BAM! Toronto Youth Slam

A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work. These performances are then judged on a numeric (1-10) scale by previously selected members of the audience. Judging criteria is based on both content and delivery. Poets have 3 minutes to recite their poems, with a 10 sec grace period. After that, time penalties are assessed. No costumes, props, musical accompaniment, etc are permitted. 5 judges raise scorecards and the lowest and highest scores are dropped for a possible score of 30.

BAM! The Toronto Youth Slam was created to give young poets a forum for their writing. This slam is intended for poets age 12-19 who want to get up and show their stuff in a setting of their peers. This allows poets to get up and compete in a slam setting without the intimidation one might feel going up against much older veterans. It'a a two round slam, with up to 12 poets in the first round and 5 in the second. After the slam, points are awarded based on standing. The poets with the most points at the conclusion of the regular season are invited to compete in a semi-final round, with the top eight scoring poets proceeding to a final round to form a team which will represent the Toronto Youth Slam at performances and competitions.

Toronto's Youth Slam happens monthly at the Central - 603 Markham St (near Bathurst and Bloor, www.thecentral.ca) on the second Wednesday of the month. Sign up for the slam and open mic start at 7, with the slam starting at 7:30. Aside from the competition, the audience and poets are treated to a monthly feature poet.

Hosted by PAN
$5 cover

For more information, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or visit the BAM! Facebook group.