Poetry in the Slammer
About the event
The site where the Old Melbourne Gaol now stands holds many stories – of a violent carceral system, of sacred land, of deep pain and of bold resistance.
What stories might ten young poets uncover within its walls?
Over the course of a day-long workshop, 10 past participants of the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative’s Wondering Poet program will travel from different corners of regional Victoria to the Old Melbourne Gaol, to uncover stories from the historical site, and come up with poetic responses.
With guidance from RMIT law lecturer Lloyd England whose work focuses on therapeutic law and innovative justice, narrative poet and Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education from the University of Melbourne Dr Jack Tan, and Wondering Poet facilitator Sas Hall, students will have the chance to push their poetry in new directions while listening to the stories held within the historical site.
What to expect:
A 90-minute performance facilitated by Sas Hall, featuring original poetry created and performed by ten high school students from across Regional Victoria.
Being Human 2026
This project was produced in collaboration with the 2026 Being Human Festival. Founded in the UK as the only national festival of the humanities, Being Human is now a global celebration dedicated to demonstrating the breadth, diversity and vitality of the humanities.
About the facilitators
Sas Hall
Sas is a poet, writer and artist with experience facilitating workshops with young people around the country. She is the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative’s inaugural Wondering Poet. Image credit: Phoebe Powell
Dr Jack Tan
Dr Jack Tan is Lecturer in Education at the University of Melbourne; Adjunct Associate with the non/fictionLab at RMIT University and Literary Fellow at Ormond College. He is also a poet and musician. Jack researches and publishes in the areas of transcultural studies, critical autoethnography, poetic inquiry and multilingual picture books.
Lloyd England
Lloyd is an energetic and innovative award-winning legal educator, with a passion for enhancing tertiary student experiences, positive transitions and wellbeing outcomes. A relationship oriented professional and an engaging public speaker, Lloyd delivers innovative solutions and excellent outcomes with regards to developing internal and external partnerships. He enjoys managing projects and programs, implementing student-centred and inclusive services and events, and delivering quality education.
Further information
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