Abolition

As part of the commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, BBC South's Roots project invited local performers to create poetry on the themes of slavery.

On Sunday 18 March, a packed Orange Rooms in Southampton heard 12 artists perform monologues, poems and raps on the themes slavery, abolition, freedom, heritage and ancestry.

Many of the performers had taken part in a workshop staged at BBC South with Roger Robinson - an acclaimed performance poet who divides his time between London, Trinidad and New York. Taking his lyrical finesse to the stage, he has opened shows for De La Soul, Cody Chesnutt, Saul Williams and Linton Kwesi Johnson.

Roger Robinson

A poetry slam is a competitive event which breaks down the barriers between traditional poetry and other artistic genres such as stand-up comedy, hip hop, rap, theatre and performance arts.

It gives the poet the opportunity for anyone at the workshops to deliver their work to a live audience. Judges give scores based on the poet's content, delivery and performance.

At the climax of the evening, there were two joint winners announced - Thomas Boord-James and Vincent Gould who both delivered stunning pieces.

Some of the slam poets who performed on Sunday evening will also be invited to perform at BBC South’s Abolition of the Slave Trade event in partnership with Portsmouth Royal Naval Museum on Sunday 25 March, from 12 noon till 4.00 pm.