Poetry loud, proud and profound

Poetry came alive for the Year 8s at the end of last term when they had the opportunity to learn about spoken word or ‘slamming’.  What is it?  It's loud, proud, profound and exhilarating!  Seasoned slam poet Emilie Zoe Baker or ‘EZB’ taught the Year 8s about poetry and performance in a way that was new and dynamic.  During the workshop, groups of students collaborated on poems on topics ranging from teen angst - “My crippling FOMO” to gender inequality and the power of language that exacerbates it - “Boys will be boys”.  The Slam Poetry Incursion provided our students with a holistic view of the role of language in society, performing arts, poetry and creativity.  Students went home with a sense of achievement, a belief in their own creative abilities and hopefully a new appreciation for the power of words. They finished the term with a grand Slam – won by Amelie Sibillin, Rose Burrage and Frankie O’Leary.

Slam poetry enthusiasts ranging from Year 8s (who couldn’t get enough) to Year 11s who are now slam poetry elders at NHS) had the opportunity for a further workshop with Emilie and hip hop artist MC Mantra.  Accompanied to the Botanic Gardens by Ms Wilson and Ms Keenan, students worked in teams to write, choreograph and perform their original works on an “eco” theme for the 2018 OutLoud Eco Slam.  The workshop was a chance for some of our keenest performance poets to hone their skills and learn from one another as well as the experts.

The OutLoud schools competition is held as part of the Melbourne Writer’s Festival. Last year NHS made it to the Final with a fabulous piece about gender, narrowly missing out to John Monash College. We will be there to barrack for our 2018 team and hope they too can go all the way! Good luck Ruby Wright, PJ Burgemeister and Tilly Uren.

We are very proud that an art form that celebrates words and their power and pleasure is a key part of our in-class curriculum and extra-curricular activities.

And while we are on the subject of slam poetry, a date for your diary:

NHS Slam Poetry Night, Friday 7th September

This annual event brings together our school slammers from all year levels to compete alongside their teachers in a fun night of words, whimsy and (sometimes) wisdom. It’s a great family event and part of our annual Writers’ Festival. Tickets will be available to purchase shortly. 

Carlene Wilson and Rebekah Keenan Mount