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Qualifying to be Vancouver’s 2008 IWPS representative.
If you are interested in qualifying for the competition to be Vancouver’s representative for the Individual World Poetry Slam held this year in Charlotte, North Carolina please read the following.
1) Qualifying slam will be held on
June 2nd
June 16th
June 30th
July 7th
July 21st
August 4th
August 18th
and
September 1st
2) The winner of each slam will move on to our playoff on September 15th. If the winner of that slam has already qualified for the IWPS playoff than the individual that places second will receive qualification for that slam; if first and second are both already qualified, then third place qualifies etc.
3)For the slam on September 15th, poets are expected to bring one minute, two minute and four minute poems to slam for that evening. Standard rules (no props, costumes, etc.) apply. In the event of a tie after three rounds there will be a fourth round consisting of three minute poems.
4) Jack McCarthy will be the feature for the September 15th Vancouver Qualifying Slam.
5) This years IWPS will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina December 10th- 13th.
After consulting the Poetry Slam Incorporated rule book and speaking with various members of the community I will be instituting a small change in the format for our regular qualifying slams.
From here on in any group of poets that wish to compete in the slam as a group shall be encouraged to do so.
In fairness to those who wish to qualify for our regular season semi finals; qualify for the possibility of being our Individual World Poetry Slam or Women of the World Poetry Slam representative, those individuals wishing to do group pieces will face two stipulations.
1) Any group of poets wishing to do group pieces will receive a two point deduction from their total score for that poem.
And
2) Said group piece will not help qualify said individuals for semi finals, our IWPS qualifier or our WOWps qualifier.
Generally speaking, group pieces score higher with the audiences and thus I believe the group pieces should be given a handicap. Additionally, if groups were allowed to qualify for semi finals we could find ourselves on finals night with as many as 20 poets (between four groups) “qualified” for the slam team. This would create logistical and financial problems I don’t think would be healthy for the slam.
Hopefully, this will encourage poets to stretch themselves further.
Sincerely,
Your Co- Slammaster
Sean McGarragle
“The poetry slam is the event where all poetry is welcome”
The 1st, 3rd, and 5th Monday of every month is the Van Slam, a regular poetry slam open to everyone (read more about the rules)
The 2nd Monday of every month is the Alt Slam, a themed poetry [...]
The 1st, 3rd, and 5th Monday of every month is the Van Slam, a regular poetry slam open to everyone (read more about the rules)
The 2nd Monday of every month is the Alt Slam, a themed poetry night
The 4th Monday of every month is the Youth Slam, for competitors between the ages of 13-22 (but for audiences of all ages!)
June 30th will be another chance to qualify for the IWPS play-offs, and a great chance to see our feature, the very funny Sara Bynoe.
Sara and her endeavors be it Teen Angst or otherwise have been strongly featured in the media with features on many CBC Radio programs (As it Happens, The Roundup, Freestyle..), CBC Newsworld’s The Hour, Urban Rush, Breakfast Television, The Globe and Mail, The Vancouver Sun, The Calgary Herald, The Montreal Mirror, The Ottawa Citizen, Nylon Magazine, Quills National Poetry Magazine, The Georgia Straight and as a spotlight in the VancouverActorsGuide.com (to name a few).
She is a vibrant, creative, and a fiercely determined woman who is blessed with the ability to see projects through to fruition.
There is also an Open Slam with Cash and Prizes
Doors and Sign Up at 8pm
Open Mic at 8:45
Slam Starts at 9pm
Still only $5 at the door All poets, all ages, & all styles are welcome in the spirit of fair play and good times!
The 1st, 3rd, and 5th Monday of every month is the Van Slam, a regular poetry slam open to everyone (read more about the rules)
The 2nd Monday of every month is the Alt Slam, a themed poetry night
The 4th Monday of every month is the Youth Slam, for competitors between the ages of 13-22 (but for audiences of all ages!)
June 30th will be another edition of the summer season of Van Slam, featuring one of the rookies on this year’s Vancouver Poetry Slam Team, Faust McKenzie.
There is also an Open Slam with Cash and Prizes
Doors and Sign Up at 8pm
Open Mic at 8:45
Slam Starts at 9pm
Still only $5 at the door All poets, all ages, & all styles are welcome in the spirit of fair play and good times!
