Twisted word scores Victorian poet first national slam title & Opera House gig
8/12/07
Marc Testart from Victoria won the first ever national poetry slam competition – the Australian Poetry Slam 07 - at the State Library of NSW in Sydney last night.
Marc secured the title, $5,000 and a gig at Sydney Opera House after ‘out-rhyming’ 16 talented spoken word artists, unearthed via the national competition.
According to NSW State Librarian & Chief Executive. Regina Sutton: “Marc blew everyone away with his playful poem about spirituality.”
“I thought I was born 300 years too late, and this contemporary poetry competition gives me hope I was born right on time,” said Marc.
A sell-out crowd gathered at the State Library of NSW to witness the two top poets from each state and territory (three from Queensland due to a tie) battle spoken-word style.
The national finalists had just two minutes to impress the judges (selected at random from the audience) with their original spoken word, poetry, hip-hop, monologues and stories.
The Australian Poetry Slam 07, an initiative of the State Library of NSW, saw more than 600 emerging poets and spoken word artists compete via 45 heats held in regional areas and city centres in every state and territory.
The competition was coordinated via state and public libraries, with state-based professional spoken-word artists hosting the heats and running workshops in schools, libraries, pubs and theatre spaces.
“The Australian Poetry Slam 07 has been a great success for the State Library of NSW, and I’m personally thrilled that state and public libraries are collectively driving this highly creative and dynamic art form at the national level,” says Mrs Sutton.
The Australian Poetry Slam 07 winner will perform in the Night Words Festival at the Sydney Opera House, The Studio, from 6 to 8 March 2008. For details: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/Nightwords.aspx
Spoken word artist and Slam co-organiser, Miles Merrill, and winner Marc Testart are available for interviews.
MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Vanessa Bond 02 9273 1566, 0411 259 898
Deborah McBurnie 02 9273 1768, 0400 208 896
