Be brave on stage: taking your poetry from page to performance for the first time - Firstival 2026

Hosted by Spoken Word SA. Guided by Tracy "Coogs" McNally, this 2 hour session invites participants to focus on poetry as spoken word. Suitable for those who are new to writing or performing their poetry, as well as regular readers at open mics and slam poets wanting to hone their craft. 

Delve into performance techniques such as rhythm, timing, tone and contrast. Find your unique style and gain insight into writing for performance. Learn how to use a microphone and gain confidence reading your poetry to others in a relaxed and friendly setting. Discover how the phrasing and performance of blues music can inspire your spoken word stagecraft. Find out about the local poetry open mic community and the Australian Poetry Slam Competition.

Please bring two poems on paper (not digital) to work on during the session. These can be rhyming, non-rhyming or narrative, whatever you like to write, but very short form poetry such as Haiku would not be suitable for these exercises. If you don't feel comfortable sharing your own writing, you are welcome to bring print outs of other poems or choose from some alternatives provided. All other materials will be supplied.

This event is proudly part of LibrariesSA’s Firstival. Learn more at firstival.com.au

About the facilitator: Tracy "Coogs" McNally is a three-time state finalist in the Australian Poetry Slam competition, an accomplished emcee, and one of the directors of Spoken Word SA.