Press Release - 19 March 2006

Young performance poets and rappers got an exciting opportunity to present their raw words before a live audience at the Soho Theatre last night in the first quarter final of the Rise Londonwide Youth Slam Championship 2006.

The participants taking part were either independent performers or from Trinity Centre in West London or HMYOI Rochester.

Performer, Haroon Anwar (14 years) said that "young people don't feel trusted". He feels that the slam Championship gives him an opportunity to speak on behalf of young people. It's an opportunity to show how rap, which is often criticised for its negative influence on young people, could also influence in a positive way. Haroon and Tamer Ibrahim's (13) performance looked at the violence of the city using beat box and rhyme.

Peggy Riley, a writer in residence at HMYOI Rochester, had worked with Duane McGibbon, one of the participants last night, on his performance. Duane's work was shown as a DVD at the event. Riley said that his verse was attempting to make sense of his experiences and he would be delighted to hear that his performance "got a lot of noise".

Co-ordinated by the Poetry Society and the Mayor of London, the Slam Championship is open to all young performance poets between 12 to 18 years old.

Slam is the competitive art of performance poetry where poets and rappers perform their work before a live audience and a panel of judges selected randomly from them.

The Rise Londonwide Youth Slam Championship 2006 is supported by the Big Lottery Fund, and the Mayor of London as part of The Rise Festival and Subtext.

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If you would like to interview any of the performers taking part in this quarterfinal please contact 0207 420 9895 or email marketing@poetrysociety.org.uk.

To find out more about the Rise Londonwide Youth Slam Championship 2006 call 0207 420 9895 or email marketing@poetrysociety.org.uk.

Notes to editors

• The other regional quarterfinals are:

  • Theatre Royal Stratford East (Eastern quarterfinal): 24 April 2006 at 7pm
  • Jacksons Lane Theatre (Northern quarterfinal): 26 April 2006 at 7pm
  • Unicorn Theatre (Southern quarterfinal): 28 April 2006 at 7pm
• The Big Lottery Fund distributes half of all National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The Fund aims to enable others to make real improvements to the lives of disadvantaged people and the well being of communities, through fair and open funding of people, projects and programmes. www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
• The rise: London United music festival, is the largest anti-racism festival in Europe and urges all communities to rise against prejudice. The event will take place in Finsbury Park on Saturday 8 July. It is a free music, dance and comedy event organised by the Mayor of London, which celebrates the city's diversity and its status as a great multicultural city with an active commitment to eliminating racism. Press information is available by calling Rachelle Laurence on 020 7983 4068. Public information is available at www.risefestival.org
• The Big Lottery Fund distributes half of all National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The Fund aims to enable others to make real improvements to the lives of disadvantaged people and the well being of communities, through fair and open funding of people, projects and programmes. www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
• The rise: London United music festival, is the largest anti-racism festival in Europe and urges all communities to rise against prejudice. The event will take place in Finsbury Park on Saturday 8 July. It is a free music, dance and comedy event organised by the Mayor of London, which celebrates the city's diversity and its status as a great multicultural city with an active commitment to eliminating racism. Press information is available by calling Rachelle Laurence on 020 7983 4068. Public information is available at www.risefestival.org