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

Intro & Letting Go
Making an Impact
Being Seen
Owning Space
Refining
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.

With over a decade of experience coaching public speaking and spoken word, Fleassy has also worked alongside many organisations to train and educate around confidence and speaking. Some of these organisations include: The Post Graduate Medical Association of Victoria, Thorne Harbour Health, Minus18, Banyule City Council, Boroondara City Council, Bega High School, Red Tent Australia, and The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council.

Fleassy is an award winning performer who has performed internationally at various events and with various organisations including: The National Poetry Slam (USA), Splendour in The Grass (AU), The National Folk Festival (AU), Seven Sisters Festival (AU), Rainbow Serpent Festival (AU), The Glastonbury Goddess Conference (UK), Women's Impact Network (Las Vegas, USA), The Doula Conference (AU), Dumbo Feather (AU), Melbourne Writers Festival (AU).

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

SpeakUP - A 6-week Spoken Word Course October 2022