Mother Tongue Poetry

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Mother Tongue Poetry

Spoken Word and Performance Nights held monthly in Melbourne. A space for all to gather to hear women speak. Honest. Powerful. Vulnerable. Passionate.

These evenings are deeply inspiring, moving and empowering spaces for us to share our stories. Mother Tongue is an Incorporated Not For Profit organisation based in Naam (Melbourne, Australia). The organisation is dedicated towards gender equality through centring the voices of women and gender diverse people who identify with the identity of woman. We are a organisation that provides services to

Amplify and Equip diverse women’s voices; enhancing a culture of courage, connection, and equity for all women. We do this through live events, digital media, partnerships, community development, workshops and education. Mother Tongue provides events in person or online for all to gather to hear women and gender diverse people speak. Events run on the second Friday of every other month from February to December. Running since 2012, Mother Tongue Poetry is a valued establishment in the Australian Spoken Word/Poetry community. Mother Tongue has become Melbourne’s biggest women’s spoken word event and one of Melbournes most long-standing community spoken word spaces. All genders are welcome to attend our events.

26/06/2026

Have you ever wanted to self publish your poetry but didn't know where to start?

In this session local poet and performer Fleassy Malay will de-mistify the self-publishing experience and provide multiple pathways to self-publishing. PLUS discover the world of poetry zines, and create your own mini zine from one of your poems to take home.

📚 50% self publishing insights
✂️ 50% creative making
🤗 Leave with your own self-published zine

🎟 10 tickets left
https://events.humanitix.com/rising-voices-workshop-self-publishing-for-poets-plus-make-a-poetry-zine

21/06/2026

NEXT SUNDAY 28 June 1:30pm - Self Publishing for Poetry + make a poetry zine! Join us and the Rising Voices Fellows for a workshop that is 50% information and 50% practical play.

Have you ever considered publishing your poetry, but don't know what the options are? In this session local poet and performer Fleassy Malay will de-mistify the self-publishing experience and provide multiple pathways to self-publishing. The second part of the session will be a creative and hands-on opportunity to make a poetry zine from one of your own poems. Leave this session understanding what's possible for you with self-publishing and a small self-published zine ready for reproduction and distribution.

🎟 https://events.humanitix.com/rising-voices-workshop-self-publishing-for-poets-plus-make-a-poetry-zine

16/06/2026

As part of the Rising Voices Fellowship, Mother Tongue Poetry is presenting a series of public workshops to upskill and equip local writers beyond our core fellowship group. The workshop themes will be set by the journey the Fellows decide to take and will be designed to support their progress whilst also allowing the wider community to engage with the program.

The Rising Voices Fellowship is made possible through a Banyule Arts and Culture Project Grant.�

WORKSHOP: Self Publishing for Poets + make a poetry zine�
Have you ever considered publishing your poetry, but don't know what the options are?�In this session local poet and performer will de-mistify the self-publishing experience and provide multiple pathways to self-publishing. The second part of the session will be a creative and hands-on opportunity to make a poetry zine from one of your own poems.�Leave this session understanding what's possible for you with self-publishing and a small self-published zine ready for reproduction and distribution. ��

This session is 50% information and 50% practical play. The second part of the session involves using fine motor skills with scissors, paper folding, and glue. Support workers are welcome if required. ��

Please Bring: One of your own short poems (200 words max) printed or handwritten (this will be cut up, so please do not bring the only copy of it you have). If you need a copy printed please email your poem to [email protected] with "poem for workshop" as the subject up to 24 hours before the workshop, and we will print it for you. We will provide scissors but they will be shared. If you like you can bring your own pair if you prefer.

🗓 Sunday 28 June 1:30pm-5pm
📍Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub - Fully Wheelchair Accessible�
🎟 https://events.humanitix.com/rising-voices-workshop-self-publishing-for-poets-plus-make-a-poetry-zine

12/06/2026

YES TONIGHT! Tickets Selling Fast - thank you community :) Encourage you to pre-book before 3pm. Limited Tickets available on the door .We have live stream option too (pay as you feel) is our feature artist SO EXCITED!!!

10/06/2026

Passionate. Powerful. Vulnerable. Honest.
Four words that capture the spirit of Mother Tongue Poetry. Tomorrow night we'll do it all again with our fab fab feature JESSE ECHO

Come as you are. Bring your whole self. We'd love to see you there.

🎟 https://events.humanitix.com/mother-tongue-poetry-june-2026

09/06/2026

Brrr... Anybody else really cold right now? 🥶

I heard Jesse Echo knows how to hold an audience, make them feel seen and warm and fuzzy and familiar..... Good thing she's featuring on Friday at Fairfield Uniting Church... Jesse will get us through the cold 🫂❤️

🎟 Grab your tickets here https://events.humanitix.com/mother-tongue-poetry-june-2026

08/06/2026

Embodying Words for Stage - a Rising Voices workshop facilitated by Tariro Mavondo and Mother Tongue 🔥🎤🤩

On the 31st of May, we had our first workshop as part of our Rising Voices fellowship. These workshops will run throughout the fellowships duration, and are welcome for the wider community to join in on!

Tariro Mavondo guided us through how to embody our words on stage, letting each word have their own feeling, and using sound and movement to get there.

Tariro, we cannot thank you enough for how attentive and informative you were. We are so grateful to have somebody so talented and knowledgeable be part of our community!

If you were there, what's one piece of advice that's stuck with you?

To continue seeing updates on our Rising Voices workshops, make sure you click the follow button on Facebook or Instagram! ⭐️

29/05/2026

TWO WEEKS UNTIL JESSE ECHO FEATURES ON OUR MOTHER TONGUE STAGE!!! 🫶🔥❤️

Jesse Echo is a non-binary trans-femme poet, storyteller & songwriter living in Naarm (Melbourne). Her performances blend the spoken word with her folk-punk singer-songwriter roots, resulting in a rhythmic mix of structured & unstructured poetry & verse.

Jesse’s poetry is a welcoming, authentic, and down-to-earth meander through themes of q***r joys, q***r struggles, self-discovery, and self-love - all punctuated with a warm sensuality. Whether she's spinning a yarn, crooning softly, or inviting you to shout along triumphantly - she hopes to bring you all along on this little journey together.

To purchase tickets to see Jesse in all her glory, purchase tickets at the link below! 💋

🎟 https://events.humanitix.com/mother-tongue-poetry-june-2026

28/05/2026

A snippet from our June feature Jesse Echo 🫶💋

If you like what you hear, be sure to grab your tickets in our Instagram bio!

27/05/2026

Can you spot the similarities between all of these poets? 🧐
No, it's not the fact they're all wearing glasses! It's their vulnerability, courage and confidence to be up on stage, sharing their art. Doing their part in making the world a softer, more empathetic place ❤️
Being a poet is an honourable duty; our place in the world is to spread the message of being human. The poets that bless our Mother Tongue stage are activists, true bearers of souls, and the most amazing performers we are simply just honoured to know and showcase! 🫶
To witness our community in full force, ensure you purchase tickets to our next event featuring Jesse Echo on June 12th

🎟 https://events.humanitix.com/mother-tongue-poetry-june-2026

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Website

http://www.mothertonguepoetry.com/

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