Australia's biggest and brightest slam poetry showcase decamps from its usual monthly spot in Western Sydney to take up residence in Cockatoo Island's impressive Turbine Hall for three energised nights during the Biennale.
While the line-up is still tightly under wraps, co-founder Sara Mansour will be front and centre. Fierce and fantastic in equal measure, her rapid-fire wit spits lines like, "I’ve seen affection shown with pinched cheeks and closed fists, with laid bricks and midnight shifts," leaving an unforgettable mark.
A fast and furious re-imagining of poetry infused with a hip hop sensibility, Bankstown Poetry Slam brings a younger, hungrier audience. Candy Royalle, Omar Musa and Canadian Insta-poet Rupi Kaur have all left their mark on the night, changing the game since 2013.
With some 400 punters making the monthly pilgrimage to Western Sydney, the Cockatoo Island segue allows shy city centre audiences who’ve been suffering serious FOMO to check it out.