Callout: BREATHE Dance & Poetry Slam

Please note this callout has now closed.

Dancers performing on stage. The image has a red hue.

About

Please note the deadline for this callout has now passed.

As part of our Black History Month programme this autumn, BREATHE is a dance and spoken word competition in which pairs of dancers and poets battle against each other, performing duets that showcase their complementary styles while telling a single story.

Photo by Joel Fildes

How it works

Eight poets and eight dancers will be selected to participate in the slam.

Collaborate: Selected artists will team up at workshop days to create an original piece that blends spoken word with dance.

Compete: Your piece will be entered into the slam, where it will battle against other teams in a high-energy showdown.

Win: The final battle will crown one duo as champions, taking home the £200 prize.

We have been inundated with applications previously, so if you’re not chosen for the line-up, there's always a chance you’ll make it on our reserve list!

Key dates

Sunday 6 September: applications close at midnight

Week commencing 7 September: selected poets and dancers will be notified

Please ensure you are free to participate on the following dates:

Wednesday 30 September, 6.30–9.30pm: workshop with a lead poet and dancer

Thursday 1 October, 6.30–8.30pm: drop-in session

Saturday 3 October, 5pm: rehearsing in and around Aviva Studios

Saturday 3 October, 6pm: call time for all dancers and poets

Slam rules

Original Work – each poem must be of the poet’s own creation

Three Minutes – each poet gets three minutes (plus a 10-second grace period) to read one poem. If the poet goes over grace time, points will begin to be deducted from the total score.

No Props – performers are not allowed to employ the use of props during their performance. Just the poet and the stage!

Scoring

BREATHE consists of two rounds. After each poem, the poet receives a score out of 10 for content and a score out of 10 for performance from each of our three judges.

The scores are added together to create their final score, deciding whether they will make it to the final round.

Slam rounds

The slam consists of two rounds. The poets with the highest scores move on to the next round. The Winner will get the chance to close the night with a final performance.

First Round: 8–10 Poets

Second Round (Final): 3–4 Poets

Credits

Young Identity

D.R.E.A.M. Ring  

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