UCSI Poetry Slam for Change

UCSI University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts (English Language and Communication Student Association) proudly brings you the lifetime opportunity in experiencing poetry slam right here with us!

This event is also organised in conjunction with 100 Thousand Poets for change 2016, which is a world wide event that offers an opportunity for a peaceful global discussion of issues such as war, global warming, poverty, racism, gender inequality and so on .

What is Poetry Slam?

A poetry slam is a competitive event in which poets perform their work and are judged,usually by members of the audience, but sometimes by reappointed judges. Typically, the host or another organizer selects the judges, who are instructed to give numerical scores (on a zero to 10 or one to 10 scale) based on the poets’ content and performance.

What kind of poetry is read at slams?

Depends on the venue, depends on the poets, depends on the slam. One of the best things about poetry slam is the range of poets it attracts. You’ll find a diverse range of work within slam, including heartfelt love poetry, searing social commentary, uproarious comic routines, and bittersweet personal confessional pieces. Poets are free to do work in any style on any subject.

What are the rules?

Though rules vary from slam to slam, the basic rules are:

• Each poem must be of the poet’s own construction;
• Each poet gets three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one poem. If the poet goes over time, points will be deducted from the total score.
• The poet may not use props, costumes or musical instruments;
• Of the scores the poet received from the five judges, the high and low scores are dropped and the middle three are added together, giving the poet a total score of 0-30.

How do I win a poetry slam?

Winning a poetry slam requires some measure of skill and a huge dose of luck. The judges’ tastes, the audience’s reactions, and the poets’ performances all shape a slam event, and what wins one week might not get a poet into the second round the next week. There’s no formula for winning a slam, although you become a better poet and performer the same way you get to Carnegie Hall – practice, practice, practice.

REMEMBER: The points are not the point. The point is poetry!

** No age limit.

** This event is open to the public but the ECA, ELE and SWA points are ONLY applicable to the students of UCSI University. Employees of UCSI University are not permitted to participate in the Competition but are welcome to the workshop.

Spoken word poetry is a style of poetry that is written specifically to be spoken out loud and can be performed theatrically. Spoken word is also known for its focus on socio-political issues, identity and its confessional-like delivery. It can be heavy, heartbreaking, healing and humorous.

To register: visit poetryslam.ucsiuniversity.edu.my or email [email protected]

FB event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/918761384913982/

Poetry Slam Workshop

Date: Saturday 3rd Sept 2016

Time: 8am to 5pm

Venue: UCSI University

Poetry Slam

Date: Saturday 24th September

Time: 12.30pm to 6pm

Venue: UCSI University