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.

01/09/2026

👏The Final Rising Voices Workshop of 2026 is here!

WORKSHOP: Ritual and Presence in Performance
This workshop will explore the overlap of ritual and performance. How being deeply present in your body, harnessing intention and the energy of your spirit can elevate a performance from something that you do to something that you live and breathe.

FACILITATOR BIO: Jaime-lee Willoughby
Jaime Willoughby (they/them) is a Q***r South African Ceremonialist, Somatic S*x Educator, Drag King and Storyteller. They are passionate about the arts being used as a channel for truth, self-expression and healing. Inspired by their ancestral roots and precolonial perspectives, Jaime bridges ancient ritualistic modalities with modern expressions of art to create performances that speak directly to the audience's humanity.

🗓 Sunday 20 September 1:30pm-3:30pm
📍Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub - Fully Wheelchair Accessible
🎟 $20-$25 (pre bookings only limited places) https://events.humanitix.com/rising-voices-workshop-ritual-and-presence-in-performance

24/08/2026

Are you passionate about women’s voices?
Mother Tongue is seeking to appoint two new volunteer General Board Membersto support our next phase of growth and deepen the representation of diverse voices within our leadership. Please note, these are volunteer positions.
We welcome expressions of interest from anyone who aligns with our values and mission. In this recruitment round, we are particularly encouraging applications from people who are not cis men, and who bring lived experience of marginalisation, including but not limited to:

* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
* LGBTQIA+ communities
* Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
* Disability and/or neurodivergence
* Migrant and multi-generational families

You do not need prior board experience to apply. We value community knowledge, lived experience, and a commitment to equity, inclusion, and the arts.

Please read the full role description and how to apply at https://mothertonguepoetry.com/get-involved/

Deadline for submissions: Monday 28th September 2026. However earlier submissions are encouraged as they will be assessed upon receipt.

21/08/2026

Tomorrow! 7 tickets left! $20-$25
https://events.humanitix.com/rising-voices-workshop-poet-up

Learn how to make an audience sit up and take notice in this hands-on, two hour poetry workshop.

Poet, publisher and broadcaster Indrani Perera is coming to Ivanhoe to teach you how to use the tricks of writing for the page to make your spoken word poems more compelling.

You’ll leave with a poem you actually wrote and edited yourself. No poetry experience required or expected – beginners welcome!

FACILITATOR BIO: Indrani Perera
Indrani Perera is a Sri Lankan/German/Australian poet, publisher and author of Defenestration and pas de deux. Her poems have appeared on library receipts in Naarm, the big screen in Boorloo and on phones at the Melbourne Writers Festival. Indrani has been widely anthologised, published worldwide in literary journals and shortlisted for major poetry awards.

She has performed on makeshift stages in bars, teahouses and libraries, as well as in studios, theatres and on radio. In 2023 she was National Guest Poet at the Perth Poetry Festival. Indrani is also the Pocketry Almanack editor, Circus of Similes creator, and 3CR Spoken Word show host. www.indraniperera.com

19/08/2026

Poet Up! with This Sunday peeps we are pumped uppppppp! 10 tickets left. https://events.humanitix.com/rising-voices-workshop-poet-up

14/08/2026

If you haven't heard already, the pictures say it all.

Hawraa Kash, eight open mic spots, three beautiful co-hosts, an energy that can't be emulated by anything other than the sanctuary that is Mother Tongue.

We're more than ready for tonight; are you?

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

13/08/2026

Tomorrow night, Hawraa Kash is featuring on our beloved Mother Tongue stage. My gosh, we are so excited! ❤️

Hawraa Kash is nothing short of a powerhouse, speaking on vulnerabilities, feminism, intergenerational trauma, and so much more. We're expecting a night of rawness, openness and complete and utter magic as she takes up space that is rightfully hers.

Alongside 8 open mic spots, our homemade chai and a crew of incredible volunteers, there's no better way to spend your Friday night 😉

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

12/08/2026

OUR AUGUST EVENT HAS A FUN SURPRISE! ⭐️🥳

This time around, we have three hosts ready to guide you through our Mother Tongue night! Fun, exciting vibes all round with these three, you can expect a night giggles, warmth and lots of smiles.

We're so excited to see you there! If you haven't yet, be sure to grab your tickets for this Friday featuring Hawraa Kash and 8 open mic performers.

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

11/08/2026

Who's calling? 📞 Oh, it's Friday 14th of August, calling you to tell you all about our Mother Tongue event! 🤩

Featuring Hawraa Kash with 8 open mic spots, delicious homemade chai and yummy cakes from Green Refectory, we're not sure what else we'd rather do with our Friday night. Come down and keep cosy and warm, fill your heart and ears with poetry, and leave with a smile! ❤️

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

09/08/2026

Our next Rising Voices workshop is here! 🔥

On Sunday the 23rd of August, we will be having the wonderful Indrani Perera facilitate Poet Up! A hands-on workshop on capturing an audience with the power of writing tools and techniques ⭐️

Get your tickets at the link below ❤️

🎟 https://events.humanitix.com/rising-voices-workshop-poet-up

📸 Photo creds to Brendan Bonsack

07/08/2026

Seven sleeps until Hawraa Kash is featuring at Mother Tongue! Woohoo!!!

Hawraa is an incredible woman and poet, touching on themes of intergenerational trauma, mental health and trials of diaspora and intersectionality.

Hawraa is close to our Mother Tongue hearts, having performed with us at our Fringe show 'Women of Fire' 🔥❤️ We are so excited to host her once again!

Haven't got your ticket yet? No worries! Link below 😉

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

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Website

http://www.mothertonguepoetry.com/

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