By Brett Popplewell
A lyricist and poet who grew up on the streets of downtown Ottawa is breathing new life into the city’s poetry scene with his monthly No Rules Poetry Slams held in the Parliament Pub on Sparks Street.
Twenty-two year old David Britten says he has been interested in poetry and music for as long as he can remember.
In his youth, Britten was a street vendor outside the Rideau Centre with aspirations of one day becoming a carpenter. At 18 he got a job working for a recycling firm and was nearly killed when his arm was sucked into a recycling machine.
After a two-year recovery and 15 surgeries, Britten decided to turn away from carpentry and embrace his passion for poetry.
“After almost losing my life I finished high school and concentrated on my arts,” he says.
Ottawa has hosted traditional poetry slams (a contest between poets who recite poems before an audience and judges) for many years, but with No Rules, Britten says he has broken from tradition by allowing poets to compete freely.
“I find that traditional slams tend to squash creativity,” says Britten. “But in No Rules, you can do what you want.”
Britten says in traditional slams, poets are only allowed to speak for three minutes and are not permitted to use props or musical instruments. Not so in No Rules.
Britten has organized two No Rules slams in the past two months. His first slam took place in the midst of a winter snow storm Jan. 19 and managed to attract 45 people.
“We had poets of all ages and types at our first slam,” says Britten. “We had anybody from MCs and singers, to spoken word poets.”
“We don’t want to discourage anyone from performing,” says Britten, who adds that music is a bonus for his slam. “Music is poetry for the masses.”
Slams traditionally have a panel of judges scoring a poet’s performance on a scale of one-10, but No Rules is different
“We’ve got an audience reaction meter that decides the winner based on how loud the audience responds to a poet’s piece,” says Britten.
Local poet Garmamie Sideau has competed in slams from Montreal to Chicago and was the winner of the first No Rules Slam. He says Britten has brought something unique to the city.
“The rules of a normal poetry slam are pathetic. They don’t allow people to expand on their work. David’s concept is quite different. His are by far the best slams because they’re very laid back and have no cut-throat feelings.”
Stan Lithwick, owner of the Parliament Pub, says he’s happy to see the No Rules Slam continue at his bar.
“We hope to turn it into a monthly event and use the patio facing Wellington Street in the summer time. It would be an excellent showcase of the city’s talent,” says Lithwick.
Britten says he’s thrilled to have the pub on board.
“What a better place, man? You’re right next door to the glue that holds the country together. If you’ve got a political poem, then where better to say it? The prime minister is right across the street.”
Poets and musicians can compete free of charge at No Rules. With no cover charge for audience members, the slam collects donations for charities like the Red Cross.
“As well as having a good time, we’re also looking to help the world through our poetry,” says Britten.
Britten says he’s happy to continue with his slams, and while he’s sticking to the No Rules formula, he’d like to see more music being used in the slams.