Teen Poets to Perform April 26 at ‘ImmortALL’ Poetry Grand Finale

Hampton Roads youth poets and the adults who support them will gather 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, in the Zeiders American Dream Theater, 4509 Commerce St., for the finale of “ImmortALL,” a performance poetry program, where oral history shared by elders is translated into beautiful, original youth spoken word art. The event is free and open to the public.  

This program, now in its fifth season, is the result of a partnership between the Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department and Teens With a Purpose (TWP), inviting Hampton Roads teens to learn about local Black history and the lively art of performance poetry. 

In “ImmortALL,” performance poetry and modern social change meet oral history and the civil rights movement in this unique program. During the final performance, teens will display their re-interpretations of local oral history through the lens of their own experiences with current events.  

As part of the program, teens participated in workshops with alumni from Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School, the first high school for Black students in Princess Anne County, which is now known as Virginia Beach. Teens met alumni in the Princess Anne County Training School/Union Kempsville High School to hear their stories and use those stories as inspiration in their writings. 

Margie Coefield, a class of 1962 Union Kempsville High School graduate who participated in the ImmortALL workshops, told students “When you see the light and you climb out, reach back and say, ‘Can I still help you?’” 

This year’s event includes announcements from the 2025 Hampton Roads Youth Poet Laureate and Virginia Youth Poet Laureate, with performances by the winners and finalists. 

The program is free to attend but advance registration is requested. TWP workshops are supported in part by grants from the Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission. 

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