NZ Poetry Slam - Christchurch Heat

Calling all poets, calling all Slam Poets, emergency Chch slam heats in one week, for national final in 10 days!!!!

This year’s regional heat will be held at Tommy Chang’s Lyttelton 7pm Wednesday 6th November, competing for a spot in the national final to be held at Meow in Wellington on  Sat the 9th Nov!!

NZ Poetry Slam Christchurch Heat
Wednesday 6th November
Tommy Chang's  48 London Street, Lyttelton
Koha $5 or more towards poets' travel
Poets must register by 7pm. Slam starts at 7.15 sharp.
 
This slam is for competitors R18+
No props, time limit of 3 minutes or penalties will apply. 
Check NZ Slam website for exact rules, and details of the final.
A maximum of 20 competitors on a first-in first-served basis.
Audience judges.
After a difficult and uncertain year the NZ Poetry Slam could not predict the ability to fully subsidize costs for competitors from Christchurch in the 2013 National Slam final, however, a last minute agreement has been reached by organisers to fully subsidize flights for 1st place, while holding a spot open for the 2nd place getter to be subsidized by proceeds from a $5 or more koha cover charge on the night.

NZ Poetry Slam regrets the inconvenience late programming will cause for some competitors, and asks for the understanding and support of those unable to compete. NZ Poetry Slam is committed to resuming subsidy for the top three Chch slam poets in 2014.

But the good news for those poets who can clear their schedule is … you have one week to prepare yourself for this last minute opportunity, the slam stakes have just been super-charged, you cannot afford to settle for third, only 1st  and 2nd place travel to the NZ Slam Final.  And hey, even if you can’t compete, come and enjoy, judge and help to get the winners up to Wellington so Christchurch has a voice in the national slam.

We tried to secure a venue in town but all of our venues are in use so Tommy Chang’s (home of the Lyttelton Poets) has kindly opened their doors to this event. It will start early and we will endeavour to finish in time for the last bus at 11pm.


Rules for NZ National Poetry Slam

• 3 minutes or less with no minimum time (10 second grace period before point’s deduction)
• Time starts when poet speaks, however while poets can have time to settle and adjust microphone etc, this time is not limitless; ideally a poet should start after 10 seconds.

• Original poems only

• No props no music no costumes (i.e. clothing related to the content of your poem)

• In the case of a tie a slam off will be required

• Random draw, for performance order.

Judging and scoring:

• 5 Audience Judges (chosen by MC and/or organiser) display score cards 0-10 (Decimal points allowed)

• Top and bottom scores drop off and total of remaining 3 scores is the total

• If Poet goes over grace period MC or Timekeeper to ask scorer to mark down points after the judges score… (Half a point penalty for every 10 seconds over time)

• After 4 minutes the MC can shut down the poet

• 'Sacrificial Poet' (non-competing) to start the night, to help calibrate scores.

• Slams are equally about writing, performance and audience response.

• Slammers should have at least 3 poems, as for the Regionals and NZ Slam
  there will be three rounds…