April is National Poetry Month, and from April 5 to 27, the third annual Los Angeles Get Down Festival will celebrate hip-hop and the spoken word. The festival is presented by the Greenway Arts Alliance in association with Da Poetry Lounge, and events will be held at the Greenway Court Theatre at 544 N. Fairfax Ave.

Shihan Van Clief (photo by Neil Raja)

“Greenway has been a gathering place for who’s who in the spoken word poetry movement. The Get Down Festival is a curated window into this revolutionary art form. We are thrilled to be celebrating National Poetry Month in April with our festival presentation, so if you are a playwright, screenwriter, actor or anyone interested in being inspired by original expression, come hang out with the poets,” said Greenway Arts Alliance Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director Pierson Blaetz.

The festival will include invitational team and indie slams from youths and adults from all over the country, showcases, workshops and other events.

“Spoken word expands all ages and cultures. We’re excited to have such a diverse schedule of talent leading the workshops this year. They embody the true spirit of Greenway’s commitment to arts and education,” added Greenway Arts Alliance Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director Whitney Weston.

Da Poetry Lounge Co-Founder Shihan Van Clief serves as artistic director for the festival, which will play host to the 11th anniversary of inkSlam, a competition that will bring teams from all over the country to compete for bragging rights and a $3,000 prize pool. The inkSlam semifinals will be Friday, April 26, and the finals will be Saturday, April 27.

“The L.A. Get Down Festival has importance beyond the city of Los Angeles. One of the main reasons is the lack of any national competition. With the National Poetry Slam’s governing board dissolving at the end of 2018, the ‘nationally’ sanctioned slam event is defunct. The L.A. Get Down allows teams from all over the country to compete against each other during our inkSlam competition,” Van Clief said. “Poetry is very much a niche art form, but with the Get Down, we have the ability to show folks that the best way to find an appreciation for it is to experience it in a different capacity than what they’ve been used to. And hopefully, that’s what they get from this year’s festival.”

The festival is presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Arts program. For information, visit weho.org/arts. Support is provided by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

Single ticket prices range from $10 to $20. Full festival passes are also available for $75. Patrons 25 or younger can select five events for $25. Free parking is available next door at the Fairfax High School parking lot.

For information, visit greenwaycourttheatre.org/lagetdown2019 or call (323)673-0544.