My deepest respect to the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, to their Elders past and present.
I acknowledge that this is, and always will be, Aboriginal land and sovereignty was never ceded.
It’s time to SpeakUP your desires.
From writing to performance, Speak Up Spicy is an 8-week journey through the power of sensuality through spoken word.
In a society that so often polices our bodies and silences our expression, SpeakUP Spicy is a place to fully embrace our sensuality and reclaim our erotic voice. This is a gentle and guided course where we explore not only what we want to say, but how we want to say it.
Harness your creativity and step into the power of speaking your eros using this dynamic art form.
SpeakUP has been running for 12 years and seen amazing success with diverse students going on to speak on stages across the world. This is an adaption of the primary course that focuses on a specific form of writing and performance. We will explore different aspects of our eros and desires in a trauma informed space. Due to the content of this course it is ages at strictly 18+.
The program is designed to centre the experiences of women and LGBTQIA+ people and will have a zero tolerance policy on any topics which glorify illegal or non consensual forms of sexuality.
Come out of this course with:
- Confidence in public speaking and creative writing
- A collection of freshly written poetry
- Stage ready
- Performance experience
- Communication and confidence skills that are transferrable both on and off the stage
- A community of co-writers and performers
- Professional Photos of you performing for your portfolio
- A very juicy feeling about your poetry
Take the Stage: Sensual & Strong
Write poetry which evokes the eros and sensuality
Captivate an audience with your glorious audacity
July 2025 enrollment OPEN
Who is SpeakUP Spicy for?
Are you wanting to:
- Build your confidence
- Embrace your creativity and sensuality
- Develop effective, authentic communication skills
- Write sexy, sensual, and intimate poetry
- Speak your desires with more power and presence
- Reclaim your own relationship to your body and desires
This program is also suitable if you are:
- Lacking confidence with public speaking
- A first time performer
- An experienced performer
- A secret note-book poet
- A spoken word performer wanting to deepen your impact and sharpen your skills
What to Expect
This 8-week course will support you to write, develop, and perform sensual poetry. You will write multiple pieces over the 8 weeks, edit and craft them for performance.
Using exercises and games, Fleassy Malay guides the group to find their own words and their own voices culminating in a Spoken Word public performance night on week 8. There is a focus on supporting each student to develop their own unique stage presence. For more about accessibilty please see here.
Students will also experience the set up, production, and promotion of a public event.
What you get:
- 7 weekly, in-person, group classes
- A public performance opportunity (week 8)
- Opportunity for personalised mentorship during these classes
- SpeakUP journal
- A guided and supportive process
- SpeakUP Spicy certificate
- A community of supportive peers
- Professional Photographs of your performance
Upcoming Course Details
Jul 24th – Sept 11th 2025 Fairfield
OPEN FOR REGISTRATION
6:30pm – 9:30pm.
Thursday evenings for 8 weeks.
Venue
The Coracle
Fairfield Uniting Church, 87 Gillies St, Fairfield VIC 3078
Wheelchair Accessible Venue
Price
SpeakUP Immersive 8 Week course:
Full $900
Early Bird* $850
Cons $820
Mentorship Package:
(Course plus 4 private coaching sessions)
Full $1,250
Payment Plans available – Pay Deposit now and pay rest before the Sept 11th 2025
*EARLY BIRD PRICE! The early bird price is available until June 4th 2025.
(We ask for a deposit of $250 for the course to secure your place. This is non-refundable if you change your mind but will be refunded if the courses is cancelled due to COVID. The rest of the course fees can be paid at any point before the final night of your course.)
Financial Inclusion: We acknowledge that society does not create equal access to financial freedom and that systems of oppression have excluded and marginalised certain groups for hundreds of years. With this in mind there is always one place available via Scholarship application reserved for someone who is not in a position to afford the course. If you are wanting to attend but cant afford the full price, please reach out and we can discuss options. Please email for details.
“I met myself on stage and she was glorious. Thank you a million times”
Additional Opportunities
Full Mentorship Program (Limited Places Available)
The full mentorship program includes everything within the SpeakUP Spicy course, plus 4 private coaching sessions (Virtual or in-person in Heidelberg Heights). These sessions can be used to supplement your progress within SpeakUP or they can be used to support you to apply the techniques learnt in SpeakUP Spicy to an external project eg. a book you are writing, a performance you are developing, your general career.
This mentorship program gives you all the goodies offered to the main SpeakUP community with the added benefit of very personalised coaching and development support. It is designed to catapult your journey and deepen your personal/professional growth.
Private Sessions
Individual private coaching sessions are also available to book as add ons. These are ideal if you would like a little more personalised mentorship, or if you would like extra support in specific areas of your writing and performance journey. These sessions are held online or in-person in Heidelberg Heights. These sessions are usually priced at $150, however during the SpeakUP Spicy program they are $125 for active students.
