The Rise Londonwide Youth Slam Championship 2007 

You just can't keep it Quiet!

The winners of the Rise Londonwide Youth Slam Championship 2007 made themselves heard at Rise: London United on Sunday 15 July 2007 at Finsbury Park.

During the heats and semi finals of the Rise Londonwide Slam Championship 2007 earlier this year, young slammers from all around London pitched their vocal talents against each other to earn their place on the winners showcase at the Rise Festival in July.

With precision delivery and an inspired use of language they rapped, chanted, ranted and beatboxed their highly authentic - and at times - startling accounts of what it means to be a young Londoner.

The task of choosing the sixteen performers to showcase their work at the Rise Festival from these extraordinary performances was almost impossible.

With much consideration the winners were eventually chosen.

Keep checking this website as interviews with the winners will be available as a podcast soon

 

Hit the link above to hear interviews with the winners who performed at the RISE Festival.

Over 16 Jerome St Louis Award:

  • Kori Arts (Barnet)

 

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Under 16 Joint Winners:
  • Chinedum Nwokonkor (Newham)
  • Jamal Msebele (Tower Hamlets)

 (pictured: Chinedum Nwokonkor)

 

 

 Rhythmic Award:

  • Muazzin Aziz (Bethnal Green)

 

Best Newcomer:
  • Sic Sense (Wanstead High School)

 

Against the backdrop of ever increasing media accounts of gun and knife crime amongst young people this was an opportunity for young voices to speak to each other, their elders, authorities the press and media and say STOP - stop judging, stop stereotyping and most importantly stop using guns and knives to articulate anger. Jermaine Smith and Blaire Barrett, two of the showcase winners at the Rise Festival on July 15 chanted to the audience "we picked up a pen, never picked up a knife".

It's testament to these young performers that not only has their startling talent been recognised by the Poetry Society and the Greater London Authority, but also by musician Killa Kela who wants to spend a day in the studio with the overall Slam Champion . As well as this fantastic opportunity, Paramount Home Entertainment have donated a fantastic top of the range widescreen TV and home entertainment system as a prize and professional photographer Hayley Madden has offered to provide the winner with their own professional portfolio of photos.

For the Poetry Society, the Rise Londonwide Youth Slam Championship is a wonderful opportunity for us to show the dynamic face of poetry to a wide range of people and engage with younger people who are such an important part of our work.

List of previous winners

The Poetry Society in association with the GLA and supported by the Big Lottery Fund and DCSF.

Images by Ian Cowmeadow

 

 

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