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Hey All, As the East Midlands Shake the Dust coordinator and someone close to the heart of this slam program I should probably say something. But I will keep it brief mainly because I am inexperienced with these kinds of email discussions and read too slowly to get fully into them. You would be surprised at how aware Apples and Snakes and the directors of the project are about the points you raise. They do not see Slam as a long term route in to poetry. They see it as a doorway - once in the child should be quickly ferried out into the diverse and wonderful world of performance and page poetry. They are aware of the pitfalls of slam, many of which you have mentioned and I think the focus is on legacy and awareness. Furthermore I think this slam system is better at avoiding certain pitfalls in comparison to American slam e.g. in the USA randomly chosen judges hold up score cards to rate the poets whereas in the UK a panel of experienced poets give each team feedback and a number of prizes are given at the end with no scores being shown. As a 16 year old slam reached me, where conventional poetry wouldn't off. I think it is more accessible and though I think it is also where you see the worst poetry and there are a lot of bad things about slam it can draw young people into writing that might not otherwise find it. After that first slam when I was 16 I never attended or ran another until now so I am approaching it with caution. But I think it is unfair to lay into what is a project with good intentions for young people. Did you talk to any of the young people about their experience? Debs On 28 May 2012 17:43, Rhys Trimble <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Generally I agree that slams are awful - and give kids the wrong idea > about poetry ( though what doesn't?). I have been to some slams in Europe > that were more diverse with (extremely) 'serious' 'literary' poets as some > of it's contestants. Slams (perhaps) arose because of an anti-elitist > sentiment that of wanting some theatricality to be brought to the thing - > which isn't altogether a bad, many poetry readings are a little > over-reverential and dry and a little of the tools slammers use applied to > the right content and with integrity is what is needed from performances > sometimes I think. Those who tread the middle ground and have both content, > and more 'showy' performance - maybe Anthony Joseph, (who else? LKJ?) > someone who can 'do both.' Performance 'skillsets' and thoughtful poetry > not should not be mutually exclusive I don't think. Wither the > Troubadours and Oral Tradition?? >