Dead vs. Alive Slam @ NordArt Büdelsdorf

A Special Slam Format in an Industrial Monument

For years, a literary accompanying program has been part of the NordArt summer in Büdelsdorf, extending from the world of contemporary art into words. Dead vs. Alive is one of the most peculiar formats: a Poetry Slam that pits living spoken-word artists and slam poets against deceased poets of all eras — the "dead" texts are recited by actors or speakers, and the audience decides who excites the hall more. It is a competition and a literary canon crash course all in one.

Who Leads, Who is Involved

• Björn Högsdal — Slammaster, Hamburg spoken-word veteran, and co-initiator of numerous North German slam formats
• Nordkolleg Rendsburg — supra-regional cultural and educational center, partner for literary programs
• assemble ART — initiative for encounters between visual arts and words

The ACO Thormannhalle

The ACO Thormannhalle is a former industrial hall on the Carlshütte grounds, which serves as the concert and event stage for NordArt every summer. With around 1,200 seats, red brick architecture, and high windows, it provides an extraordinary backdrop for literary evenings — a place where the spoken word finds a special resonance.

Büdelsdorf in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde District

Büdelsdorf is located immediately north of Rendsburg in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The Carlshütte, once the largest iron foundry in Schleswig-Holstein, now serves as an art venue — the annual NordArt, with around 100,000 visitors, is one of the most important art exhibitions in Europe.