SpeakUP Immersion

From writing to performance, Speak Up is a 12-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.

This is an extended version of the original 6-week course.

Come out of this course with:

Confidence in public speaking
Confidence in your creative writing
A collection of freshly written poetry
Stage ready spoken word pieces
Performance Experience to multiple live audiences
Communication and confidence skills that are transferrable both on and off the stage
Performance experience in a supportive environment
A community of co-writers and performers

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 Immersive

This 12-week course will support you to write, develop, master, and present a spoken word performance. We will write multiple pieces over the 12 weeks and perform them at a mid course performance and a final performance event.

What you get:

10 weekly, in-person, group classes
2 Public performance opportunities (week 6 and 12)
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
A community of supportive peers
A professional video of your performance
Professional Photographs of your performance

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 on week 12.

Weekly overview

Intro & Letting Go
Making an Impact
Being Seen
Owning Space
Refining
Mid-course Performance*
Using Characters Authentically
World Building for Captivation
Story Telling Techniques
Workshopping and Refining
Workshopping and Refining
Final Performance**

*The mid-course performance will be to a small invited audience of close friends and will be free for them to attend on week 6

**The Final performance will be a public ticketed event on week 12

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.

Payment Plans
Payment Plans available:
deposit + 2 payments of $500
deposit + 4 payments of $250
deposit + 6 payments of $167

About Your Facilitator

Fleassy Malay

(They/Them/She/Her)

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: Postgraduate Medical Council 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.

Alongside running their own programs Fleassy currently works as an educator for the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria coaching Doctors, Nurses, Surgeons, and Clinical Staff in Communicating With Confidence; a program she co-developed.

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:
The Coracle
Fairfield Uniting Church
87 Gillies St, Fairfield VIC 3078

Enter via the garden gate on Duncan Street

Notes on venue, accessibility etc:

Getting there:

The venue is in a hall behind the Fairfield Uniting Church. Enter via the garden gate on Duncan Street.

It is a 4 minute walk from Fairfield Train Station, and a 2 minute walk from Station Street. Next to the venue is a huge free car park, there is also limited free parking on the street out front.

Venue Accessibility:

The venue is wheelchair accessible. The access is via a set of double doors and a portable ramp is available, please let me know in advance if this is supportive to you and I will make sure it is set up.

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.

The nature of poetry and spoken word is that people often talk about things that have a high emotional content in them. Although I have 10 years experience in holding spaces like this, I am not a trained therapist or psychologist. I encourage students to care for their own mental health and students are welcome to step out of the space any time they need. A class assistant will be on hand to check in on any student who might need it, make them a cup of tea or take them outside to the garden for a moment. It is important to not the class assistant is also not a trained therapist, they are there as a caring and supportive peer.

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. 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 have not had any experience of working with Deaf students, however if this course interests you and you want to talk about access and how we can incorporate an Auslan Interpreter please reach out and we can see what is possible.

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

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 discuss further.

For enquiries and more information email fleassymalay@gmail.com

SpeakUP August 2024 - a 12-week Spoken Word Course