Twelve Literary Arts
An ecosystem for poets and writers of color across generations
meeting at the intersection of identity and social justice
TLA'S Mission
Twelve Literary Arts bring storytelling and performance poetry to public spaces, while supporting poets and writers of all ages with youth programming, adult professional development, and brave spaces, to dream, write, and teach into reality a world of social justice and equity.
Founded by poet, educator, and youth activist Daniel Gray-Kontar in 2016, TLA provides literary arts instruction and leadership development to high school-aged youth while offering an expansive slate of programming to adult poets, writers, and storytellers. Working in collaboration with an array of community partners, Twelve Literary Arts has played a pivotal role in merging the stories of everyday neighborhood residents with the creative placekeeping efforts of community development corporations, developers, and city planners. Twelve Literary Arts are one of the leading contributors to the local dialogue about the intersection of the arts and social transformation in the city of Cleveland.
OUR PROGRAMS
Room 201 Workshops
Room 201
Room 201 is Twelve Literary Arts' series of youth residencies provided to public, private, and charter schools, libraries, and other educational institutions across Northeast Ohio. The workshops are led by experienced teaching artists of color and are designed to introduce high school students to the world of living literary artists of color and to inspire them to find their own voices to speak truth to power.
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The Barbara Smith Writer-in-Residence
The Barbara Smith Residency
The Barbara Smith Writer-in-Residence program provides a $5000 stipend, an apartment to live and work, and a safe creative space for established poets and writers of prominence and emerging writers of promise to bring a current project to completion.
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The Hough Youth Advisory Board
The Hough Youth Advisory Board
The Hough Youth Advisory Board is a small community of high school and college-age youth who work together to make decisions that impact the Hough neighborhood. The youth selected represent the Hough neighborhood as positive change agents, using their gifts toward improving the neighborhood and the city.
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Baldwin House
Urban Writing Residency
Baldwin House
The 20 writers accepted into Baldwin House Urban Writing Residency are from Northeast Ohio and across the country. They are divided into two cohorts in the Winter and Summer, and meet once per week for 8 weeks with their fellow writers-in-residence. Baldwin House writers are paired with professional writing mentors who provide them with critical feedback.
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Russell Atkins After School Fellowship
Russell Atkins Fellowship Program
The Russell Atkins After School Youth Poetry Fellowship is the flagship youth education program of Twelve Literary Arts. The Fellowship accepts 25 youth from across Northeast Ohio for a 7-month experience that is designed to develop youth as poets, scholars, teachers, and community leaders. The Fellowship is open to youth between the ages of 14-19.
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Twelve Arts Media
Twelve Arts Media
Twelve Arts Media is the book music publishing arm of Twelve Literary Arts. Twelve Arts Media publishes two literary works and two albums by Northeast Ohio-based artists per year.
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Reviews of TLA
An impeccable space, packed with a ton of comfort, remarkable vibrations, and stunning people who create powerful works. It's most definitely a jewel.
- Dominque Howsepatron 
I love the energy at Twelve. Being surrounded by so many talented people is inspiring and confirms that Cleveland is filled to the brim with amazing artists.
- Ebony Friarpatron 
I can not say enough about the work being done to transform lives and communities through Twelve Literary Arts!
I encourage people to Partner with Twelve, it's an investment that will yield a generational return!
- Celena Powellpatron 
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Currently based in historic Glenville on Cleveland’s east side, Twelve Literary Arts has a 9-person Board of Directors, which formed in May 2017. The organization’s original name was Twelve Literary and Performative Arts Incubator, but in June 2017 the organization shortened its name to Twelve Literary Arts.