As 2011 ends and 2012 begins, we’ve invited our resident organisations to consider the year gone by and to share their plans for the year to come.
Australian Poetry has had an exciting inaugural year, launching as an organisation in January 2011 with a charter to promote and support Australian poets and poetry.
Some of its successes have been to deliver a high level publication, the Australian Poetry Journal, establish a website where poets and poetry organisations around the country can upload and promote their own events, run a National Symposium in Newcastle inviting poets from all over Australia to attend, manage a national Poet in Residence, Sandra Thibodeaux, and organise a poetry tour to Ireland for two established poets in 2012, Paul Hetherington and Petra White.
We initiated a Geek in Residence to develop phone applications, online activities and e-publications, established more than 70 Cafe Poets in Residence around the country, sent poets regionally to run workshops and give readings as part of the Omnibus Mobile Poetry program, organised poems on the pillows of the Sebel Pier One Sydney for the duration of the Sydney Writers Festival and run a teen team spoken word competition for high school students, culminating in an electric performance at the Melbourne Writers Festival. What a year!
Poetry in Australia has opened its doors to new poets, audiences and readers and in 2012, AP (the organisation) is excited to provide more opportunities for Australian poets and poetry, developing new partnerships and programs. This will include working with Life Without Barriers to run a poetry program for refugees and Asylum Seekers in various states and territories, building on its publications program, events program and education program.
We will continue to use technology to build the national and international market for Australian poetry and nurture our relationships with partners overseas.
Paul Kooperman National Director
