La Mama Poetica featuring Geoff Page, Chloe Wilson, Matt Hetherington and Brigitte Lewis

Dan Poets featuring Ela Fornalska: The Dance Inside

The Dan is Melbourne’s longest running weekly poetry venue is now in its 24th year. Every Saturday between 2pm-5pm, The Dan O’Connell Hotel becomes, The Home of Poets. The Dan is a community of poets, who support each other’s work, and endeavour to improve their poetry. Some of the poets that perform at The Dan have been writing poetry for decades, but many, are just starting their poetry journey.

The Dan is also, for people that love to see poets performing their poems. Our poetry audience can listen, and watch the open mic, with a drink and a meal in front of them, you will hear words from around the corner, and around the world. It’s free entry, and everyone is welcome on the open mic.

Give yourself the gift of a living performance, come and experience Poetry @ The Dan O’Connell. Put your name on the blackboard and be part of the open mic. Co-ordinated and MC’d by the Dan Poet’s Collective, Libby, Steve, Anne, Norman and Tim.

Zuleyha Gurdag / Woman

Winner of September’s slam, Zuleyha Gurdag, performs ‘Woman’ at Slamalamadingdong on September 26, 2018 at The Melba Spiegeltent.

Zuleyha is a Melbourne born and raised poet who takes pride in her Turkish heritage and Australian nationality. Her passion and goal is to raise awareness of intersectionality and empower Muslim youth, particularly women, from the stereotypes and stigmas that surround them. For the long term run, she hopes to become a gynaecologist to advocate female independence and power in disadvantaged communities to change the gender roles accustomed to the people in her community and inspire women to reclaim their rights and increase their knowledge. In her spare time, she enjoys writing poetry, spending time with her cat and educating herself on interfaith dialogue and her Turkish history.

Tariro Mavondo / Black Boy

Tariro Mavondo performs ‘Black Boy’ at the closing night of the Melbourne Spoken Word & Poetry Festival at Howler Melbourne on June 3, 2018.

Tariro is a Melbourne/Naarm based artist who uses multiple disciplines to connect through creativity. Tariro writes and performs poetry as well as facilitates workshops around Australia. She sees art as a conversation, a dialogue and her practice focuses on creativity as a facilitator of change. She also works as an actor on the Australian stage (MTC, STC, Bell Shakespeare, Belvoir, Red Stitch) and screen (Neighbours, Winners and Losers), has been an actor in the internationally acclaimed, awarding winning web series Shakespeare Republic and has done voice overs for La Trobe, AFLW and Thomas The Tank Engine (UK).