Former National Poetry Slam Champion Pete “the Temp” Bearder, brings to life the poetic movements that have shaped history. Find out why wordsmiths have always been vilified, feared and revered, from the ballad singers and Beat poets, to the icons of dub, punk and hip hop. The spoken word has always been the most immediate tool of cultural revival. This show brings a proud history to life, and asks what we can do with it next.
Pete is an award-winning spoken word poet, author and comic. His work has been featured on BBC Radio 4, The World Service, and Newsnight. This show follows the release of his groundbreaking new book Stage Invasion: Poetry & the Spoken Word Renaissance.
Cost: £7
With support from Chris White of SPORK who will kick the evening off with a Poetry Competition open to all! 10 poets will battle it out to become The Totnes Slam Champion, with a £50 cash prize up for grabs plus a coveted Spork! Mug. The winner will also receive a paid set at a Spork! show in Exeter on July 21st.
The rules are simple: across 3 rounds of fierce but friendly competition, poets will woo and wow the audience with their words. Each piece cannot exceed more than 3 minutes in length, and poets must prepare a total of 3 pieces each. The winner will be decided by audience vote.
Fancy giving it a go?
The Slam is open to everyone who has some words to perform, regardless of age, experience or style. As well as poets; singer-songwriters, rappers and storytellers are welcome. For more info, a full list of rules & to enter, drop Chris an email at sporkpoetry@gmail.com.
Accessibility Statement: Please note that the Barrel House Ballroom is on the first floor and currently, the only access is via stairs.
There are separate male and female toilets on the first floor and a gender-neutral toilet on the ground floor. (Please note that whilst COVID restrictions remain in place, the ground floor toilet is for staff use only but can be opened to the public on request).
There is very limited seating in the venue, however, we can reserve a seat for those that are unable to stand for events. We cannot guarantee that the stage will be visible.
We are looking at solutions to make events at the venue more accessible to all on an ongoing basis. Cost and logistics (we are a listed building) are a huge challenge in this respect but not one that we believe is insurmountable.
If you have any questions or concerns about attending an event at the Barrel House, please contact us prior to the event to discuss.