Through spoken word, poetry, music and conversation Cafe Philosophique aims to look deeply into the things that make us human and provide a space to question and dissect their roles in our lives.

A night in the Balcony Bar with the setting sun and sounds of artists in a series of performances, De L'amour. Ending with an open conversation where you are invited to share your thoughts and experiences while listening to those of others.

This is a series of Tuesday nights, individually ticketed, exploring the nature of relationships.

DATES:

Tuesday October 1, 7:00pm

Intimacy

Spoken word from: Melissa Pearson (pictured), Ileini Kabalan, Tariro Mavondo, Abdul Hammoud

Music: Liana Perillo

What is intimacy?
What are the barriers to intimacy within relationships?
How can we find intimacy and closeness within all our relationships, not just sexual?

MORE ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Fleassy Malay

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 rights and a fierce voice for the power of authenticity and courage as a social change tool. Founder of Melbourne’s acclaimed Women's Spoken Word event, Mother Tongue. A passionate, powerful, vulnerable and honest performer who's words, workshops and courses leave a profound impression.  A self-identified queer, erotic, spiritual, mother she has a theatrical and yet deeply authentic performance style, renowned for captivating her audiences with depth, honesty, and humour. In 2017 she published her book, Sex and God, performed internationally and became the first women to represent Australia at the National Poetry Slam, USA. In 2018 her poem, Witches, went viral on International Women's Day with over one million views in 3 days, with over 2.8 million views to date. Towards the end of the year she completed a US tour, and launched her album of spoken word Unhear This.

Melissa Pearson

From Melbourne Victoria, Melissa sees Australia as her birth nation but feels a citizen of the world. She has an interest and passion for all countries and cultures. Finding pure satisfaction; in learning about people, faiths, religions, ideologies and landmarks.

She authored the true crime novel, Night Keeping and The Rising Trilogy: LOVE, FIGHT, LEARN: a collection of over 1500 poems. Her fourth poetry book ‘Spoken Squall’ will be released in December this year. She is the stage manager for Melbourne Writers Theatre and is working under the guidance of Playwright Neil Cole to pen her first play. 

Lay the Mystic

Lay the Mystic is a Naarm (Melbourne) based lyrical poet, musician and multi-medium performance artist. His work explores themes of diaspora, transient belonging and the feelings in between. Reaffirming the opinion that we are defining the cultures we are born into by simply existing, Lay interrogates his position within that publicly through performance. His current works explore what it means to be a queer, trans, femme-boy of Tongan and Lebanese descent, who is learning his ancestors through his own body.

Abdul Hammoud

Abdulrahman Hammoud is a spoken word artist based in Melbourne by way of Lebanon. He teaches writing classes and workshops for schools and organizations that are looking to explore new avenues of expression. His art has taken him as close as New Zealand and as far as the United States, as well as to his beloved home country. In 2013, he became founder of The Dirty Thirty online writing platform, an ever-growing group for writers to challenge themselves every April. He is now also editor and compiler of The Dirty Thirty Anthology, a collection of poetry from the page he coordinates. Volume 2 of the Anthology is currently for sale on The Book Depository and Amazon. He recently completed his first season as an actor in a lead role for the play "THEM" which sold out all 13 shows and received critical acclaim in the press. Most of his work revolves around current issues including the constant state of war in the Middle East, racial divides, as well as the portrayal of masculinity. He is also an avid purveyor of starting books but never finishing them.

Liana Perillo (Musician)

Liana uniquely couples her captivating voice with a modern approach to the harp. She plays an electric-acoustic harp and often incorporates lights, effects & live looping for a one-woman show. Her powerful presence brings reverence, beauty and mystical magic to all who experience her music. She has an Rnb flavour and a love for eastern music, with influences from Alicia Keys, Turya and Hiatus Kaiyote.

To date, Liana has released an EP, serenaded the Melbourne Football Club at Parliament house, performed as a soloist at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne, and at music festivals such as Rainbow Serpent. She is known to be a traveling harpist performing interstate and internationally, with the Australasian Harp Orchestra at the World Harp Congress in Hong Kong, and most recently earning a scholarship with the Jazz Harp foundation to travel to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and learn from the greats of the Jazz harp world!


JOIN US ALL THROUGH OCTOBER

Tuesday October 8, 7:00pm

Loneliness and Distance

Spoken word from: Randall Stephens, Declan Furber Gillick, Madison Griffiths, Farah Beaini

Music: Amadou Suso

Tuesday October 15, 7:00pm

Relationships with Ourselves

Spoken word from: Sean M Whelan, Andy Jackson, Manisha Anjali, Ebony Moncreif 

Music: Matt Wicking

Tuesday October 22, 7:00pm

Relationships with Our Families

Spoken word from: May Jasper, Helen Kassa, Consciously Kyah, Tumi

Music: Parvyn

Tuesday October 29, 7:00pm

Relationship with Place

Spoken word from: Sermsah Bin Saad, Enza Gandolfo, Soreti Kadir, Jacky T

Music: The Orbweavers

Join us for one session, or all. There will be light snacks provided and drinks available for purchase.

MEETING POINT: Please either check in with the host on arrival to be led into the Balcony Bar

ACCESSIBILITY ENQUIRIES: If you require assistance, please email any accessibility requirements and questions through to arts@hotelesplanade.com.au and our staff can assist you.

U18's MUST be accompanied by a legal parent or guardian at all times

**Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the start time of Cafe Philosophique

We acknowledge the lands on which we present this work are the lands of the Yalak-ut Weelam people of the Kulin Nations. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.