SLAMBassadors UK

In partnership with The Poetry Society, Wow proudly presents…

SLAMbassadors UK

The UK’s only professional development ONLINE slam

Listening to last year’s respect poets reinforced my belief in the power of the word. These poems were
more powerful than any political speech, they were more honest than any lecture, they spoke of history, they spoke of now, they spoke of the future…
Benjamin Zephaniah, Poet

Page fright? Stage fright? Got a mobile phone with video recording, or a camcorder?

Working with spoken word artist Curtis Watt (aka C Zero), young people in Liverpool will be given the opportunity to express themselves and deliver powerful and captivating performances. As he explains

“Poetry is a celebration of language and its power to change the world. When we find the poet in ourselves, what changes will we bring?” Curtis Watt (aka C Zero)

SLAMbassadors UK online slam is open to all 12-18 year olds living in either London or Liverpool.

If you’re keen to develop your writing and stage skills, this is the competition for you.

What: Original poem or rap (with or without beatbox – no music) written by you.
How: Film your performance piece using your mobile or a camcorder. Email Writing on the Wall for an entry form info@writingonthewall.org.uk or call Madeline or Jess on 0151 703 0020

Length: 3 minutes max
Theme: Respect / Identity

All entries will be vetted by a team of professional spoken word artists, and uploaded to our website, where
the general public will be allowed to vote on each of the videos. Professional judges will have the final say,
selecting winners from both London and Liverpool. These winners will be mentored by professional artists
before having the opportunity to perform on stage in front of a live audience.

Closing date for entries: 19 December 2008

Liverpool slammers – contact:
Madeline or Jess  info@writingonthewall.org.uk 0151 703 0020

London slammers – contact:
Joelle Taylor  jtaylor@poetrysociety.org.uk 0207 420 9893 / 07847 372892

Visit: http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/rise

Notes for Teachers and Youth Leaders

If you want to increase your understanding of performance poetry and the slam arena, or even just to look at creative entry points into the curriculum, there will be a FREE INSET Workshop. For more details contact Writing on the Wall.

The SLAMbassadors Online Slam is an excellent and innovative way of getting your students involved in the art of performance poetry, and helps improve standards of literacy, as well as raising confidence and developing communication skills.
As the theme of the slam is ‘Respect’ and involves the discussion of socio-political issues, it is also a great way of provoking debate in the classroom. So, whether you teach English, Drama, EAL, History or Citizenship, the slam can be relevant. Please note that all entries are vetted and will contain no offensive language.