Slama acknowledges that our slam takes place in Naarm, on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, no treaty was signed and it always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
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*This venue is wheelchair accessible
*This venue has gender neutral toilets
Since 2011, Slama has been a space where spoken word Poets celebrate intersectional community and encourage each other to bring their absolute best work to the stage.
We are finishing this season strong with our final two events of the season.
On October 21st we’ll host our usual 3 round Poetry Slam and experience a feature set by Poet, Haneen, @haneen.ao
As said on her website, "I write about my thoughts so the world makes a bit more sense. I try to merge depth in everyday language so that everyone can take something from my writing. Though I shape the lines, the meaning belongs to you."
Trust us when we say Haneen is a national treasure and we are extremely lucky she will be traveling from interstate to be with us. Get your welcoming snaps ready.
Plus our Winner from June 2025, Tony Blaine, @tonyblainewords will be doing a mini opener set at the top of the show.
There is also a lot to honour and reflect on as we focus on bringing this season to a beautiful close.
First,
We honour all the incredible new voices that have joined us this year.
Then,
We honour the collaborative achievements of our latest “Team Slama”, now alumni, comprised of the five poets who qualified and made the team at our last Grand Slam back in 2023.
They represented our community at the Nimbin Poetry Cup and placed in the top 8 out of 60 competing poets.
They gave so much to this season, grew together as writers and gave back to our community through many performances, workshops and in big ways behind the scenes.
And,
We honour that we are still here.
These last two slams of the season are about attuning with who we are as a community TODAY and preparing ourselves for the coming season.
In 2026, we will do what we do all over again and seek a NEW team.
We also plan to launch new programming and create new partnerships, because it’s time to challenge where and how our community can grow.
So, PULL UP Poet and come with us!
How to Register?
We will be returning to our random draw for 12 spots in our riveting, fast paced 3 round poetry slam.
We invite as many Poets as possible to register at our trybooking link. Poet’s please make sure to read the rules of the slam below.
There are a couple of Poets who have an automatic slot in October, because their name wasn’t drawn in September… and that’s the same deal this month - if you register but your name doesn’t get pulled, you have an automatic entry for November!
The draw will occur LIVE on our Instagram on Friday October 17 2025 at 7:00PM
The vibe and spirit of Slama is such that the points are not the point - the point is our poetry. The point is community, deep listening, equity over ego. The point is inspiring each other to be better on stage and off stage in our arts practice. The point is our voices and joy as resistance to oppressive systems. The point is maintaining a sustainable living thread of spoken word poetry growth in so called Melbourne.
WHO IS HANEEN?
Haneen writes about what it feels like to be alive right now, capturing it all in her notes app. Her poetry finds grandness in what is usually seen as unremarkable and honors the intensity of feeling.
She explores how we keep growing, shaped deeply by world events and the necessity to care. Her writing blends softness with truth-telling while insisting we notice our world, even when it's uncomfortable.
Her work has resonated widely, earning recognition from figures in organisations such as UNICEF and Penguin Publishing, along with prominent activists, models, chefs, artists and public figures.
On Instagram (@haneens.ao), she shares her poetry as a soundtrack to her daily life - the way words and meaning form in the middle of a regular day. Haneen is self-publishing her first collection of poems in the near future, creating work that can be read, re-read, and held.
Her poetry explores universal themes of resilience, honesty and hope, drawing from her own experiences being raised between many cultures, to reach readers who might not see their stories reflected elsewhere.
She writes about growing up, paying attention, and creating doorways in a world that sells us walls - making hope the loudest thing we carry.
RULES OF THE 3-ROUND POETRY SLAM
- No props, music or costume.
- Poems must be 3 minutes.
- Must be original work.
- ONE PIECE ONLY (per round)
POET REGISTRATION: (Mark Your Calendars!)
Want a coveted slam spot? Ready to share your work and compete in the poetry slam?
$10 for poets to register. Poets must have 3 pieces ready.
SIGN UP HERE:
https://www.trybooking.com/DFWAO
12 spots only.
Online registration OPENS at 12 noon, Wed Oct 1st 2025 and CLOSES at 12 noon on Saturday October 19 2025.
Out of the pool of Poets who have registered, 12 Poets will be drawn on Instagram Live on Sunday October 20 2025 at 12 noon.
Poets, please make sure to follow the registration process closely:
1. Go to the trybooking link and pay your $10 fee at the trybooking link.
2. Review the rules.
3. Practice. Memorize (if you want to, it’s not mandatory) Embody.
STRICTLY 12 SLOTS ONLY.
See our IG page: @slamalamaslam for more info about accessibility, how we run our events and competitions fairly, aiming for equity and restorative justice at the core of our ethos.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2025
THE BRUNSWICK BALLROOM ARTIST BAR
DOWNSTAIRS
314 SYDNEY ROAD, BRUNSWICK
TICKETS:
$24 waged
$20 unwaged
Free entry for First Nations folk
Free entry for Palestinians
Tickets available at brunswickballroom.com.au
Limited tickets available on the door.
DOORS: 6 PM
POET’S PRE-SHOW GATHERING IN THE GREENROOM: 6:15 PM
SHOW STARTS: 7 PM
SHOW FINISH: 9:45 PM (for all you 9-5 folk)
SLAMALAMA WHAT!!!?????
SLAMALAMADINGDONG!!!!!!
OPEN DOOR POLICY:
We will never turn anyone away. Selling tickets allows us to pay our producers, venue and artists appropriately. It also helps us make a small profit margin so we can continue to thrive and grow as a small, grassroots arts organization. We donate 2% of our income to Pay the Rent.
This being said, if you are struggling financially and feel the need to participate, please advocate for yourself and send us a message so we can find a way to make sure you can participate in all the Slama goodness.
Also check out other Arts events in Brunswick, Literary Art events in Brunswick, Workshops in Brunswick.
