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Martin Luther King Spoken Word contest: inspire others with your story

Are you a word artist, poet or storyteller dreaming of a spot on the stage? Get inspired by the ideas of Martin Luther King and have a chance to win a performance prior to the Martin Luther King Lecture at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on Thursday, 9 October 2025.

With the Martin Luther King Spoken Word contest, we bring together a community of poets, word artists and lovers of these art forms. Together, we celebrate the power of words, both within the VU community and beyond. Let your voice be heard, show your creativity and expression and inspire others with your story.

Theme

The theme of the Martin Luther King Lecture 2025, and therefore also of the Spoken Word contest, is 'Radical Social Justice'. Give your own twist to this timeless theme or talk about something close to your heart. Share your dreams and tell us your untold story.

Participation

  • Keep it short but sweet: your performance should be no longer than two and a half minutes. Longer videos will not be judged.
  • Both Dutch- and English-language submissions are welcome.
  • The theme of the Martin Luther King Lecture must be reflected in the lyrics.
  • You yourself should be featured in the performance video.
  • Make sure your recording is professional, with no background noise and no musical additions such as instruments, and not made in a personal space such as a bathroom.
  • Send us a video of your performance using the form below. Upload your video via YouTube (set your video to hidden/hidden) and put the link in the form.
  • Also submit a file with your text using this form.
  • The deadline for submission is Sunday, 21 September 2025. Email submissions will not be judged.
  • Keep Thursday evening, 9 October, free in your diary.


Yes, I am taking part in this contest

Nominations

An expert jury, consisting of Dave Ensberg-Kleijkers (chairman), Mitchell Esajas, Uchaindani Watson and Yasin Nurmohamed, will nominate three candidates. They may give their performance to the audience on Wednesday 9 October between 19:30 and 20:00. The jury will choose one winner from the three candidates, who will be allowed to give his/her recital again on stage. The winner will receive 500 euros, while the other two candidates will receive 250 euros each.

Register today. The stage awaits your voice and story!


About the Martin Luther King Lecture
Martin Luther King's non-violent struggle for equal rights is an inspiration to this day. With his speeches, he enthused many and managed to build bridges and remove resistance. In 1965, King received an honorary doctorate in Social Sciences from VU Amsterdam. The annual Martin Luther King Lecture is in memory of his work and to inspire the prevailing zeitgeist. Prior to the lecture, a Spoken Word contest will take place at VU Amsterdam.

Read more about the Martin Luther King Lecture 2025

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