Are your students finding poetry boring? Unexciting? An archaic form practiced by old people obsessed with nature? Try All-Star Slam. It brings the poignancy, hilarity, and immediacy of slam poetry competitions to The Roundhouse Centre.The All-Star SLAM pits three former poetry slam champions head to head to head in an all-out battle of poetic verve and wit.
How does it work? Simple. The poets perform one poem each in three rounds, all of which are judged on a scale of zero to ten by the audience (in this case, the students!) In the end, the winner is announced, though in effect, everyone has won. Students have been moved, inspired, and engaged by poetry, often for the first time in their lives.
As one student had it: “This is better than Metallica!” The topics are engaging, the presentation is amazing, and the competition is riveting. Guaranteed to jumpstart students into writing careers of their own.
Want to see it in action? Check out this video of the All-Star Slam (which is also called “Travellin’Slam” when it goes on tour outside of Vancouver):
About the host:
Brendan McLeod is a writer based out of Vancouver. He is the author of one novel, one play, and a monologue about Canadian history. He is a founding member of The Fugitives, which tours its mix of spoken word and music internationally, and have been nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award. He is a former Vancouver SLAM champion, Canadian SLAM champ, and World SLAM runner-up. He teaches spoken word at Langara College and is an active youth arts
School groups are encouraged to attend. Please contact Chris Gilpin at wordplaypoets@gmail.com to reserve seats for your students and arrange payment.
This is an all-ages event. It may contain strong language, controversial issues, and words that make you re-evaluate your life. General seating. This event is free for all festival participants and volunteers. You do not need to be a student to attend. Members of the general public are welcome.
Advance tickets will NOT be mailed to buyers. They can be picked up at the Will Call station in The Roundhouse’s Exhibition Hall up to one hour before the show begins.