Art and Design by Allen John Guanzon
UP Alpha Nu Fraternity, a brotherhood open and sensitive to men of different sexual orientations, is slated to observe World AIDS Day through a spoken word or performance poetry competition this December 5 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Dubbed “BosesXBerso: A Poetry Battle for HIV-AIDS Awareness“, the event will be held at the College of Mass Communication Auditorium, UP Diliman in Quezon City.
BosesXBerso is a spoken word poetry competition with the theme focused on expressing in verse the messages of people living with HIV, their lives and experiences. Everyone willing to share their poetry is welcome to register or join the fun as spectators.
The first round will include performances. Participants will perform their prepared, original piece that touches on a specific aspect about HIV. The poem must be spoken, danced or performed with the body. Twenty registered participants from the Google Sign Up sheet and five walk-in participants will join in this first round. Judges will choose the top 10 participants for the next round.
The second round will see the winners from the first round battle. The battle will pattern the production of renga style; renga is a kind of collaborative poem created by two poets, the first opening with a haiku, and the next poet continuing the next stanza with seven syllables per line. In this round, there will be no limit for syllabication or rhyme. The poet must continue the lines within the time limit of one minute.
Ten participants will be paired. Each pair will pick an issue related to HIV. After which, the first performer will be given a minute to think about his/her opening verse which will last for a minute. Then the partner will continue the verse which will last for another minute. Then the first performer will rebut in verse for another minute. The last minute will be given for the second participant to rebut in verse. The judges will comment and will decide on which participant will perform the best verse for the battle. Only the five chosen participants will reach the final round.
The final round will involve impromptu performances. Judges will announce a surprise theme for the participants to write their original poem. Ten minutes will be given to create their poem. After 10 minutes of isolation, poets will be called in one-by-one to perform. Judges will then comment on the poet’s performance and written pieces.
The judges will be the sole deliberator of winners. The top three best competitors will be awarded with major and consolation prizes, while the top five will be awarded with consolation prizes. The judge’s decisions will be final and irrevocable. Contest organizers are not allowed to join the competition. Winners will be awarded with the following: Champion – P7,000; Second place – P5,000; Third place – P2,000. Consolation prizes will also be given to all participants.
To join in the competition, sign up via the Google Form, http://bit.ly/bosesxberso (main link) or http://goo.gl/forms/A1Ra7x1gjB (alternative link). Deadline for pre-registration is until midnight of December 3.
