Congratulations to Jason Marsiglia who won the 2015 Australian Poetry Slam and Matilde Wiese who was runner up.
Jason Marsiglia is a performer and writer, specialising in theatre and performance poetry. Jason absolutely loves the guts and power of slam poetry.
Jason Marsiglia is a performer and writer, specialising in theatre and performance poetry. He studied acting at the Adelaide College of the Arts, graduating in 2012 and he is currently completing a Bachelor of Communications and Media.
During his time at AC Arts, he performed in shows such as Mad Forest, Macbeth and The Miser.
He has devised theatre across various genres including comedies, contemporary dramas, cabaret and movement pieces. With a desire to create new and socially aware theatre works, Jason established Gumption Theatre Co. The company premiered The Market at the 2014 Adelaide Fringe and will premiere their new children’s show Prince Pipsqueak at the 2016 Adelaide Fringe. He has also created and devised works for Urban Myth Theatre Company.
Jason believes slam poetry is a powerful platform to raise your voice and be heard. He could not be more ecstatic to compete at the Australian Poetry Slam.
Matilde Wiese is a Law/Arts graduate currently completing her Honours in English at the University of Adelaide. She is a long-time poetry enthusiast and first-time slammer.
Born and raised in Adelaide, Matilde Wiese is a lover of language in all its forms and a great believer in poetry as a force for social change. Matilde studied a double degree in Law and Arts at the University of Adelaide, allowing her to simultaneously explore her interests in social justice and literature. She is currently completing her Honours in English and works part-time as a tutor teaching English, French and Maths. Matilde plans to spend next year travelling before buckling down to write her PhD. That way, she’ll have yet another thesis to procrastinate about in order to ensure that she’ll still have plenty of time for her other hobbies, which include the guilty pleasures of reading for leisure rather than study, attending seniors’ Zumba classes where she feels young and fit by comparison, and spending an inordinate amount of time with her mini schnauzer, Archie. This year, after watching endless YouTube videos of competitors in past Poetry Slams—with Archie, of course—Matilde decided to give it a shot herself. She has been overjoyed by the journey thus far and is incredibly excited to be representing South Australia at the 2015 Australian Poetry Slam finals.
