SLAM2010
Europe's Largest Poetry Slam Festival
Philipp "Scharri" Scharrenberger / Photo: Hendrik Schneller
The 14th German-language Poetry Slam Championship will feature the very best performing poets from Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
SLAM2010 will bring the 14th German-language poetry slam championships to the Ruhr for the first time ever. Europe’s biggest poetry slam festival will feature the best stage poets from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The event will take place at sites in Bochum, Duisburg, Essen and Oberhausen. Over 150 poets from more than 80 cities will compete in three categories: solo, team and U20.
Poetry slam – a modern poets’ competition
Authors will present their texts to an audience without props and within time limits. The poetry slam concept bridges the gap between printed word and stage, thereby overcoming the distance between author and listener. Audience members are actively involved, and not just because they help determine the winner. There are no stylistic limitations at poetry slams, anything is possible - from humorous short stories and spoken word to hip hop and lyrics expressing social criticism. In other words, poetry slams tear down walls and turn literature into exciting live events.
Poetry slams have been growing in popularity in Germany, as can be seen in radio and TV broadcasts and at around 100 events a month that are attended by hundreds of people. The annual German-language championship is one of the scene’s highlights.
"From classically frail lyrics to hip hop (…) to complex yet brief short stories, you can see everything on our stages. The principle behind it all is simple: It’s quality if the public enjoys it. (…) Slammers talk about things they encounter in real life. (…) They reflect our time like no other literary genre can. And they’re fun. You can’t expect more from art."
Etrit Hasler, orga team Slam2008, Zurich
November 10 – 13, 2010
Final: Jahrhunderthalle Bochum, November 13, 2010, starting at 16:00
Partners and performance sites: Grend, Essen; Freibeuter, Bochum; Hundertmeister, Duisburg, Flottmannhallen, Herne; Zentrum Altenberg, Oberhausen; Ebertbad, Oberhausen; Jahrhunderthalle, Bochum