The Lavender Mic Poetry Slam

A queer-focused monthly poetry slam at Town Hall Collaborative where 10 poets compete for $100 cash prize.
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 18thSeptember 22ndOctober 20thNovember 3rd

GRAND SLAM:December 1st

WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT:

Lavender Mic will begin offering poetry writing workshops paired with the poetry slam each month! These workshops 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. 

WORKSHOP INFO:

Lavender Lit Fest Slam Workshop– FREE!!!

Date: September 19th, 12:30pm

Location: At Butterscotch Studios in Longmont 

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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/workshop guests
• 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!