POETRY CHALLENGE

The Drama for Life Lover + Another Poetry Challenge is an exciting and innovative National performance poetry project.

It aims at empowering university students, youth and the wider community to confront their realities pertaining specifically to multiple sexual relationships and HIV and AIDS. This is a project that allows the youth to talk openly about sex, relationships and HIV and AIDS education in a space designed to fit their socio-cultural contexts. Through performance poetry the youth are able to directly address the risks and cultural factors affecting their sexual behaviour, values and attitudes towards Sex, Relationships and HIV and AIDS.

The 2011 DFL Lover + Another Poetry Challenge will be hosted across the country, in KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg and Durban), Cape Town, Grahamstown (Rhodes University) and Gauteng. All regions will be having their regional finals in August 2011 respectively, of which three finalists will be selected from each region through a process of elimination in audition slams. These finalists will meet on September 2 in Johannesburg, where they will battle out the National Grand Slam which will be a media spectacle during the DFL Sex Actually Festival at the Wits University Main Theatre at 19h00.

There will also be a series of workshops in all regions on poetry (writing and performance) and HIV and AIDS, which enhances and develops the skills amongst the participants.

The competition is open to the public (16-35 years). Entrance for participation is free. There is a small door charge for all Regional Finals at R10 and National Grand Slam for only R20. There are also great prizes and Blackberry phones to be won.

The theme is Multiple sexual relationships and HIV and AIDS. Visit www.dramaforlife.co.za or contact Ntombi Nkuna on 011 717 4734 or email: ntombinkuna@gmail.com