In the framework of the POETA project, Second Chance School of
Kalamata, made an effort to introduce to our trainees slam poetry
(SLAM POETRY). We did not follow the basic rules faithfully, we just
adapted them to the needs and capabilities of our trainees.
We have made a start!
Our goal was that our adult students could gain confidence, to express
their feelings to an audience, to interpret them and to communicate them
vividly. We consider that we are the first school that started it.
Slam is a special form of poetry, an evolution of poetry evenings. The
idea was born by Marc Kelly Smith in a jazz club in the 80's in Chicago
USA and since then it has been spreading worldwide.
Slam poetry is a poetry competition. Each player writes his poem and
he has three minutes to recite it. The goal is to convey his feelings to his
audience and he is rated for both the text and the interpretation.
Makis Moulos brought Slam poetry to Greece in 2018.
Marc Kelly Smith has said "The very word -poetry- repulses the world.
Why is this happening? For all that the schools have done to it.
Slam, gives poetry back to the world … We need people to speak poetry
to each other. In this way we communicate our values, our hearts, what
we have learned and make us who we are. "