UniSlam 2026
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BSU makes semi-finals at UniSlam 2026
Wednesday, 18 March, 2026Bath Spa University’s poetry slam team competed in the annual UniSlam event in Birmingham last weekend, making it all the way to the semi-finals.
As the first university in the UK to offer a spoken word module, BSU has built a strong reputation through its success in this competition, developing a consistent presence on the stage over almost a decade.
Throughout the years, its poets have demonstrated skills honed at university, with a proven track record of reaching the semi-finals, and students describing the event as ‘life changing both personally and professionally’.
Each year, the UniSlam Festival gathers teams of emerging writers from universities across the UK and Ireland for three days of masterclasses, talks, and live performances, alongside the national varsity poetry slam tournament.
The festival also hosts the National Poetry Collectives Showcase, uniting England’s leading youth poetry collectives, as well as the Spoken Word Educators and Academic Researchers Network, established at UniSlam 2020.
Founded on the belief that poetry has the power to engage, empower, and inspire, the UniSlam puts its money where its mouth is, running a number of workshop programmes throughout the year, and supporting opportunities for writers and non-writers across the UK and Ireland.
Over the course of one weekend, BSU’s team presented a dynamic and wide-ranging set, exploring themes such as transphobia, asexuality, disability, grief, and queerness, while also bringing moments of levity through comedy and collaborative group pieces.
Discussing the team’s success, Professor of Creative Enterprise and the Spoken Word, Lucy English, said:
“The BSU Slam Team did so well at the UniSlam. Poetry Slams are competitive and fast paced, and the standard this year was extraordinarily high. The BSU team were first in both their heats and made it to the semi-finals. The judges selected their two-voice poem as a 'judges’ choice' to be performed at the finals, so BSU was also featured in the final event.
“They were complimented constantly on the quality of their writing and the impact of their performances. I would like to thank team coach Kathryn O'Driscoll, who brought out the best in all the team members.”
Supported through a series of workshops and training sessions led by BSU alumni coaches, Creative Writing graduate Kathryn O’Driscoll and MA Creative Writing graduate Callum Wensley, the team configuration featured Creative Media student, Jay Macdonald, English Literature and Creative Writing student, Grace Hall, Drama and Film and Screen Studies student, Jaymes Jones, Creative Writing student, Tessa Swift, and Film, TV and Digital Production student, Holly Morgan with MA Creative Writing, reserve Marina Sossi.
Team coach and BA Creative Writing graduate Kathryn O’Driscoll said:
“The team performed amazingly, winning both of their preliminary rounds outright. Our seasoned performers led the team well, and it was beautiful to see their evolution.”
“Our new team members blew judges out of the water. Jay and Tessa’s duet won the individual poem award out of the 200 poems performed before the final, so that’s an amazing accomplishment for them.
“Uni Slam is a huge part of BSU’s reputation for excellence, and this team definitely did the name and the legacy proud, and I am so happy for them.”
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