The Performance Series

Toronto Poetry Slam

Patrick de Belen and Ian Keteku

7:30pm

Friday, September 29, 2023

150 mins

The Toronto Poetry Slam returns for a seventh Festival appearance with a high-energy spectacle of original content to leave you feeling inspired!

Since 2005, TPS has featured some of Canada’s best and most engaging spoken word artists and next generation stars. Presented in partnership with Toronto Poetry Project, this hit slam is a competition in two rounds with multiple contestants, judged by members of the audience. Anyone is welcome to sign up to perform in any style. The winner takes home a cash prize and will earn an invitation to perform in next year’s Toronto International Festival of Authors.

Featured Poet: award-winning spoken word poet, filmmaker and educator Patrick de Belen

MC: multimedia artist Ian Keteku

Doors open at 6:30pm for all audience members.

Want to take part? Poet sign up at 6:45pm (No advance sign up). 12 slam spots. 4 open mic spots. There will be a draw if there are more people than spots. Maximum of 3 minutes for poems in the slam and the open mic. Be sure to check out Toronto Poetry Slam’s guidelines “For the Poets” and “Code of Honor” here.

Performance

Poetry

How to attend

$19.99

Single Day Pass

$249.99

Full Festival Pass

Students and youth save up to 50% on passes.

The Toronto Poetry Slam returns for a seventh Festival appearance with a high-energy spectacle of original content to leave you feeling inspired!

Featured Poet: award-winning spoken word poet, filmmaker and educator Patrick de Belen

MC: multimedia artist Ian Keteku

Doors open at 6:30pm for all audience members.

Performance

Poetry

Featured Authors

Patrick de Belen

Patrick de Belen is a Toronto-based Filipinx-Canadian storyteller, arts educator, spoken word poet, writer and filmmaker. He is most known for his poetic collaborations with the Toronto Raptors, the NFL, CBC, his 2 spoken word EPs and multiple cine-poems he wrote and directed himself. He was the youngest poet to win a national poetry slam championship, awarded both the national Canadian Poet of Honour and Youth Poet of Honour title, and a few more storytelling accolades throughout his career. He has shared the stage with notable performers like The Roots, Shayne Koyczan and The Halluci Nation. PDB's short documentary Tell Me A Story About Someone You Miss was selected as a finalist for the TVO Short Doc Competition (2023), and he is currently in post for his debut feature documentary Last Note, which won the inaugural 2023 Kalabaw Bursary, an award given to a Filipinx-Canadian filmmaker for post production, by the Reel Asian Film Festival. When he is not writing or sharing, he is an educator and youth mentor, partnering with many institutions like addiction centres, mental health focused organizations, libraries, schools, jails and more - advocating for storytelling opportunities in as many spaces as possible.