Those in the growing Victoria poetry slam community know that competition amongst local poets is friendly yet fierce, but in the upcoming Victoria Poetry Slam Finals there is even more on the line.
One person will be named Victoria Slam Champion and all five finalists will have the opportunity to represent their city in this year’s Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, which just happens to take place in town this October.
“I want to make the Victoria team so I can represent in front of the hometown crowd this October,” says competing poet and defending champion Jeremy Loveday. “Victoria has got a vibrant [poetry slam] scene. It’s been building year after year and we have so many young poets coming out to rock the mic these days.”
Poetry slams are competitions where poets have three minutes to perform original spoken word without costumes, props, or music, and are judged by the audience. At the recent semi-finals, Loveday says competitors tried everything they could to reach the upcoming finals.
“We had sexy poems, political poems, hilarious poems, beat-boxing, and even a call-and-response poem about a ‘skeleton cat,’” says Loveday. “I think you can expect more of that at the finals.”
The competitive nature of poetry slams makes the events more democratic and keeps the poets accountable to their audience, according to Loveday.
“The audience yells and boos the judges, and the poets bring their A material,” he says. “Mostly, I think it boosts up the energy of the show: It’s interactive.”
Now down to the final eight, only five poets will move on to represent Victoria in the national championships in October, and one will be crowned the Victoria champion.
“I am feeling good about the upcoming slam, I think I have a good shot of making it into the Victoria Slam Team,” says event slam master and competitor Keenan Proud, who is also a Camosun business accounting student.
Proud organized the event and agrees with Loveday’s assessment of the Victoria poetry slam scene.
“The Victoria poetry scene is vivid and laid back, filled with many amazing and talented people,” says Proud. “It is really a blessing to be a member of this community.”
Both Loveday and Proud are looking forward to the finals, not just because of their own stake on making the Victoria Slam Team and heading to the nationals in October, but because it will be an impressive blend of local poets taking part in the competition.
“You can expect a rowdy, cheering crowd and talented performers,” says Proud, “and a room full of positive energy.”
Victoria Poetry Slam Finals
Friday May 30, 8 pm
Victoria Event Centre (1415 Broad),
$10
facebook.com/vicslam