Poetry Dot Slam is a programme initiated in 2015 by the live arts company, Current State of Poetry (CSP), in partnership with the Joburg Theatre Youth Development. The programme runs every first Saturday of the month with writing, performance and business in arts workshops coupled with the staging of poetry slams and showcases.
CSP has two slam categories: The Open Slam and The One-on-One Slam.
The One-on-One Slam is by invitation only and features poets who have carved a name for themselves in the South African poetry scene. The Open Slam is part of the Poetry Dot Slam programme in which 12 promising poets are chosen to compete. The chosen contestant then takes part in the South African National Poetry Slam.
The champion of the 2018 Open Slam segment of the Nationals, Thuthukani Myeza, represented SA at the first Africa Cup of Slam Poetry in Chad and took 2nd place. The winner of the One-on-One segment Zewande BK Bhengu, represented SA at the 11th World Cup of Poetry in Paris and took 3rd place.
