Free Community Event
〰️
Free Community Event 〰️
Mandela Day Poetry Slam Rules
Theme: “It Is In Your Hands”
Friday, July 18 | Thurber Park | 6:00 PM
The Mandela Day Poetry Slam is a community-centered event that celebrates the power of words to inspire justice, courage, and collective action. This year’s theme—“It Is In Your Hands”—calls on each poet to explore responsibility, freedom, and hope in their own voice.
Audience: Admission is free to the public. RSVP is encouraged.
Eligibility:
Open to anyone 18 years or older
All poems must be original work by the performer
Performance Guidelines:
No music, costumes, or props
Poets may read from a device or paper if desired
Round 1 poems may be up to 3 minutes and 30 seconds long
Subsequent rounds may be up to 5 minutes
A 10-second grace period is allowed; after that, 1 point will be deducted for going over time
Timing begins with the first word, sound, or movement indicating the poem has started
Theme Requirement:
The first-round poem must clearly relate to the event’s theme, “It Is In Your Hands,” to be eligible to advance to later rounds
Competition Format:
The slam will include 2 to 3 rounds with elimination after each round
Final format and number of rounds will be confirmed with registered participants
Poets will draw numbers to determine order in Round 1
In subsequent rounds, the poet with the highest previous score will go first; the round will close with the poet holding the lowest score
Scores are cumulative, and the highest-scoring poets will advance each round
Scoring:
Judges will score each poem based on:
Content (including relevance to the theme)
Delivery
Connection to the audience and overall impact
Prizes:
1st Place: $200
2nd Place: $150
3rd Place: $100
Poets must be registered by June 16th to participate
