Word N Sound

Are you hungry for the mic?

Do you imagine a platform designed to assist you improve your performance and writing ability?

If so, great! Now check your ego at the door.

The WordNSound Poetry League is a safe competitive space, made
available for writers who need to develop their profession as performance poets.

The League runs for a duration of 8 months.
Each month poets are scored by our judges on the following criteria:
o Performance
o Content
o Concept
o Audience response
The scores are captured and tallied up at the end of September to determine which 5 poets will compete at the Word N Sound Poetry Festival for the reigning king/queen of the mic crown.

How to enter the Poetry League:
The slam takes place every 1st Saturday of the month [ 6th Feb – 3rd Sept]
Venue: Market Theatre Laboratory
Time: 13:30 – 17:00
Entrance Fee: R50

The event may begin at 13:30 but you need to arrive early to sign up on the Open mic List, which from past experience fills up quite early.

So…
1. To avoid disappointment, arrive well before 9:00am to sign up for the Open Mic .
You have to be physically present – in the flesh – to write your name on the Open Mic List.
2. You may not sign up/ reserve space on the open mic list for your ghost friends.
3. Yes, you have to pay an entrance fee even if you’re slamming, even if you win the slam and are crowned King/Queen of the mic, or if you make the Top5 cut.
4. Coming up in the top 5 secures you a place on the Open Mic list for the following show. So you don’t have to arrive early to sign up at the next slam but you have an obligation to be there to defend your spot.

E.g. Joe came 2nd place in the slam today. Joe has to defend his number 2 spot at the next show but he doesn’t have to arrive early to sign up on the Open Mic List because Joe’s name is already on the number 2 spot.
5. If your name is announced and you are nowhere in the theater /performance venue. You will forfeit your spot. Your name will be replaced by that of a poet on the reserve list.
6. You have 5 minutes be great, so do best!
7. Sound check is at 11:00 for poets with any media incorporated in their performance

E.g. Backing Tracks,

WORD OF ADVISE
1. Write for yourself not the audience
2. Imagine this stage as the big brother who believes he has to be cruel to be kind at times. You will lose or maybe even win but the greatest reward is drawing inspiration from the experience.
3. Should you win, remember that you are not invincible
and that ego you checked at the door may creep back in upon your victory but do not, I repeat, do not use it to write your next poem. It will not save you!
4. Be consistent, this is a poetry league and if you miss 1 slam you score 0 points.
5. Come prepared
6. Remember fear is an illusion.
See you at the Word N Sound
#PoetryLeague.
Dare to be there!