U of O alumnus participates in OG 500 slam poetry contests.
With such a lot of specific groups and golf equipment on campus, it’s smooth for an art shape like slam poetry to wander away within the shuffle. This is in particular genuine here in Ottawa, where there are so many subcultures to bask in. Regardless of this, the annual OG 500 Poetry Slams changed into still going sturdy in its maximum latest version at the Gladstone Theatre on Aug. 25.
In affiliation with Residence of PainT, Ottawa’s annual city art pageant, the event featured key artists, including Sarah MK, a Montreal-based musician and an entertainer X-way Will-Mac.
As a new addition in 2012, the poetry slam gained popularity as one among Residence of PainT’s biggest overall performance activities, with an excessive three spherical opposition of spoken phrase poetry. Twelve poets cross head-to-head in the struggle, being judged via target market members in a stay vote casting style particular to the show.
The final 3 rounds are judged with the aid of a panel of celeb visitors, and the winner is going home with the crown underneath their belt and a hefty sum of $500.
Mississauga native Matt Miller, the winner of this 12 months’ OG 500 Poetry Slams, mentioned that “this isn’t your grandmother’s form of poetry.” Even though he took a darkish tone whilst analyzing present-day troubles, his fashion remained comedic and approachable.
Slam poetry is fundamentally spoken phrase poetry, however, with an aggressive side. It combines several artwork forms and the freedom of notion and expression and puts it into an opposition wherein the poet is graded based totally on overall performance and material.
University of Ottawa alumnus Panos Argyropoulos, who graduated from the U of O with a masters’ diploma in chemistry and who participated in the contest, explains that slam poetry possibly started as a method of protest because it’s on the whole political and very awful lot “to your face.”
In reality, Slam poetry or a ‘slam’ is the competition between fellow poets and lets in for character or group performances. The performers and the target audience resonate thru each other and vicariously revel in what the poets ought to proportion. Thru a dance of words, it paperwork a discussion or a debate wherein the winner is selected with the aid of judges who are typically advocates of the art.
Argyropoulos believes that for poetry, “much like with any art form, you have to exit and find it.” He also defined that even as slam poetry and rap have many similarities, they also have many differences.
“Rap is extra of a limited spoken phrase poetry because of the policies.”
Argyropoulos described his fashion as “introspective, allowing the concept to undergo … inside the experience of allowing the target market to apprehend what (he’s) going through.”
He says “any art shape may be self-selective,” with slam having a few restrictions inclusive of public talking, poetic tone, and intonation Unique Press.
“It’s almost like writing an essay,” Argyropoulos said, trying to describe the feeling of completing a spoken poem.
A few recommendations Argyropoulos gives to students who are curious or inquisitive about slam poetry are writing down as lots as they could. An excellent way is to mission your self to write down a poem every week, imparting a manner to see the progression and construct confidence.
What’s remarkable about this artwork form is that it’s all about self-expression. In an age where the lot is on social media, it’s difficult to be heard over everyone else. However, with spoken phrase poetry, you have the hazard to specific your mind and opinions out loud, turning your mind right into a near-theatrical overall performance.
