Mission
Our mission is to promote and encourage written and spoken word among LGBTIQ people, and in our communities. Bent aims to provide affordable writing education for queer-identified people and to create a safe space for all artists and encourage underrepresented voices by incorporating social justice and anti-oppression values into our curricula and organizational policies.
History
Bent began as the dream of a Seattle poet who longed for a larger community of queer writers. In August 2000, founder Tara Hardy held the first queer writers’ class in her living room. In a few years, this class had grown into the first (and only) queer writing institute in the country. Bent has served over 200 students and continues to educate, inspire, and encourage queer writers by offering a variety of ongoing weekly classes.
Organization
Bent is a nonprofit organization that employs one part-time staff member and a full team of volunteer teachers. The Bent Board of Directors is a group of committed volunteers that helps run the organization. Board members are responsible for fundraising, outreach, communications, programming, organizational development, and coordinating other volunteers.
Board of Directors
Marita Isabel DeLeon, Board President
Rae Ludwig, Board Vice President
Cecilia Kiely, Board Secretary
Marisa Hackett, Board Treasurer
Imani Sims, Director
Finn Cottom, Director
Effie Stansbery, Director
Sam Field, Director
Please contact bent.board@gmail.com to attend a meeting, provide feedback for the board, or to request a board application.
Currently, our part-time staff member is Elaina M. Ellis, who will serve as Bent's Interim Executive Director through March 2012. Please contact bent.director@gmail.com to connect with Elaina around issues of programming and resource development.
Read the "About Our Teachers" section to learn about our fantastic volunteer teachers.
Our Teachers
Bent’s teaching staff is a dedicated group of more than twenty instructors. Each teacher participates in our teacher training program, which includes yearly anti-oppression workshops and ongoing assessments. Our teachers are talented writers and performers—Bent’s current teacher roster includes National Poetry Slam competitors, published poets, writers with MFA degrees, and some of Seattle’s most acclaimed spoken word artists. They are also excellent facilitators that embody Bent’s teaching philosophy of focusing on the strengths of a piece of writing and creating a supportive classroom environment for all writers.
You can read our teacher bios here.
Location
Bent is located in Seattle at the intersection of the Capitol Hill and Central District neighborhoods. Go here for directions.