Australian Poetry Slam ‘09 – ACT heat
6 November 6:00-10:00pm
Foyer National Library of Australia
Parkes Place

As in previous years you’ll need to book a slot by calling the library on (02) 6262 1271.

For the benefit of those who haven’t attended an Australian Poetry Slam before, the rules are slightly different to the slams at The Front. The time limit is 2 minutes, not 3. Also, there will be five audience members judging you out of 10 with the highest and lowest scores disregarded. If there’s a draw (as there has been on the previous two occasions) we’ll get you to perform a second piece – so make sure you prepare for this possibility!

Meanwhile, you’ll be able to practice your pieces at the Halloween Slam next week:

Halloween Slam
30 October 7:30-11:30pm
The Front Gallery and Café
Wattle St, Lyneham

We’ll be doing some special fun things for this slam, including awarding a prize for the scariest poem of the night!

It’s possible that this month’s slam may be the last one at The Front for the year, given that the ACT heat is next month and December’s slam will take place at the National Museum of Australia (more on that later).

I’ll be gauging people’s interest in a November Front slam next Friday so speak up if you want it to happen! Note that if it does go ahead it will probably be quite a low-key event.

Top three poets were:

1. CJ (with an amazing ‘party’ piece)
2. Jacinta (aided by a chorus of uncooperative Greek nonnas)
3. Andrew ‘Bad Slam’ Galan (on killing Care Bears or something)

And now for… Judge Judy judging a poetry slam. No it’s not what you think it is (how cool/bizarre/intimidating would that be?) but, rather, a warning to producers of all spoken word events that you make sure you pay your poets!

Next slam is Friday 30 October so be prepared for some sort of Halloween (eve) silliness. Probably.

The workshop is happening with the generous support of Music For Everyone, on Sunday 20 September at Ainslie Arts Centre (not Gorman House) on Elouera Street in Braddon, 2-5pm. No experience or materials required!

If that wasn’t enough, you can also look forward to an internationally themed poetry slam next week, on Friday 25 September at The Front. This one is going to feature special guest poet Randall Stephens who I met earlier this year in Melbourne. He’s an highly entertaining poet with a marvellous beard to boot.

Here are the details:

Poetry Slam: poetry from the far ends of the earth
25 September 7:30-11:30pm
The Front Gallery and Café
Wattle St, Lyneham

In the same week I discovered (thanks to this blog) that pogonology is the study of beards (or facial hair to be precise), I also found this amusing poem from Big Poppa E on Mongo’s livejournal.

Warning: contains grown-up words! (and unadulterated beard loving!)

Hip-Hop Shop with D’Opus and Roshambo
Free workshop for people under 30 – but you must book through the ACT Writers Centre:
email admin@actwriters.org.au or phone (02) 6262 9191
20 September 2:00-5:00pm
Ainslie Arts Centre
Elouera Street, Braddon

In case you don’t know, D’Opus and Roshambo are some of the best hip-hop performers in Canberra. They’ve played just about every festival here (Trackside, Corinbank, Stonefest) and are getting a huge response overseas – in no small thanks to Triple J’s huge airplay of the track ‘Million Dollar Bill’. Consequently I’m ridiculously excited I’ve managed to get them to run this free workshop. If you’re even slightly interested in poetry and music you should give the ACT Writers Centre a ring on (02) 6262 9191 and book today!

And, just before I go, the winners of the Green Slam:

1. Andrew Galan (of that Other slam)
2. Skip
3. Farida

In case you were wondering where that rather strange Twitter poem is loacted, point your web navigator to the The Longest Poem in the World.

The evening will feature special guest plant poet, Berkley Walker, from the US, and music from the ever delightful Rex and Helen!

Green Slam
28 August 2009 7:30-11:30pm
The Front Café and Gallery
Wattle St, Lyneham

Plus, check out today’s issue of The Canberra Times for a very nice article on the slams!

