The SlamJam show must go on

Our local school was a first-time entrant, but students from Nene Park Academy (NPA) remarkably walked away with two prizes in the 2020 final of SlamJam, the spoken word programme for young people.

Taila Bereznyckyj (Year 11) was a winner in her category with her poem ‘Your Choice’, whilst Eva Woods from Year 10 (Pictured) was the overall winner of SlamJam 2020 with ‘Conscripted for Service’.

Eva will receive a trophy for herself and one for the school.

Other finalists from NPA were: Matthew Bushell and

Ellie Wakefield (both Year 7). Eight students had entered for the heats and four made it through to the final. All did a lot of preparation even doing zoom rehearsals.

Students, staff, parents and Rotarians were all warmly invited to tune in to this year’s SlamJam final with competi- tors from across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.

Members of Ortons Rotary were particularly keen to tune in and watch the performances of NPA.

Irrespective of the current pandemic Rotary was determined to hold this competition.

Things had to be done differently but that never discourages Rotarians – where there’s a will there is a way!

With schools and performing arts centres closed, this year’s event was at risk of being cancelled, but organisers, members of Lindum Lincoln Rotary Club, made sure young writers still had a platform to share their creative skills, ideas and experiences.

Normally finalists would meet and perform at a central venue but, with current restrictions, it took place via a YouTube link.

For the first time ever, SlamJam went digital with more than 40 self-motivated young people writing and submitting poems before participating in preliminary heats through Zoom calls!

Despite initial technical glitches the final was an impressive online event showcasing the writing and performance talents of 16 young people from the region.

Using the general theme of ‘Lockdown’, poems varied in their approach; some demonstrated the way in which staying at home with family strengthened relationships and increased interaction, whilst others saw the lockdown as an opportunity to change our fast-paced lives for the better.

Slam Jam, a performancebased writing competition for secondary school students, has proved to be a great way to increase student’s confidence in writing and public performance. It is a new and more modern form of public speaking which has a lot of appeal and meets several Key Stage criteria for schools.

Choosing to write a poem, a story, or a dramatic monologue, students consider the effect they want to have on an audience, and craft their writing accordingly.

Performances must last no more than three minutes, no costumes or props are allowed. The process is competitive but above all it’s fun!

Creative Director Jan Kemp said: “We were blown away by the submissions and performances. This year’s digital final will certainly be one to remember!”