Il était un poème - Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie

Thank you for participating!

The deadline for submitting videos has passed, and the judges are now choosing the finalists. Check back on March 1 to see which videos they selected and to cast your vote!

Do you love poetry? What about slam poetry? If so, enter the RVF’s brand new contest!

“Il était un poème” celebrates artistic and cultural expression through the spoken and written word. The goal of the initiative is to celebrate diverse literary and spoken styles, raise awareness about linguistic insecurity and promote budding artists in Canada’s Francophone communities.

Send us a video of yourself reciting an original poem or slam poem in French by January 5, 2025, for a chance to place as a finalist. The public will vote for their favourite finalist from March 1 to 31, 2025.

The vote will determine the winning video in each category. Prizes will be announced soon!

School

Participation is open to students 8 years and up. Students can perform solo or in a group of up to 3 people, under the supervision of a teacher.

General public

Participation is open to individuals 18 years and up who aren’t considered professional* poets or slam poets. Individuals can perform solo or in a group of up to 3 people.

*For the purposes of this contest, a professional is someone whose art is their main source of income and their primary profession.

How to participate

Make a two-minute video, specifically for the contest. In the video, state your name, age and the city where you live; then read a poem or slam poem you have written yourself (only original material will be accepted).
Complete the form below, making sure to answer all the questions.
- For the School category, teachers must complete the form for the student(s).
- If you’re in a group of 2 or 3 people, choose one contact person in your group to complete the form.
Attach your text (PDF or Word file) to the form and provide a link to your video. Then, submit everything by January 5, 2025.
Stay tuned for the RVF’s list of finalists, which will be published on this page on March 1. Who knows? Your name could be on it!

Evaluation criteria

Finalists will be selected based on:
- how original the text is (only original poems or slam poems written by the person submitting the form will be accepted)
- the quality of the text
- how sincere and unique the text is
- your enthusiasm and on-camera presence

Further considerations

We must be able to see and hear you clearly. Do some test runs, and watch your video before submitting it.
Feel free to use props in your video. Be creative!
Only one video per person/group will be accepted.
Click here for the complete contest rules.

Check out a few tips and tricks from RVF spokesperson Guyaume Boulianne, author of the poetry collection Nâ.

Registration form

First name

Last name

City

Province or territory

After receiving close to 100 videos from budding poets and slam poets from across Canada, the RVF is proud to present its top picks in the “general public” and “school” categories!

Now it’s up to you to choose the winners of the 2025 “Il était un poème” contest by voting for your favourite videos. Each vote also gives you a chance to win a participation prize! You can submit one vote per day in each category by clicking on the video of your choice and filling out the entry form, so don’t forget to vote every day to increase your chances to win!