Meanwhile, a few weeks ago we had another good slam, with a whole bunch of new faces. In fact, our second place winner had never performed before…

1. CJ (on why he’s too boring to be a poet!)
2. James Douglass
3. Anthony

A couple of days later Daniel Ferri, David Finnigan and I ran an enjoyable workshop at C Block. About half the people who signed up turned up but, in fact, we only just managed that number in the time we had, so all was well. Hopefully we’ll see some of these wonderfully talented people at forthcoming slams!

Now, a couple of links readers might find interesting:

• Poetica – Poets of Papua New Guinea: part one and two (I found the first part more interesting than the second, but both are good).
• Visible Tweets: ‘poetry’

For more info about this event, including the application form, I suggest you email Simone: simone DOT penkethman AT bcsact DOT com DOT au

From the media release:

Flying Colours is a youth variety night hosted by the Belconnen Community Centre. A colourful night of fun, frivolity and performance art! The intention of Flying Colours is to showcase the young and talented performing artists of Canberra. Whatever they do and however they do it!

Flying Colours is looking for individuals and performance groups to get involved and flaunt their many talents on stage at the Belconnen Theatre on the nights of 13, 14 and 15 October.

Flying Colours is also offering an opportunities to young people who are interested in working in stage management, design and lighting to get involved in production. It will be an exiting opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the behind the scenes world of performance alongside experienced technicians.

Applications close Friday 28th of August

In other news, I think I’m finally, almost, nearly ready for tomorrow’s slam and the Sunday workshop. It’s going to be a great weekend!

Traverse Birthday Poetry Slam
Featuring Little Sister
26 June 2009 7:30-11:30pm
The Front Café and Gallery
Wattle St, Lyneham

Look out for some more info about this special slam shortly.

Meanwhile, I’ve been very busy organising a free workshop for people under 30, that will explore the techniques and skills that professional performance poets use and how you can use them to improve your own practice. The tutor is Daniel Ferri (yes the very same Daniel Ferri that appears in the film SlamNation!). I worked with Daniel on a similar workshop last year which was extremely well received by all participants.

Performance poetry workshop with Daniel Ferri and David Finnigan
Free for people under 30 – only limited places: book now!
Contact ACT Writers Centre to book: (02) 6262 9191
2 August 2009 10.00am-3.00pm
C Block Theatre @ Gorman House Arts Centre
Ainslie Avenue, Braddon

This workshop will be suitable for all levels of experience so hurry up and book – it’s already half full and it’s less than three weeks away!

Oh, one other thing, Tom posted a review of what looks like an excellent exhibition of paintings by Joabie Lovett over at the Belconnen Community Centre: Symbols of the Dreaming from the Chaos Void. It finishes this Friday so get there quick!

This month I’m very excited to present not one, but two special guest poets.

First up we have young Queensland poet Rhys Rodgers, who has just started on a mini self-funded tour around Australia. This is from his bio:

Rhys Rodgers is a new and exciting performance poet from Brisbane. He won the Love Poetry Hate Racism open mic in 2008, was a finalist at both Nimbin performance poetry world cup and Woodford slam, as well as winning the 2008 SpeedPoets championships in Brisbane.

Next up we have Tobias Manderson-Galvin, who runs the Melbourne theatre company Sample Theatre, and will be sticking around in Canberra for a while to work on an Open House show with Canberra Youth Theatre. From his bio: Tobias Manderson-Galvin is a talented actor and poet from Melbourne whose poetry has previously seen him detained for terrorism by the Federal police, the bomb squad and an Adelaide airport. No stranger to provocation or controversy, Tobias has performed as part of the Dadaist hip-hop act The Hobby Whores and as the titular character Hitlerhoff, the cult comedy fusing of The Hoff and der Führer, which stormed the Adelaide Fringe Festival earlier this year.

So come along, check out some sure-to-be entertaining guest poets and then have ago at performing yourself!

Poetry Slam
26 June 2009 7:30-11:30pm
The Front Café and Gallery
Wattle St, Lyneham