Spoken word and performance poetry will feature big at the 2013 NGC Bocas Lit Fest, and it starts on Saturday 23 February with auditions.
For the first time, a poetry slam with over TT$5,000 worth of prizes, courtesy First Citizens, will be on offer at the lit fest, as Bocas and the 2 Cents Movement team up for the VERSES Bocas Poetry Slam.
The competition takes place over four rounds. The auditions round is open to all competitors. The top twenty performers will move on to the next rounds in March and April, with a final play-off between the top six finalists at a closing event of the NGC Bocas Lit Fest on 28 April.
SCHEDULE
Auditions
Date: Saturday 23 February
Time:Â 2.00 to 6.00 pm
Place: NALIS, Audio Visual Room, Abercromby Street, Port of Spain
Date:Â Sunday 24 February
Time: 10 am to 2 pm
Place: University of the Southern Caribbean, New Building 1, Maracas Valley
Performance: 3 minutes
Open to all poets
Rounds 2 and 3
Saturday 23 March and Saturday 6 April
Venues to be announced
Finals
Sunday 28 April
NCG Bocas Lit Fest
Prizes
Winner: $3,000 / 2nd place: $1,000 / 3rd place: $750
Finalists: $250
The 2 Cents Movement, founded by students at the University of the Southern Caribbean and led by Jean Claude Cournand, believes in the capacity of spoken word poetry to raise awareness among the nation’s youth and to contribute to social change. Teaming up with Bocas will bring VERSES a broader level of participation and to a wider audience.
NGC is the title sponsor of the festival. Main sponsors are OCM and KFC. First Citizens are the sponsors of the 2013 VERSES Bocas Poetry Slam competition.
For more information, call Genieve (733 6057) or Mickel (775 3343).