SpeakUP

From writing to performance, Speak Up is a 6-week journey through the depths and power of the self through Spoken Word.

Harness your creativity and step into the empowerment of speaking your truths using this dynamic art form.

Come out of this course with:

• Confidence in public speaking
• Confidence in your creative writing
• Freshly written poetry
• Stage ready spoken word pieces
• Performance Experience to a live audience
• Communication and confidence skills that are transferrable both on and off the stage

Who is it for?

People wanting to:

• Build their confidence
• Embrace their creativity
• Develop effective, authentic communication skills
• Write
• Take their first steps, or expand their skills with Spoken Word Poetry
• Speak their truth with more power and presence

This program is suitable for:

• People lacking confidence with public speaking
• First time performers
• Experienced performers
• Secret note-book poets
• Occasional public speakers/class facilitators
• Spoken Word performers wanting to deepen their impact

What to Expect

SpeakUP

This six-week course will support you to write, develop, master, and present a spoken word performance. We will write multiple pieces, and pick a single piece to each perform on the final day of the course.

What you get:

• 6 weekly, in-person, group classes
• Opportunity for personalised mentorship during these classes
• SpeakUP journal
• A guided and supportive process
• Live performance experience in a held and facilitated container
• SpeakUP certificate

Using exercises and games, Fleassy Malay guides the group to find their own words and their own voices culminating in a final group Spoken Word public performance night on week 6.

Weekly overview

1. Intro & Letting Go
2. Making an Impact
3. Being Seen
4. Owning Space
5. Refining
6. Final Performance

The final performance is public and shared with an invited audiences of our nearest and dearest friends and family.
For enquiries and more information email fleassymalay@gmail.com

Full Mentorship Program (Limited Places Available)

The full mentorship program includes everything within the SpeakUP course, plus 5 private coaching sessions (Virtual or in-person in Heidelberg Heights). These sessions can be used to supplement your progress within SpeakUP or they can be used to support you to apply the techniques learnt in SpeakUP to an external project eg. a book you are writing, a performance you are developing, your general career.
This mentorship program gives you all the goodies offered to the main SpeakUP community with the added benefit of very personalised coaching and development support. It is designed to catapult your journey and deepen your personal/professional growth.

Private Sessions

Individual private coaching sessions are also available to book as add ons. These are idea if you would like a little more personalised mentorship, or if you would like extra support in specific areas of your writing and performance journey. These sessions are held online or in-person in Heidelberg Heights.

About Your Facilitator

Fleassy Malay

(She/Her/They/Them)

Two times TEDx speaker and viral poet, Fleassy Malay is an Internationally renowned, evocative and powerful spoken word artist, speaker and coach. A global advocate for Women’s and LGBTQI+ rights and a fierce voice for the power of authenticity and courage as a social change tool.
She is the founder of Melbourne’s acclaimed NFP organisation and Women's Spoken Word event, Mother Tongue. A passionate, powerful, vulnerable and honest performer who's words leave a profound impression. 

Event Details

Venue:

149B Glenlyon Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056

Notes on venue, accessibility etc:

Getting there:
The venue is on Glenlyon Road in Brunswick very close to Lygon Street trams. There is nearby on-street parking available after 6pm, but please check the street signs on the day to avoid fines.

Accessibility:

Unfortunately this event is not wheelchair accessible and is on the first floor up a flight of stairs. I do endeavour to make as many of my events accessible as I can, and as I get back into the swing of in-person events and classes I will do my best to source a suitable, accessible venue for future classes. My apologies if this impacts your capacity to be involved.

Content accessibility:
We do a lot of drama/theatre inspired games which involve moving around the space and interacting with each other in different ways. Participants are encouraged to meet each exercise in what ever way is most suitable for their body/emotions and that there is no obligation.

If English is not your first language you are still very welcome in the course. I have had many multi-lingual students in the past and you are encouraged to write or perform in what ever language feels most suitable for you. However all course content and mentoring will be presented in English.

Voice to text software to write is not appropriate in the space due to the room being small and in silence when we do the group writing exercises. Past participants have chosen to use phones or laptops for their writing instead of pen and paper, participants are welcome to use whatever format is most supportive of their writing.

A huge element of the program is voice and vocal use as well as assessing and unpacking how we use our bodies when we feel like we are being watched. This specific program may not be suited to people who have a lot of involuntary movement or vocal expression; a lot of the content may be more challenging or less supportive for your performance journey.

However, I have had students in the past with occasional vocal ticks, restricted body movement and people who use wheelchairs in the course before and the content has not been a problem for them.

I’m always very keen and willing to learn and support and explore with participants with their unique requirements so please do contact me if you have any questions.

Inclusivity:
All genders are welcome to participate in this course. Participants over 16 only. This is an LGBTQI+ friendly space, if this does not suit your world views, I advise you to not attend.

If you have specific needs or questions around inclusivity, accessibility, movement, hearing or voice then please contact me directly and I will be happy to give you an overview of the content of the course to see if it will be appropriate for you.

For enquiries and more information email fleassymalay@gmail.com