The Cafe Poet Program places poets in cafes as ‘poets in residence’ for a six-month period. The poet is given space to write (maybe two or three times a week – in consultation with the cafe) as well as complimentary tea and/or coffee and in return the cafe gets to be part of this community, promotion and the opportunity to plan events with the poet enriching the cultural life of the cafe. The program began in February 2009 and has been a huge success, placing more than twenty poets in cafes all over the country. The program has also connected cafe poets with various opportunities including working with RMIT media students and being published in the 2009 edition of Blue Dog: Australian Poetry.
An exhibition of cafe poems and afternoon of poetry at the Gallery Cafe as a finish to the Cafe Poet residency of Heather Matthew at the Gallery Cafe – Friday afternoon December 16 at 3pm. Heather has crafted more than 30 poems with people from all over Australia (and some international) who have visited the Tweed River Art Gallery and cafe over the past four months.