About Your Facilitator
Fleassy Malay
(They/Them/She/Her)
Two times TEDx speaker and viral poet, Fleassy Malay is an Internationally renowned, evocative and powerful spoken word artist, speaker and coach. A global advocate for Women’s and LGBTQI+ rights and a fierce voice for the power of authenticity and courage as a social change tool.
She is the founder of Melbourne’s acclaimed NFP organisation and Women’s Spoken Word event, Mother Tongue. A passionate, powerful, vulnerable and honest performer who’s words leave a profound impression.
With over a decade of experience coaching public speaking and spoken word, Fleassy has also worked alongside many organisations to train and educate around confidence and speaking. Some of these organisations include: Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria, Thorne Harbour Health, Minus18, Banyule City Council, Boroondara City Council, Bega High School, Red Tent Australia, and The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council.
Alongside running their own programs Fleassy currently works as an educator for the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria coaching Doctors, Nurses, Surgeons, and Clinical Staff in Communicating With Confidence; a program she co-developed.
Fleassy is an award winning performer who has performed internationally at various events and with various organisations including: The National Poetry Slam (USA), Splendour in The Grass (AU), The National Folk Festival (AU), Seven Sisters Festival (AU), Rainbow Serpent Festival (AU), The Glastonbury Goddess Conference (UK), Women’s Impact Network (Las Vegas, USA), The Doula Conference (AU), Dumbo Feather (AU), Melbourne Writers Festival (AU).
Fleassy is committed to inclusion and updating and developing their programs to ensure their courses are supportive to as many people as possible.
Notes on venue, accessibility etc
Getting there:
Firfield: The venue is in a hall behind the Fairfield Uniting Church. Enter via the garden gate on Duncan Street.
It is a 4 minute walk from Fairfield Train Station, and a 2 minute walk from Station Street. Next to the venue is a huge free car park, there is also limited free parking on the street out front.
Venue Accessibility
The Coracle, Fairfield: The venue is wheelchair accessible. The access is via a set of double doors and a portable ramp is available. There is also an accessible toilet that you pass through 2 standard sized doors to access.
Content Accessibility:
We do a lot of drama/theatre inspired games which involve moving around the space and interacting with each other in different ways. Participants are encouraged to meet each exercise in what ever way is most suitable for their body/emotions and there is no obligation.
The nature of poetry and spoken word is that people often talk about things that have a high emotional content in them. Although I have 10 years experience in holding spaces like this, I am not a trained therapist or psychologist. I encourage students to care for their own mental health and students are welcome to step out of the space any time they need. A class assistant will be on hand to check in on any student who might need it, make them a cup of tea or take them outside to the garden for a moment. It is important to note the class assistant is also not a trained therapist, they are there as a caring and supportive peer.
If English is not your first language you are still very welcome in the course. I have had many multi-lingual students in the past and you are encouraged to write or perform in what ever language feels most suitable for you. However all course content and mentoring will be presented in English.
Voice to text software to write is not appropriate in the space due to the room being small and in silence when we do the group writing exercises. Past participants have chosen to use phones or laptops for their writing instead of pen and paper, participants are welcome to use whatever format is most supportive of their writing.
A huge element of the program is voice and vocal use as well as assessing and unpacking how we use our bodies when we feel like we are being watched. I have had students in the past with occasional vocal ticks, restricted body movement and people who use wheelchairs or crutches in the course before and the content has not been a problem for them. I have not had any experience of working with Deaf students, however if this course interests you and you want to talk about access and how we can incorporate an Auslan Interpreter please reach out and we can see what is possible.
This specific program may not be suited to people who have a lot of involuntary movement or vocal expression; a lot of the content may be more challenging or less supportive for your performance journey.
However, I’m always very keen and willing to learn, support and explore with participants with their unique requirements so please do contact me if you have any questions around accessibility.
Inclusivity
All genders are welcome to participate in this course. Participants over 18 only. This is an LGBTQI+ friendly space, if this does not suit your world views, I advise you to not attend.
If you have specific needs or questions around inclusivity, accessibility, movement, hearing or voice then please contact me directly and I will be happy to give you an overview of the content of the course to see if it will be appropriate for you.
For enquiries and more information please contact me.
Testimonials
Nothing short of transformative. Incredibly affirming, confidence building, fun, reflective, informative and well facilitated and presented.
I did not anticipate how impactful this learning was going to be on my practice, my ability and my relationship with myself.
SpeakUP is a place to find your voice, your courage, your tenderness, your audacity and a whole bunch of beautiful new poet friends!
Fleassy is a phenomenal facilitator and each exercise undertaken built well on top of the previous ones, and there was a thoughtful flow throughout.
A truly forever experience.
World class coaching by the insightful Fleassy Malay.