Toronto Poetry Slam

What is Toronto Poetry Slam?

Toronto Poetry Slam is a poetry competition that takes place twice a month in the basement of The Drake Hotel. TPS also holds workshops for the community, schools and individuals that aim to teach how to write spoken word and also about onstage performance technique.

Goals/Mission:

The goal of Toronto Poetry Slam is to offer a platform for spoken word artists to share their work and also to allow audience members a chance to enjoy their live performances.
TPS is easily accessible to the public and caters to all ages and abilities, by offering their slams and workshops at low cost (usually free, pay-what-you-can, or under $10).

Examples of past activities:

Toronto Poetry Slam’s show on Nov. 26, 2017 featured the TPS team that had recently performed in a national festival. They shared their individual and collaborative work.
A workshop that TPS held in 2017 was called “What I Really Wanted to Say.” Its focus was on how to transcribe your thoughts onto the page, and it was led by Vancouver slam champion Julia Pileggi.

Footage from Toronto Poetry Slam Finals 2017 @ Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema:
JUSTUS, contestant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uQJ3YUZlmI

Ways to get involved:

Attend a TPS show – either as an audience member or as a contestant! In order to compete, you need to sign up before 7:30pm sharp, and there will most likely be a draw to perform. There is often an open-mic portion separate from the slam competition, as well as the option of being the “Sacrificial Poet” who performs before a round begins in order to warm up the crowd and get the competition going. See the TPS calendar for upcoming shows: http://www.torontopoetryslam.ca/event-created/month/2017-12
Attend a community workshop! Look here for details: http://www.torontopoetryslam.ca/workshopsfor-schools

Information compiled by Maria Masina.