Organization Details:

Bent Arts

Bent Arts promotes and encourages written and spoken word among LGBTIQ people and in our communities. Through low-impact, accessible, and high quality writing classes, Bent cultivates a space in which students can craft their work, bringing voice to their personal experiences and truths.

Description:
Bent Arts is the nation's only non-profit queer writing institute. Bent's classes emphasize both craft and connection, offering students a chance to develop within a non-traditional, yet high quality, classroom environment. Classes are open to writers of all genres and experience levels, even those who don't consider themselves "writers". Bent helps students to connect with performance, networking, and publishing opportunities on local, regional, and national levels.

Outside the classroom, Bent offers various organizing, volunteer, leadership, and performance opportunities. Bent Board members, committee members, and other volunteers work within an energizing community as they build and sustain the infrastructure necessary to a vibrant organization.

History:
Bent Arts began as the dream of a queer poet longing for a bigger community of queer writers. Tara Hardy took action, and in August of 2000 the first queer writers' class took place in her living room. The supportive and empowering collective has blossomed ever since. Classes filled up quickly, and in early 2004, Bent Arts was born as a non-profit organization.

Contact people:

Airen Lydick, Board Development Chair, (phone), (email) Bent Office, (email)

Main office number: (206) 860-3035

Address:

1620 18th AVE, STE 10 Seattle, WA 98122 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.bentwriting.com

Directions:

Bent Arts is located in the Madison Non Profit Building on the southeast corner of the intersection of 18th Avenue and Madison Street. This location is in the Capitol Hill/Central District area and is about a five minute drive from Interstate 5 and downtown Seattle.   Nearest Bus Stop: Route 12, one minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Liability
	No
Does your organization welcome court-ordered community service volunteers?
	Yes
Does your organization have volunteer positions for youth 12-18?
	No

Last updated on February 19, 2010