Word has gone out about the ACT heats of the Australian Poetry Slam competition which will culminate in much hoopla at the Sydney Theatre:
For the first time ever the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has three Australian Poetry Slam heats throughout September and October. Showcasing some of Canberra’s finest poets these heats will decide who will compete in the ACT Final on 3 November. The top two poets from this final will become Canberra’s champions in the Australian Poetry Slam at the Sydney Theatre on Saturday 1 December.
Run by the team behind BAD!SLAM!NO!BISCUIT!, Canberra’s first and longest running poetry slam in The Phoenix Pub, the Australian Poetry Slam heats will be held at The Front Gallery and Café on Friday 28 September, Smiths Alternative Bookshop on Saturday 6 October, and The Phoenix Pub on Wednesday17 October. Five poets from each heat will then clash at New Acton for two spots in the National Final, and prizes from sponsors Impact Comics, Mind Games Canberra, and New Acton.
Poetry Slam was invented in Chicago by Marc Kelly Smith in 1984 to give poetry back to everybody. A poetry slam involves five randomly chosen audience members scoring each poet’s poem. The highest and lowest scores are dropped just in case a poet’s Mum or ex-partner are picked to judge. The rules of this poetry slam are two minutes on stage, your original work, and no musical accompaniment.
If you’re a new player here are the ACT entrants from 2010 to give you a feel for what’s involved: