A team from Ballakermeen High School has won the finals of this year’s One World Poetry Slam, held recently at the Ballakermeen Studio Theatre.

Students Graihagh, Francesca, Grace, Ann Mary and Dylan earned the judges’ acclaim for their poem entitled Her Story which explored the difficulties many girls around the world have in getting an education. Dylan was unable to attend the finals night but the remaining team members gave a masterful delivery in front of the packed theatre.

As part of their prize, the group was invited to perform in the Poetry Slam at Manx Litfest which took place the next evening.

Runners up were a team from QE2 with their poem Slavery is not just in the past.

The poetry slam is open to all Year 7 secondary school students on the Island and challenges them to write and perform a poem on an international development theme.  Topics this year were refugees, modern slavery, education for girls and natural disasters. The finalists were selected after in-school rounds which took place during the summer term.

Judges at this year’s finals were Stacey Astill, the second Manx Bard, Geoff Corkish from the Arts Council, Paula Holloway, former principal of St Clare’s Oxford and Karen Riordan of the Department of Education. They all agreed the standard of the students work was very high and commended everyone who had taken part for their passion and the practice they had put in to perform from memory.

Speaking after the event, One World Centre Director Rosemary Clarke said: “The One World Poetry Slam is one of our many creative initiatives that challenges young people to think about big issues in the world, on this occasion through the medium of poetry.

“While it’s often thought to be a dying art, these students have demonstrated that crafting and performing poems can be a powerful way to convey experiences and thoughts, and I’d like to thank them all for a wonderful evening.”

Photo - The winning team from Ballakermeen from left to right: Francesca, Ann Mary, Grace and Graihagh.