Immerse yourself in the northeast Ohio poetry community and kickstart your poetic creativity with the Literary Cleveland Poetry Summer Camp. A five-week mix of in-person interactive field trips and online group workshop meetings, Poetry Summer Camp is designed to create solidarity, camaraderie, and connection among Northeastern Ohio poets of all experience levels.
Celebrated Cleveland poets Demetria "Substance" McCulloh and Raja Belle Freeman will lead campers on a journey from ekphrasis to the poetry of grief, nature, and much more. The month of poetry fun and community will include an open mic showcase at the Lakewood Arts Festival on August 1st.
Poets of all experience levels are welcome. Each class week will feature: one Saturday in-person interactive field trip, some outside-of-class generative writing time, and one Wednesday evening class (6:30-8:30 PM) meeting via Zoom.
Each virtual session on Wednesdays (July 8-August 5) will feature a mix of work sharing, group discussions, mini craft lessons, best practice sharing, and/or writing sprints.
Saturday Field Trip activities will take place from 1-3 PM at the following locations (subject to adjustments based on weather).
- Saturday July 11, Borderlight Festival
- Saturday July 18, Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA)
- Saturday July 25, Lakeview Cemetery
- Saturday August 1, Lakewood Arts Festival Poetry Showcase (time TBD)
- Saturday August 3, Edgewater Park
Details: Poetry Summer Camp with Raja Belle Freeman and Demetria "Substance" McCulloh will meet Wednesdays July 8th - August 5th from 6:30-8:30PM via Zoom, and in-person on Saturdays from July 11th - August 8th from 1:00-3:00PM (not including travel time).
Prerequisites: None
Genre: Poetry
Level: All levels
Format: Generative meetings, discussions, and activities for poets
Location: Wednesdays online via Zoom and Saturdays at various locations
Size: Limited to 30 participants
Suggested Sequence: Follow this class with an intermediate or advanced poetry class
Scholarships: Five scholarship spots are available for this class for writers in Northeast Ohio. Apply by April 19. Click here to apply.
Cancellations & Refunds: Cancel at least 48 hours in advance of the first meeting to receive a full refund. Email info@litcleveland.org.
Work with the best...
Raja Belle Freeman is a performance poet and visual artist, is a teaching artist for Lake Erie Ink and a member of the board of South Euclid's community development corporation, One South Euclid.
Online and Various Locations
Cleveland, OH
Related Classes
2026 Poetry Intensive (FULL)
