{"id":5828,"date":"2026-04-23T12:32:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T19:32:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/miceregithaemugofoundation.fluid22.dev\/?post_type=tribe_events&p=5828"},"modified":"2026-04-29T12:15:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T19:15:04","slug":"the-day-of-orature","status":"publish","type":"tribe_events","link":"https:\/\/miceregithaemugofoundation.fluid22.dev\/?tribe_events=the-day-of-orature","title":{"rendered":"The Day of Orature"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every story deserves a stage. Every voice carries a tradition. This summer, the public square of Syracuse becomes the place where young voices carry ancient wisdom forward \u2014 and where that act is formally recognized, celebrated, and rewarded.<\/p>\n

The Day of Orature is presented by the M\u0129cere G\u0129thae M\u0169go Foundation to mark the third anniversary of the passing of Professor M\u0129cere G\u0129thae M\u0169go \u2014 Kenyan poet, playwright, feminist thinker, and former Chair of the Department of African American Studies at Syracuse University. Professor M\u0169go believed that the spoken word is not a relic of the past, but a living instrument of justice, memory, and community. This festival is her legacy made public \u2014 brought into the streets she walked for three decades.<\/p>\n

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What Is Orature?<\/h4>\n

Orature encompasses spoken poetry, storytelling, proverb, song, call-and-response, and oral performance \u2014 the forms of human expression that predate writing and carry the history, identity, and wisdom of communities across generations. It is, in the words of Professor M\u0169go: “not a thing of the past \u2014 it is a living, breathing, transforming body of expression.”<\/em> This competition is a formal declaration that those traditions belong to young people today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Youth Orature Showcase & Competition<\/h2>\n

At the center of the day is an open-call, adjudicated performance competition inviting students from Grades 3\u201312 across the Syracuse metropolitan area and greater Central New York region to submit performances in one or more of five Orature categories. A Screening Panel of distinguished reviewers selects finalists from digital audition videos; finalists perform live on the main stage, where a Live Jury of experts in Orature, African and African Diaspora literature, and the performing arts determines prize winners.<\/p>\n

The competition is designed to be joyful and affirming \u2014 a platform, not a gauntlet. Every participant, finalist or not, receives formal recognition. Every young person who steps to the microphone steps into a tradition that has always belonged to them.<\/p>\n

Five Performance Categories<\/div>\n
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01<\/div>\n
Spoken Word Poetry<\/div>\n
Live: 2\u20135 min \u00b7 Audition: 2\u20134 min<\/div>\n
Original, self-composed poetry performed live \u2014 using voice, rhythm, and bodily expression as instruments of meaning. Solo performers only.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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02<\/div>\n
Oral Storytelling<\/div>\n
Live: 3\u20135 min \u00b7 Audition: 3\u20135 min<\/div>\n
Narrative performance \u2014 personal, cultural, or ancestral \u2014 conveyed through voice, gesture, and presence, without a script held during performance.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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03<\/div>\n
Song-Based Narrative<\/div>\n
Live: 2\u20135 min \u00b7 Audition: 2\u20134 min<\/div>\n
An original or traditional story conveyed through song or musical performance, integrating narrative content with musical form. Up to 4 performers.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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04<\/div>\n
Proverb & Wisdom Traditions<\/div>\n
Live: 2\u20135 min \u00b7 Audition: 2\u20133 min<\/div>\n
A performance rooted in the oral knowledge traditions of proverb, riddle, or communal teaching \u2014 contextualized and performed with artistry. Solo only.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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05<\/div>\n
Call-and-Response<\/div>\n
Live: 3\u20135 min \u00b7 Audition: 3\u20134 min<\/div>\n
A participatory performance in the communal Orature tradition, engaging an audience, a group, or a co-performer in shared vocal or physical response.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Age Tiers & Prize Structure<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Tier<\/th>\nGrade Range<\/th>\n1st Place (per category)<\/th>\n2nd Place (per category)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Tier I \u2014 Young Storytellers<\/td>\nGrades 3\u20135<\/td>\n$150<\/td>\n$75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tier II \u2014 Developing Artists<\/td>\nGrades 6\u20138<\/td>\n$200<\/td>\n$100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tier III \u2014 Emerging Practitioners<\/td>\nGrades 9\u201311<\/td>\n$300<\/td>\n$150<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tier IV \u2014 Adult Practitioners<\/td>\nGrade 12<\/td>\n$400<\/td>\n$200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

All finalists receive a formal Finalist Certificate signed by Foundation leadership, recognition by name from the stage during the Awards Ceremony, and inclusion in the Day of Orature Finalist Honor Roll. A special Foundation Award for Outstanding Orature ($500)<\/strong> may be awarded by unanimous jury decision to one exceptional performer across all categories and tiers. Total maximum prize pool: $5,625<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Day-of Schedule<\/h2>\n

The Day of Orature is a festival, not an auditorium competition. Finalist performances are woven into a full day of live music, community gathering, and cultural celebration.<\/p>\n