“You may write me down in history, With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt, But still, like dust, I'll rise,” wrote noted poet Maya Angelou.
On March 8th, International Women’s Day, 22 women from culturally diverse backgrounds launched Poetry Corners, a digital project about family violence in their communities.
‘One in Three’, a poem that depicts how one in three women in Australia face family violence, was launched at an evening gathering at Hume Global Learning Centre in Craigieburn, Melbourne.
Starring Australia’s Got Talent fame and spoken word artist, Sukhjit, the poem ‘One in Three’ features some of the writers themselves as well as other members from the community.
Deb Anscombe, who is one of the 22 writers of One in Three, said, “I am feeling absolutely overwhelmed. This is the most powerful work. Extraordinary. I am so proud to be part of this.”
Attendee Paul stated “I've seen the presentation and it is a very powerful message not just for Hume but for all of humanity”.
Emma Macey-Storch, Producer & Director of Poetry Corners said, “For many of the participants Poetry Corners has been a transformative experience. Where previously there was silence and shame around talking about family violence, during the workshops the women found the courage to step out of their comfort zone and speak up about the issue.”
Nayana Bhandari, Producer of Poetry Corners and Founder of community partner organization OorjaFoundation added, “I don’t think there is a compilation of poetry in Australia that is so raw and brutally honest about how women from diverse cultures really feel about family violence in their communities.”
Following the digital release, the group is also publishing a book with a compilation of twenty-three additional poems in four different languages; Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi and English.
The next phase of the project involves the group releasing a linear digital version of the work online.
The exhibition will be at the Gee Lee-Wik Doleen Gallery at the Craigieburn Hume Global Learning Centre until Sunday, April 2.
Details: www.hume.vic.gov.au/exhibition
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