Adelaide poet and 2025 National Poetry Slam winner Arantza Garcia will perform at Spring Slam in the Hills. Photography credit: Nicola Bailey.
How did you get into poetry slam?
It all started, as I'm sure most people with strange hobbies can attest to, during COVID. I fell down a rabbit hole of YouTube performances and became obsessed with the artform. When we were let out of our houses, I began going to slam competitions - just watching from the audience, wondering if I had the guts to one day perform. I showed up one day to a summer slam and accidentally signed up to compete. I ended up coming second. It gave me the confidence that ‘hey, maybe I could do this’. I haven’t looked back since.
What appeals to you about poetry slam - is it the writing, the live performance element or the audience interaction?
It’s the interaction with the audience. This moment of shared understanding. Of living in that space for those couple of minutes. Of silence and pure art. It’s exhilarating and, while I’m not an adrenaline junkie of any sort, performing poetry is my mountain climbing, my cave diving.
How would you describe a poetry slam event to someone who hasn’t experienced one before?
Exhilarating! Be prepared to witness something you haven't yet seen before. Be prepared to be surprised as paradoxical as that might sound. You’ll hear voices, experiences and stories you never have before, and have the privilege of watching someone bare themselves to you for just a passing moment.
Why would you recommend poetry slam events to artists who want to develop their craft and to members of the community who want to experience art?
Slam events are fantastic playgrounds to exercise your artistic muscles. Not only do you craft a work for the event, but you also practice allowing yourself to be seen - to be vulnerable. You test yourself in terms of performance, cadence and charisma, and you watch the results of your efforts unfold in a truly special moment of connection with the audience.
Society has always turned to creatives, like musicians, artists and writers, to help them make sense of the world and the times they live in – how do you see the role of spoken word artists in 2025 and into the future?
Spoken poetry is incredibly important to this understanding. There is an immediacy to it and a loudness about it. Of speaking observations and societal anecdotes to a microphone. Of having a willing audience waiting to hear your voice. There exists here a relationship like no other, and a drive to interpret our world in a way that connects us - rather than excludes. Effective, engaging spoken poetry is not pretentious. It’s loud, connecting and accessible - something you can’t always say for some art forms.
See Arantza Garcia perform at Spring Slam in the Hills on Saturday 29 November at the Adelaide Hills Wine Bar.