00:00If you wanted freedom of speech, unbridled but carefully crafted, well Nellis was the
00:06place to be for the 14th edition of the Boca Slitfest Poetry Slam competition.
00:11Siri, you okay? I just, I just want one joke. Okay! How many prime ministers does it take
00:22to screw a country? Two! And how many people does it take to perpetuate this foolishness?
00:30You! A total of 11 talented spoken word poets with their thought-provoking way of articulating
00:36their views captured the audience. But right now, someone turning corners like it's F1. Like it
00:43have some trophy to hold up when their life done. And the way people running through them on the
00:47highway, like every red light turning to a 5k. Defending champion Shaquille Warren pointed to
00:53the power of colonial influences. Cause if we in the Caribbean are independent sovereign
00:59nations, why do we see them as our rulers? Then it occurred to me, Stockholm syndrome
01:06makes us fall in love with our abusers. It wasn't enough for him to retain his title,
01:11which went to... Winner!
01:21That earned Johnson the $25,000 prize and the 2026 champion bragging rights.
01:28Because every little bit of trash contributes to this lawless dump that we live in today.
01:36So you driving a fielder or a beamer?
01:39It's ticket. My own sergeant or any senior?
01:44It's ticket.
01:47You's a political leader?
01:50It's ticket.
01:51Second place at $15,000 went to Deron Sandy.
01:56And hold the real... This one heavy. Wait now. Military. Raider.
02:05This thing looking like the mobilization of a neighbor. Like if I want drugs to
02:09into a raid on Venezuela. I thought you hate home invasion.
02:13And walking away with $8,000 in third place was Seth Sylvester.
02:18Recently, there was an assignment called $3.4 billion in HTC contracts.
02:26I see the handout for that was only given to those on their list of contacts.
02:33But teacher said it's about what you know. Teacher said success is earned.
02:39Head judge of the competition, Jean-Claude Conant, says the task to select the winners was not easy.
02:46And he adds that for the first time, a computerized scoring method was utilized through a custom-built app.
02:52Conant has also provided two areas where he believes there could be improvement among the poets.
02:58There's not enough, I think, reflection taking place and introspection among the poets.
03:04I think that could really add to the potency of the work. So that was one of the notes.
03:09Also continuity and coherence.
03:13Booker Slitfest hospitality and youth manager Mariel Forbes says the competition continues to move
03:19forward despite the uncertainty of funding and sponsorship as she thanks for Citizens Bank for
03:25the support over the years. Forbes believes the space is vital and extends past competition.
03:31It has been a movement, a place where young people found the confidence to speak boldly, confront
03:39difficult realities, and express themselves without fear, as you have seen tonight.
03:47In a world where censorship can sometimes manifest through exclusion, silence, or lack of opportunity,
03:55spaces like this become essential acts of freedom and creative resistance.
04:02One Caribbean Media, the parent company of CCN TV6, is the Boca Slit Festival's longest-standing sponsor.
04:08Forbes says the competition has helped participants pay for university, build homes,
04:14schools, and spawn creatives who can stand on their own feet.
04:17Alessia Boucher, TV6 News.
04:20Alessia Boucher, TV6 News.
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