2005 London Teenage Poetry SLAM
The Final
The Project

Poet coaches for 2005:
Charlie Dark
Dan Cockrill
Ebele Ajogbe
Jacob Sam-La Rose
Joseph Coelho
Nick Makoha
Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Sifundo Msebele
Sundra Lawrence

Schools who participated in the 2005 London Teenage Poetry SLAM were:
Bishop Douglass School, Barnet
Eltham Hill Technology College, Greenwich
Holy Family Technology College, Waltham Forest
Kidbrooke School, Greenwich
Kingsford Community School, Newham
Lilian Baylis Technology School, Lambeth
Lister Community School, Newham
Morpeth School, Tower Hamlets
Plumstead Manor School, Greenwich

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The third annual London Teenage Poetry SLAM held at Greenwich Theatre on 25th June 2005 was positively electric. All participants presented emotionally striking poetry to a carnival atmosphere of cheers and bellowing horns. 70 budding young performance poets from 9 secondary schools across the boroughs of Barnet, Greenwich, Lambeth, Newham, Tower Hamlets Waltham Forest and took part.

The 2005 trophy went to Lister Community School, Newham, who then went on the Chicago Exchange for a week in November 2005 to perform in schools across the city.

One member of the highest scoring team said:

“I'm so happy to have won. The standard of poetry from the other schools was so high, we couldn't have done this without each other.”

Katie Dwight, teacher liaison at Lister School, said:

“I am so proud of my students and feel privileged to have been a part of the 2005 Teenage London Poetry SLAM. I have watched students grow and hope to continue to do so in the coming months.”

Dan Cockrill, Poet-Coach for Morpeth School in Tower Hamlets said:

“The SLAM experience took me to many places that I had never been. I asked my team to run, but instead they carried me to the summit of Everest and beyond, to a theatre filled with so many different emotions. I feel so lucky to have been part of such an amazing event.”

Once again this year’s SLAM included visiting Poet-Coaches from Chicago. Ugochi Nwaogwagwa a writer, poet and singer said:

“The calibre of writing that I witnessed from these young people nearly brought me to tears. These are the forgotten voices of the next generation of writers society portrays as powerless and lost. I find the passion in their stories truly inspirational.”

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The project is the idea of Peter Kahn, an English teacher from Chicago, and  Fahro Malik, Chief Executive of education and management company Lynk Ray/ It brings spoken word poetry inspired by Hip Hop culture to London’s youth.

The SLAM is dedicated to Len Garrison, in memory of his profound contribution to helping create a more multicultural Britain, and organised by education charity Lynk Reach (registered number 1104188).

A publication, CD and DVD of the poetry from thw 2005 SLAM are available from Lynk Reach.

The London Teenage Poetry SLAM is funded by Lloyds TSB Foundation, London Boroughs of Barnet, Greenwich, Lambeth and Newham, Excellence in Cities, participating schools, EduAction, Arts Council England and Lynk Ray.

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