Where: Contact Theatre
When: July 2010
Participants: 6
Audience: 200+

WORDCUP2010 is a national spoken word project for young people. From April to July 2010, teams of 13-16 year olds from nine regions of England worked with professional poets to create their own poetry and spoken word. The teams came together to meet, write and perform at the WORDCUP Weekend from Friday 9 – Sunday 11 July at Contact Theatre in Manchester.

WORDCUP2010 was about giving young people a chance to express what is important to them through poetry and spoken word. Participants were challenged to write, perform and work creatively in a team. By meeting other young people from across the country, they became part of a community of poets sharing their stories, energy and ideas.

WORDCUP2010 brought together top spoken word artists, poetry organisations and venues from across the country, including Leeds Young Authors, Radikal Words, Spiel Unlimited, the U.K. School’s Poetry SLAM Championship, Young Identity, April’s Dawn, Arc Arts Centre, Ashcroft Arts Centre and Contact. WORDCUP2010 was a chance for people from across the literature sector to work together, share skills and develop lasting relationships for the future.

Manchester’s Young Identity also won the coveted accolade of ‘Best Lyrical Lines’!

Photography by Hema Karecha