Giving Singapore A Piece of Your Mind: A Guide to Local Spoken Word Spaces
Years ago, during one of those post-examination periods, when classes aren’t really classes, my English teacher decided to kill time by showing us a video of American poet Sarah Kay performing “If I Should Have A Daughter”, a poem instantly recognisable by many fans of spoken word today and one of the most-watched poems on Youtube.
I was 14 and my mind was blown: I had no idea that poetry could sound or look like that: performative, touching and so, so powerful. I had never written a poem, but I was inspired to find out more about this heartstring-tugging performance art I had just discovered. It wasn’t long before I was trawling through Button Poetry’s YouTube channel, savouring American spoken word poetry the way I savoured American pizza.
But I had never thought to explore my country’s own spoken word scene, one which was just an MRT ride away. Had I known that I could listen to and be inspired by live spoken word in Singapore, I would have snuck out of my bedroom into a bar (in spite of being underaged) to listen to the words of the moving spoken word poets of this country.
Today, I have lingered around the spoken word scene so much that I feel like a chameleon on its walls. Thinking back, I wish that the 14-year-old version of myself had known that these spaces and opportunities exist in a bustling and thriving literature scene. I would have never known of these spaces had I not started exploring on my own, making friends in the scene and keeping myself updated with all the upcoming literary events. This is a handy guide to the spoken word scene in Singapore for those who, like 14-year-old me, always admired it but never knew where or how to begin.
Spoke & Bird: Poetry Open Mic
Photo: Ng Yi Sheng
Founded by poet and spoken word artist Stephanie Dogfoot, Spoke & Bird is a monthly poetry open mic night. It’s also a really clever pun. At open mic events like Spoke & Bird, everyone and anyone can get up onstage to perform a poem (provided they book an open mic slot on the event’s Facebook page online first). This makes it the place to meet budding spoken word talents and a great space to try performing for the first time. It is quite common for each Spoke & Bird night to feature both established poets and new poets. If you stay towards the end of the night, you will also get to watch a feature poet perform a 20-minute set!
Where? Spoke & Bird is currently housed at The Merry Lion Comedy Café and Bar. It is within walking distance from both Raffles Place and Clarke Quay MRT.
When? Monthly. Follow Spoke & Bird’s Facebook page for the latest updates on the next event. Typically, the nights run from 8pm to 11pm.
How Much? Spoke & Bird charges an entry fee of only $5 in cash. If you sign up for the open mic session, you can enter by donation!
Accessibility? Unfortunately, Spoke & Bird is not wheelchair accessible. As Spoke & Bird happens in a bar, all audience members need to be 18 to legally enter.
dink – The Open Open Mic
Photograph: @rarchial for dink
dink is one of Singapore’s longest-running open mic events. Now run by a group of creative, queer, brown folks, dink has opened up from being a music and poetry open mic to a platform that welcomes all creative performances. Whether you are a dancer, a stage magician, a drag queen or just a poet, dink is a supportive community space that welcomes all.
Similar to Spoke & Bird, you’ll have to sign up beforehand on each of dink’s Facebook event pages to get a slot to perform. dink runs once a month and currently calls a quaint bar at the top of People’s Park Complex, Miss Chinatown, its home. When you come to dink, look forward to a night where surprises and support await you at every corner.
Where? dink is currently housed at Miss Chinatown, on the sixth floor of People’s Park Complex, which is right outside Chinatown MRT.
When? Monthly. Follow Destination: Ink’s Facebook page for the latest updates on the next event. Typically, the nights run from 8pm to 11pm.
How Much? dink charges a flat entry fee of only $6 in cash.
Accessibility? Unfortunately, dink is not wheelchair accessible. dink is also not alcohol-free, so all audience members need to be 18 to legally enter.
Singapore Poetry Slam
Photo: @jaredhophotography
For those interested in a competitive form of spoken word, the monthly Singapore Poetry Slam organised by Word Forward may just be your cup of tea. Poetry slam is an American format of spoken word competition where each performed poem will be judged and scored by members of the audience. The poems with the lowest scores of each round will be eliminated and the rest will advance and perform other poems. At the end of the night, the highest scoring poet will be crowned champion and walk away with a cash prize of $50. The poetry slam is very exciting to watch for those who are looking to venture into spoken word and it can be very exhilarating for those participating in the competition. For those interested to take part, simply follow Word Forward’s Facebook page and look out for the latest poetry slam event. They will require slammers to sign up beforehand.
Where? The Singapore Poetry Slam is currently housed at The Writers’ Centre Singapore, on the second floor of Aliwal Arts Centre, in between Lavender and Bugis stations.
When? Monthly. Follow Word Forward’s Facebook page for the latest updates on the next event. Since its move to Aliwal Arts Centre, the poetry slam is now held from 4pm to 6pm.
How Much? The Singapore Poetry Slam charges a flat entry fee of $10. Tickets can be bought online prior to the event.
Accessibility? Unfortunately, the Singapore Poetry Slam is not wheelchair accessible. It is, however, alcohol-free.
What you can do at spoken word events
Those new to spoken word spaces may be unsure of the rules within the space. Besides always trying to be a nice human being, here are some common etiquette that you will see at spoken word performances:
Snapping vs Clapping. In a theatre performance, it is common for people in the audience to clap if they appreciate an act on stage. However, clapping can sometimes be too loud and may disrupt the performance of the poet. What you could do instead to show your appreciation for the poet is to snap your fingers. If you have frictionless fingers like me, you could click your tongue instead. You should then save the clapping for after the poet has completed their performance, when they say “Thank you”, or when they step off the stage.
Speaking to the poets. It is quite common for audience members to socialise and mingle with the poets they see onstage. If you’re not too shy, you could go up to them and strike up a conversation! However, poets are people too – they may be shy, exhausted or feel weird speaking to a stranger. If they don’t reciprocate the conversation, it’s okay too! Not every spoken word space has to end up like a networking session.
Merch! Sometimes, feature poets or open micers may bring their own merch that they’d like to sell. These could include books or other trinkets (someone once sold an e-book in a thumbdrive!), so you may want to consider bringing some extra cash just in case. By supporting artists with your money, you’re also encouraging them to create even more art!
Drinks. Typically, in spoken word spaces that serve alcohol, there is no real pressure to purchase a drink, unlike in a club. So long as you pay the door cover charge, it’s okay. However, buying drinks, alcoholic or otherwise, as a show of love for the venue, is highly encouraged. Spoken word events would not be able to exist without these spaces, so give them some support too!
With all this information at your fingertips, you’re ready to have a fun night out at a spoken word event! Read some poems, stay safe, and remember to have a ball of a time!