Melbourne Spoken Word & Poetry Festival launches crowdfunding campaign for 2019 event

The organisers of the Melbourne Spoken Word & Poetry Festival, which is set to run this year from 12–28 July, have begun a crowdfunding campaign after unsuccessful applications for Australia Council and Creative Arts Victoria grant funding.

The campaign has raised nearly $2300 of its $2700 goal, with the money needed to pay upfront printing and venue booking costs before organisers can begin to sell tickets.

In a statement, organisers said they were disappointed to learn their grant applications were unsuccessful.

‘Melbourne Spoken Word understands that arts funding is extremely competitive at the moment, especially with recent cuts by the Liberal government,’ they said. ‘Nevertheless, we still believe that a festival dedicated to spoken word and poetry within Melbourne is an essential thing for the arts landscape in Australia, and were surprised by the result.’

The inaugural festival was held last year. This year’s festival has more than 50 planned events, including workshops, performances and open mic gigs. For more information about the Melbourne Spoken Word & Poetry Festival, visit the website.

Category: Festivals Local news