Gabriela Garcia Medina

Gabriela Garcia Medina

Poet

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  • 2016 Hedgebrook Screenwriting Fellow
  • Nominated Poet Laureate 2015
  • Performer of the Year APCA 2010/2011

Gabriela Garcia Medina is a spoken word poet, and filmmaker who utilizes the mediums of Film, Poetry, and Spoken Word, to address issues of identity and social injustice (often through the use of humor, comedy and light-heartedness). A 2013, Poet Laureate Nominee, Gabriela has performed her spoken word poetry at over 1000 Colleges and Universities across the United States. Internationally, she’s performed her spoken word at the Havana Jazz Festival (2003), the World Social Forum, Brazil (2005), Her one-woman show was the best-selling act on the US National College circuit from 2007-2011, and has had a run at the REDCAT Theater in Los Angeles, the Yale Peabody Museum, and Casa 0101 Theater. Her poems have appeared on commercials for Dove, Coca Cola and Toyota, and Gabriela has opened the stage for artists and influential figures such as Black Eyed Peas (Cesar Chavez March 2006), Pitbull (NCLR Conference, Miami), Kamala Harris (Sony Studios, 2010), Barrack Obama, Hillary Clinton (NCLR Conference, Miami), Mayor Villaraigosa, Deepak Chopra (2007), and Thich Nhat Hahn (2007). She has taught Poetry, Spoken Word and creative writing at Emory University in Atlanta, GA (2016).


The Art of Spoken Word
The purpose of this workshop is for students to write one complete rough draft of a spoken word poem. We will explore poetry structure, developing a creative voice, finding a story through unconventional means (such as newspaper clippings, current events, Facebook, music, art. etc.) Students will learn editing skills through workshopping their poems in class, and offering creative constructive feedback to one another.

Identity and Self Awareness through Poetry
The purpose of this workshop is for students to use poetry as a medium for self-awareness. We will explore creative writing activities to delve deep into personal questions about identity. Although students will be encouraged to share their writing with one another, it is not a requirement, they only requirement is honesty, openness, and a willingness to participate. This workshop has been taught for College students, High School students, Social Entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, etc. It’s great for community and team building as well as bringing self-awareness.

Screenwriting 101
Students will learn screenwriting fundamentals. The technical format of a screenplay, and will develop short 5-10 page short films/scenes (these can be original scenes, or spec scripts for existing shows). Students will critique each other’s work and offer creative feedback, and ideas for edits and revisions. Students should leave this workshop with ‘sellable’ short scripts that adhere to industry standards. This class will not only be fun, and creative, but will also introduce students to the mechanics of a powerful and marketable skill.

Short Story Workshop
This is an intensive creative writing workshop. Student will write a complete rough draft of a short story by the end of the hour. We will have in class writing activities to develop structure, character, awaken the subconscious, and construct plot. We will create a skeleton using the three Act structure. We will share our work, and offer creative constructive criticism to our peers, that can help further edit and polish our stories.