Matariki Poetry Slam

Overview

Did you know that poetry used to be an Olympic sport? Just like athletics, poetry was an official Olympic sport from 1912 to 1948. The ‘Pentathlon of the Muses’ as it was called back then, had to be inspired by the idea of sport.

Fast forward to Wellington’s first ever Matariki Poetry Slam, where twelve poets battle it out for audience adoration. Forget snooze-inducing, lofty poetry recitals at morning teas. This is a bloodbath of competitive performance poetry where rowdy appreciation is encouraged. Poets word-fence fearlessly much like in the Olympic days of old. The poets get a couple of minutes to woo the crowd with their oratory prowess and judges, who are picked out from the audience, rate them on a scale of one to ten.

I caught up with Ali Jacs, organiser extraordinaire. Having spent four years in Canada, she returned to New Zealand bringing with her a passion for poetry slam. What began has a fledgling movement has now flourished in our creative capital. The group, Poetry in Motion, now meets regularly and the diversity of our local talent continues to grow. Ali says that with the National Competition coming up in November, local poets are already gearing up for the next heat on the 2nd July. This is certainly not a boring scene. If the local community continues to thrive on its current trajectory, a poetry slam event may even pack out the St James’ Theatre one day.

You may ask – what makes good poetry? Ali’s answer: poetry that is raw and real. The poet has to be able to tell a story, drawing on his or her vulnerability. A commanding presence is important, as well as the ability to discern the fine line between when to make a point and when to draw back. It is hard to miss a poet who is humble and genuine.

So if you are looking for something exciting to do, make your way to Te Papa on the 19th of June for your dose of poetry slam action. If you’re wondering what to expect, I believe the founder of poetry slam, Marc Kelly Smith, has summed it up in a nutshell:

“Slam is a carnival, a pageant, an interactive classroom, a town hall meeting, a con game, a versified boxing match, and a church-like revival that electrifies and animates the people listening to and watching it.”