Zuleyha Gurdag / Woman

Dan Poets featuring Viki Mealings

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.

Zaynab Farah / She is Light

Zaynab G Farah, winner of November’s Slamalamadingdong performs She is Light at The Melba Spiegeltent.

Zaynab is a Melbourne-based Spoken word artist. Driven to support and give back to her community; her pieces explore intricate personal experiences and topics that she’s very passionate about. Zaynab has performed on various platforms, which include both community and local events.

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).