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About the Guild
The VerbalVibe Collective Poets Guild Inc. is a community-centered arts organization dedicated to the empowerment of poets and the advancement of spoken word poetry as a cultural, educational, and professional practice.
Mission & Purpose
The mission of The VerbalVibe Collective Poets Guild Inc. is to empower poets as artists, educators, and cultural leaders by creating sustainable opportunities for creative expression, professional development, and community engagement. Through spoken word programming, education, and collaboration, the Guild supports poets in strengthening their voices, expanding their impact, and building lasting artistic pathways within the communities they serve.
A Guild Model Rooted in Empowerment
The VerbalVibe Collective Poets Guild operates through a guild-based model that prioritizes the collective empowerment of poets rather than individual advancement alone. This model recognizes poets as professionals whose lived experience, creative labor, and cultural contributions deserve structure, support, and respect.
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Our approach emphasizes:
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Empowering poets through paid performance, facilitation, and teaching opportunities
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Supporting artistic growth, skill development, and professional sustainability
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Creating access to platforms, resources, and institutional partnerships
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Centering poet agency within community-centered programming
Our Work & Impact
Through live performances, educational workshops, and long-term residencies, the Guild empowers poets to engage audiences, lead creative learning experiences, and contribute meaningfully to cultural and educational spaces. Programming is designed to elevate poet voices while fostering dialogue, reflection, and creative development across youth, adult, and intergenerational audiences.
Leadership
The VerbalVibe Collective Poets Guild Inc. was founded by Lablaque Williams, a national award-winning spoken word artist and teaching artist whose work centers poet empowerment, artistic integrity, and community engagement. As Founder and Lead Teaching Artist, Williams provides artistic direction while cultivating opportunities for Guild artists to grow, lead, and collaborate within a supportive collective framework.
Our Commitment
The Guild is committed to empowering poets through ethical partnerships, equitable collaboration, and programming that honors creative autonomy while remaining responsive to community needs. We believe spoken word poetry is both an artistic discipline and a tool for connection, learning, and well-being, and we steward that responsibility with care.
Our Portfolio
Welcome to our portfolio. Here you’ll find a selection of our work. Explore our projects to learn more about what we do.
