Dorrian Tyrell Bridges (born April 2nd, 1997) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Bridges gained distinction and acclaim for his hybrid style that combined his unique spoken word delivery, pained lyrics, and dark classical production. As an entrepreneur, Dorrian Bridges and his Wife founded The Lindsay School of the Arts, a private performing arts school dedicated to providing high-quality arts education programming at no cost, ensuring complete accessibility to children and families.

Orlando, FL native and nationally renowned spoken word artist "Ja Rhymes" gracing the mic with her original work, word play and powerful delivery. JaRhymes has done BET sponsored events, Michael Colyar morning show, Apachee XLR, as well as being featured in HOT1 Magazine for emerging artist.

Bradley Morewood, a native of Brooklyn, lives in Tampa where he enjoys writing, and performing and recording his poetry to improvised music. His poetry has appeared in Wild River Review, Meridian Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, Blue Collar Review, Dream International Quarterly, Red Ochre Black and White, Solo Novo Wall Scrawls, Wild Violet, Jellyfish Whispers, Pyrokinection, and other publications. His chapbook "Where the Bangles Live" was published by invitation by St. Leo University.

Stephen Lindow was from FL when he moved to MA in 1998 to squeak out an MFA in English from UMass-Amherst in 2004 where he taught, loafed, trespassed, and was diagnosed. Moving to Los Angeles in summer 2012, he eked out survival with performing and creating poetry films from his laptop. He's published poems in ARTillery, Bad Robot Poetry, Penumbra, The Massachusetts Review, Bateau, and Meat For Tea.

Born Stephanie Jackson, Gemini Fox is the love child of Dr. Seuss and Maya Angelou. She speaks in parables and sea water runs through her veins. Using her work as a tool that unites others through common experiences. Gemini is a keen welder of raw emotion. She says that her goal as an artist is to be a voice for the voiceless, believing that poetry can be found in everything. She uses her poems to foster healing, understanding and create connections. She is an active member of the Growhouse Tampa artist collective.

Hailing from Florida, DaVon Roberts has harnessed his upbringing in the church and transformed his personal struggles into a compelling form of artistic expression. Following a near-death encounter, DaVon's mother inspired him to turn to writing to convey his faith, sparking a profound love for language that has since blossomed into poetry, melodies, and spoken word performances. From secondary school onward, DaVon has dedicated himself to perfecting his craft, cultivating self-assurance and forming bonds with fellow creatives through networking and collaboration. His masterful works delve into the depth of human experience, exploring themes of forgiveness and self-discovery, all while striving to lead not only himself but also his audiences towards a path of healing, love, and inner tranquility.

Anthony Patterson is a poet in St. Petersburg, FL. He has written a short poetry book called Life In Traffic and is a founding contributor to Neptune Poetry Magazine (St. Pete's Seasonal Local Poetry and art journal). He enjoys pineapple on pizza and wholeheartedly knows that mayonnaise is disgusting. Most things he shares are in person but sometimes end up on Instagram: @silly.ap or @poet.ap WUSF and Arts Axis Florida is proud to host the Spoken Word Poetry Video Series in the WUSF Performance Studio in Tampa, Florida. This video series highlights local Florida spoken word and slam poets as they perform up to three original poems. Spoken Word is co-presented by The Blunt Space and powered by Community Foundation Tampa Bay.

Liz Prisley is a writer, performance poet, and educator based out of Tampa, Florida. Since 2008 she has taught many forms of writing as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany, as well as at Virginia Tech, the University of Tampa, and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She earned her MA in English from Virginia Tech and her BA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida. Liz is currently the Executive Director of Heard Em Say Youth Arts Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to youth empowerment through creative arts. As a slam poet, Liz has represented Tampa at regional and national competitions, and her work can be seen on “SlamFind” and “Poetry Slam, Inc.” In addition to being a boss poet, Liz is also a passionate coffee drinker and fro-yo aficionado. WUSF and Arts Axis Florida is proud to host the Spoken Word Poetry Video Series in the WUSF Performance Studio in Tampa, Florida. This video series highlights local Florida spoken word and slam poets as they perform up to three original

Shorty Roc* was born September 11, 1981 in Binghamton, NY. After a couple of years of traveling his mother settled Shorty Roc* and his older brother in a northern part of the Bronx, NY called Co-op City. It was in Co-op City that Shorty Roc* began to get involved in a vast amount of trouble by being surrounded by neighborhood gangs, drugs, alcohol, and an assortment of criminals. Shorty Roc* found himself wrapped up in the street life that many inner-city teens experience everyday. By the time Shorty Roc* was initiated into his first neighborhood gang, he had already been involved in numerous petty crimes in and around The Bronx. As his popularity grew, his temper and attitude began to reflect that of a bitter teen stressed out by the over whelming temptation to fit in. Due to peer pressure and a deep-rooted anger, Shorty Roc* began to harass, beat up, and even rob the teens that lived in and around his neighborhood.