A Glasgow school has won a prestigious poetry competition.
Hillhead Primary was crowned Slam Masters at the Scottish Youth Poetry Slam 2022.
The pupils beat off stiff competition from five other Scottish primary schools with their poem, Nature
The individual winner was Primary 7 pupil, Lily Blake (aged 11) from Hillhead Primary School with her poem, ‘Don’t be in Such a Rush to Grow Up’.
The group winner was Cornton Primary School, Stirling with their poem, ‘All the Emotions’.
Good-natured
The Slam at Perth Theatre was fast paced and good natured and each school represented their area and were cheered on by their teams.
Individual winners received book tokens and the winning school won a Slam Masters trophy designed by Sian Mather from Project Ability - a Glasgow-based visual arts charity supporting artists with disabilities.
This year’s event was hosted by poet, Tawona Earnest, and drew a crowd of around 200 – including participants in the Slam and their families and guests.
The crowd were entertained at the final by singer-songwriter, Siobhan Wilson.
Rachel McJury, Project Founder, Scottish Youth Poetry Slam, said: “I’m delighted that Hillhead Primary School have become this year’s Slam Masters and well done to Lily Blake for winning the individual round and Cornton Primary School in Stirling for winning the group round.
The standard was really high from all six schools, but the judges felt that Hillhead Primary School just pipped the others.
Rachel McJury
“The standard was really high from all six schools, but the judges felt that Hillhead Primary School just pipped the others.
“I’d like to say a huge thanks to everyone who took part! We’ll be back again in 2024!”
The Scottish Youth Poetry Slam is a bi-annual competition encouraging young people to embrace language through poetry and spoken word.
This year’s schools participating in the live final were: Central West – Hillhead Primary School, Glasgow; Grampian – Findochty Primary School, Moray; Central East – Cornton Primary School, Stirling; Tayside – St Ninian’s Episcopal Church, Perth; South – Moniaive Young Theatre Makers Workshop, Dumfries and Galloway and Highlands and Islands – Hermitage School, Helensburgh.
Now in its fifth year, the project invites young people from the whole of Scotland to take part in music, poetry and performance workshops leading up to Scottish Youth Poetry Slam 2022.
The Slam crosses traditional barriers by using fun, youth culture elements to nurture language and literacy and to engage young people in literature and culture and upskill them with creative ways to manage mental health.
