Live jazz on the roof of the Bok Building to celebrate Philly Jazz Month and to kick off the 10th year of Bok Bar! More info here.

• Sunday, April 19: Dual release show of Ben O'Neill Trio "Unexpected Flock" and Shane Adam Aaserud "Music for an Apparition of One's Self:" Free event in the beautiful setting of PA's oldest church, Old Swedes Church. More info here.

• Saturday, April 25: Dendê Macêdo's Recycled Sounds: music made with recycled materials at Borski Park! Kid's recycled percussion making workshop at 1pm, and a free outdoor show at 6pm. More info here.

• Sunday, April 26: Beboppin and Books at Harriet's Bookshop: a children's literary event highlighting Jazz arts and music from the Harlem Renaissance, with stories and live music, featuring Denise King.

Image: Jazz on a Women's Day at Philly Jazz Month 2025. Credit: Tori Green Photos.

MAA Stories: Keeping Virgin Island's Culture Alive

With its Annual Folklife Festival, Ten Sleepless Knights are sustaining the Virgin Islands’ vibrant culture.

This Cultural Sustainability: Community Roots grantee began as a music group performing Quelbe, a US Virgin Islands folk music style blending bamboula rhythms and chants, Cariso songs and melodies. Ten Sleepless Knights have been performing Quelbe for over 55 years, but their work doesn't stop there.

Ten Sleepless Knights also hosts the Virgin Islands Folklife Festival. Held on both St. Croix and St. Thomas, this festival has celebrated Virgin Islands music, dance, foodways, and more.

Read this grantee feature by Karen Thurland, PhD at our MAA Stories page.

Image: Bamboula dancers from St. Thomas performing at Fort Frederik, St. Croix, for the Virgin Islands Folklife Festival. Credit: Karen Thurland.

Upcoming Program Application Deadlines

Mid Atlantic Presenter Initiatives

The Mid Atlantic Presenter Initiatives (MAPI) program supports performing arts presentations with artist subsidies to presenters. The program is open now and accepting applications until April 30, 2026 for projects taking place between September 1, 2026- December 31, 2027. 

Watch a recording of the MAPI program webinar here.

Reach out to Program Director, Performing Arts & Accessibility Coordinator Sarah Lewitus with any questions: slewitus@midatlanticarts.org. 

Deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Learn more here.

Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects Grants

Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects grants fund projects that support the vitality of traditional arts and cultures in the mid-Atlantic region. Non-profit organizations in DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, USVI, PR, or WV may apply.

Eligible project activities may include performances, public art collaborations, workshops/trainings, exhibitions, fieldwork/documentation, and creation of new traditional work. Mid Atlantic Arts encourages projects that support or engage underserved or underrepresented artists, practitioners, traditions, or constituents.

Deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Learn more and apply here.

Opportunity Quick Links

• Disability Culture Currents (DCC), a new online publication from Disability Culture Lab, is accepting submissions for personal essays, opinions, and graphic storytelling that illustrate how a system of oppression is disabling, explore the intersections of social movements and identity, or explain how an unexpected issue is a disability issue. DCC pays $75 per published submission. Creators maintain ownership of their submissions, and the right to republish their work 90 days after publication in DCC. Submissions are reviewed weekly. Deadline: rolling. Learn more here.

• The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region is accepting applications for grants benefiting residents of the town or school district of Niskayuna, NY. Programs can include services in the fields of health and human services, arts and culture, community development, conservation, and historic preservation and recreation. Grants made for the competitive grant program may not exceed $10,000. Grant requests at or below $2,000 may be considered under the mini-grant program. The grant period may not exceed one year in duration. Deadline: Friday, April 17, 2026. Learn more here.

• The William Penn Foundation is accepting applications for Arts and Culture Programming. The foundation will provide support for efforts that connect more Philadelphians to high-quality arts and culture experiences that reflect the cultural diversity of the region and contribute to its vibrancy. The foundation will prioritize support for performances, exhibitions, and other arts and culture projects designed to address historic inequities of access to arts and culture experiences. Deadline: Thursday, April 23, 2026. Learn more here.

• HumanitiesDC is accepting applications for its Community Grants, including the DC Oral History Collaborative - Beyond the Archives Grant, the Continuing Oral History Projects Grant, and the General Operating Support Grant. The DC Oral History Collaborative Grants support public-facing humanities projects showcasing existing oral history collections. Individuals, community groups, and organizations are eligible to apply. General Operating Support Grants provide general operations of humanities-focused nonprofits with budgets of under $2 million. Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026. Learn more here.

• Virginia Humanities is accepting applications for the Rosel Schewel Fellowship. The Rosel Schewel Fellowship will be awarded to a writer, artist, cultural worker, or community scholar working in and around the story of women in Virginia. The fellowship will culminate in a public event and presentation. Fellows must be eighteen years or older, be a US citizen, and reside in Virginia. Project proposals must be relevant to communities within Virginia. Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026. Learn more here.

• The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation is accepting proposals for performing arts grants. The Foundation provides mostly general operating support to not-for-profit producing and presenting organizations of New York City that deliver the highest quality work on stage in dance, music, opera and theatre, regarding both classical legacies and its contemporary forms. The Foundation also supports an extremely limited number of pre-professional conservatory and development programs in New York City for early-career artists. Deadline: Monday, June 1, 2026. Learn more here.

Image: On November 13, 2024, Cirque Kalabante performed a School-Time Matinee for nearly 900 youth, teachers and parents at the Moss Arts Center, Virginia Tech at an ArtsCONNECT engagement. Credit: Max Catalano.