Expat Poetry Slam features both Danish performers, other performers who live in Denmark as well as performers traveling here from other countries.
If you wish to enter the poetry slam competition as a poetry slammer, read more and sign up down below.
If you wish to be invited and booked by us, either as a poetry slammer in the competition or as a feature performer outside of the competition, please read more about booking by clicking here.
The rules at our poetry slams
If you perform as a poetry slammer in the competition, the traditional slam rules apply. And the traditional rules are as follows:
1) Only your own and original texts/performances
2) No props, no music or instruments, no costumes, funny hats or nudity
3) Time limit of 3m10s
And that’s it.
Apart from these rules, we have a policy about no hate speech. And we have fair play rules and a certain code of conduct, meaning that you have to treat the organizer, the MC, other poetry slammers, our staff and audience members etc. with respect. Drinking alcohol is ok, but don’t get so drunk that you can’t behave properly.
Please note that Expat Poetry Slam are shows in English, which means that whether or not you have English as your native or second (or third) language, all performances must be in English. You are allowed to use other languages in minor parts of your performance, but the main part must be comprehensible to an English speaking audience.
If a poetry slammer violates one or more rules, the consequence is usually disqualification from the competition, except for exceeding the time limit, where in this case a penalty is given – minus 0,5 point per ten seconds counting from 3m10s. All decisions regarding the rules etc. are made by the MC and host.
Judges, score cards and rounds
Five judges or five teams of judges are randomly picked among the audience. These judges may not have any personal relations to any of the performing poetry slammers. Judges are given score boards that go from 0,0 to 10 – the highest and the lowest score doesn’t count, which gives a max total of 30 points in each round.
At a traditional poetry slam, there are ten poetry slammers in the first round, six slammers in the second round, three in the third round, and one winner. The slammers with the highest score from round 1 goes on to round 2, and the slammers with the highest score in total from round 1 and 2 goes on to round 3. The slammer with the highest score in round 3 (not all rounds) wins, but… the points are not the point – the point is poetry. Prior to the competition a sacrifice slammer performs in order to warm up the audience and calibrate the judges.
However, at Expat Poetry Slam, we don’t always go by the 10-6-3-system. Instead, we might use a 7-5-3-system, a 5-5-3-system, a 3-3-3-system or a 7-5-1-system, depending on how many poetry slammers we have on the list, and whether or not we have a feature performer in the show. Slammers get info on this in due time prior to the slam.
Payment and cash prices
All performers get free entrance and don’t need a ticket for the show.
We don’t pay any fees to poetry slammers who sign up for the slam competition, but there is usually a cash price for the winner, and sometimes also for the 2nd place, along with other prices. Apart from this, we provide free drinks and snacks, but no food.
In some cases, we pay travel costs for poetry slammers who are traveling here from other cities and countries, but only if we have approved these costs prior to the slam, usually when the slammer signs up. In other cases we pay for food and accommodation.
Performers who are invited and booked by us, either as a poetry slammer in the competition or a feature performer outside of the competition, get fees and/or paid travel/accommodation.
All payments are made by bank transfer, not cash.
3 tips on performing at our shows
In Denmark, people speak Danish. Yet, the audience at Expat Poetry Slam is made up of both expats, repats, tourists and local Danes, so you can assume that everyone is fairly good at English. However, please be aware that not everyone have English as their native language, so… at times it might be wise to slow it down a bit. If in doubt, it’s always a good idea to ask the MC and host.
In Denmark, people are used to a bit of everything, so all topics and even foul language is tolerated. It’s widely known that Danish humour can be a bit rude and sarcastic, so don’t worry about offending the audience. But please remember our no hate speech-policy, and if in doubt, ask the MC and host.
In Denmark, you’re allowed to drink alcohol in the streets and in public. The consumption of alcohol is a big part of Danish culture, and most Danes will love to share a drink with you, but… if you’re not into alcohol, no Dane will take notice if you turn down a drink. We have no trouble with performers drinking prior to a show, but in general it’s not considered a good thing to be drunk on stage. And as we wrote in the rules section above: Don’t get so drunk that you can’t behave properly.
Sign up as a performer
If you wish to sign up for Expat Poetry Slam and enter our slam competition as a poetry slammer, please use the sign-up sheet below – sign-up sheet and info regarding shows and dates etc. in our season 2019/2020 will follow during August 2019
Expat Poetry Slam - English spoken word in Copenhagen, Denmark 