The Lavender Mic Poetry Slam & Writing Workshop

Lavender Mic is a recurring monthly poetry slam, where 10 poets will compete for $100 cash prize. Monthly writing workshops held in addition
About this Event

FALL UPDATES:

UPDATES TO THE SLAM:

Months August-November will be GRAND SLAM QUALIFIERS for our:

$500 cash prize Grand Slam on December 1st. The TOP 2 POETS from each of August-November’s slams will move on to December’s Grand Slam Finals. The winning poet each month will still receive their $100 cash prize for that month’s slam.

Qualifying Slam Dates:

August 18th

September 22nd

October 20th

November 3rd

GRAND SLAM:

December 1st

WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT:

Lavender Mic will begin offering poetry writing workshops paired with the poetry slam each month! The workshops will be held at Town Hall Collaborative and will be lead by The Lavender Mic host: b the poet. Workshops will be unique each month in theme, prompt, chosen reading(s) and structure. Sharing opportunities and feedback will be a part of every month's structure!

Workshop dates:

August 14

Sep-Nov: TBD

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The Lavender Mic Poetry Slam is a monthly recurring poetry slam held at Town Hall Collaborative, where 10 poets will compete for a $100 cash prize. The Lavender Mic aims to highlight queer and marginalized voices, and bring the community together for a night of creativity, joy and inspiration.

**Portion of ticket sales go towards:

• The winning poet
• The support of Town Hall Collaborative
• Feature performers/Grand Slam
• 10% to a local charity (determined each month based on need)

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SLAM RULES:

• Check-in & Draw Time: 7:00 PM at Townhall Collaborative
• Poets who do not attend the draw will be taking the #1 spot! So get there on time poets!
• Slam Format & Rules:
• The competition will be conducted in 3 rounds.
• Rounds 1 and 2 are cumulative—scores from both rounds will be added together to determine which poets advance.
• Round 3 is a clean slate—finalists will start fresh with no previous scores carrying over.
• The round cuts will be
• Round 1: All 10 poets
• Round 2: Top 5 poets
• Round 3: Top 3 poets
• Poets will randomly draw their performance order at check-in.
• Time Limit: Each poem must be 3 minutes or less, with a 10-second grace period. After 3:10, time penalties will apply:
• 3:10-3:20 = 0.5-point deduction
• 3:20-3:30 = 1-point deduction
• 3:30+ = Disqualification for the round
• Your time starts as soon as you speak into the mic or engage with the audience.
• No props, costumes, or musical accompaniment—the power is in your words and performance.
• Each poem must be original and written by the performing poet.
• Random Judges will be selected in the audience. Judges will score poets on content, performance, and overall impact on a scale of 0.0 to 10.0 (highest and lowest scores dropped, middle three averaged).
• If there is a tie for the final round, a 1 minute sudden-death round may be implemented.

FAQ:

• Q: How many poets will be allowed to compete?
• A: There will be a total of 10 poets. First come, first serve basis.

• Q: How much is the cash prize for the winning poet?
• A: $100 cash prize for the winning poet

• Q: How many poems should poets have prepared?
• A: Poets should have 3 poems under 3 minutes prepared as well as one 1 minute poem.

• Q: Is a slam the same thing as an open mic?
• A: No, a slam is a competition with judges.

• Q: How can I sign up to compete?
• A: Arrive at 7pm (30 minutes early to sign up for one of 10 competing poet spots. First come, first serve. must have general admission ticket purchased.

• Q: Will we always donate to the same charity?
• A: Charities will change quarterly! we are always open to suggestions as well!
• Q: HOW CAN I QUALIFY FOR THE GRAND SLAM IN DECEMBER
• A: Place in the top 2 in one of the August-November slams.
• HOW CAN I ATTEND THE WORKSHOP?
• The eventbrite link will take you to the slam & workshop info & tickets!