The arrival and development of Poetry Slam in Spain.

Enfoque

Introduction: Regular poetry slams have been held in Spain since around 2009. Arriving via differing routes such as the institutional (Goethe Institute, Madrid), the entertainment business (Hipnotic, Barcelona), and poets themselves (Mallorca). Whatever the case the phenomenon has spread like wildfire and spearheaded by organising poets can now be found in over 30 cities, under two different national associations -Poetry Slam España (PSE) & Poetry Slam Sur- each holding regular local and national championships. Local slams affiliated to PSE are run independently by either individuals or small associations. This has given rise to a diverse yet unified poetic movement that interacts with society at various levels.

Poetry Slam differs from other poetic movements in that it is not so much a style of writing as it is a social movement that aims to provide a connecting point between writers/performers and readers/audiences. As such, the poetry slam movement in Spain has proved to be a solid platform for voices emanating from diverse social equality movements including the 15M, the LGTBQ+ and feminist collectives, among others. Slam initiatives beyond the stage include both sporadic and sustained poetry workshop programs in schools (Proyecto Slam Jaen, Poetry Slam Madrid, Poetry Slam Barcelona), both slams and workshops in penitentiaries (Poetry Slam Madrid, Poetry Slam Cantabria) as well as workshop programs with minority and excluded communities (Poetry Slam Ciudad Real).

Despite the slam’s late arrival in Spain (about two decades after it landed in nearby countries such as France, Germany, Poland and the UK), Spanish performers have fared well as international slams and are regularly invited to perform at international gatherings. Given all of this, it is surprising that the movement receives little press or academic attention and less institutional support.

Objectives: This presentation aims to stir wider interest in the poetry slam movement in Spain by exploring both its unifying foundations and the diverse social initiatives that stem from these and thus shed light beyond the rather limiting and insufficient definition of poetry slam as a mere performance poetry competition.

Methodology: An analysis of the development of the poetry slam movement in Spain, with a particular focus on the aspects behind and beyond the competition element most commonly attributed to it. The presentation will rely on the founding principles of the slam movement, as set out by founder Mark Kelly Smith in Take the Mic  (2009), an examination of the little academic material available, a literary review of some books written on and about the poetry slam,  as well as poems and texts from slam performers and press articles on the matter and first-hand accounts from poets and organizers.

Conclusion: The poetry slam movement is highly under-rated at various levels, including but not restricted to, institutional, academic, journalistic and societal perspectives. Despite this little attention and support the results that the movement as a whole has produced, as will be attested in both the presentation and full published text, are truly remarkable and have the potential to be even more so, if just a few more of us turn our eyes (studies and support) in that direction.