Australian Poetry, a new organisation launched in January 2011, is already making waves in the broader community, establishing a new model for arts organisations in Australia. In less than three months, it has launched the following innovative initiatives turning poetry on its head, finding new exciting opportunities for Australian poets and establishing a sustainable model for the organisation, heralding a new era for the art form in Australia.
Question: Can you talk about the intension of the Australian Poetry organisation?
Paul Kooperman: Australian Poetry aims to promote excellence in the art form, build new audiences for Australian poets and poetry, be sustainable as an organisation and completely inclusive. We run events programs, develop opportunities for touring, publication, and professional development as well as partner with non-literary organisations such as the Sebel Pier One Sydney, L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival and Relationships Australia to build audiences and integrate poetry into all aspects of Australian life. We are especially keen to develop exciting innovative initiatives such as an Australian Poetry iPhone app and the Cafe Poet Program, which sees poets as residents in cafes all over the country, receiving free tea and coffee while they write.
Question: Are you surprised at how fast the organisation has taken off in Australia?
Paul Kooperman: I am a little surprised, but we had a good 'running start', as AP is the merger of the Poets Union in NSW and the Australian Poetry Centre based in Melbourne, which were already starting to develop ideas to raise the profile of poetry in Australia. The organisation, Australian Poetry Ltd, and the projects we've very quickly got off the ground, have sprouted from many years of experience, thought and development.
Question: How does Australian Poetry organisation find new exciting opportunities for poets?
Paul Kooperman: Mainly by partnering with a range of organisations, not just other literary or arts organisations. We are interested in our leading poets developing their craft and receiving opportunities to tour, be published and read at prominent festivals, but we also want to see poetry at the football, in fashion, in the home, for babies, on airplanes and on major landmarks and buildings. This is the future of poetry and we're excited things are moving this way.
Question: Can you talk a little bit about what the Café Poet Program entails?
Paul Kooperman: 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 (and hopefully the number of patrons). The program began at AP in February 2009 and has been a huge success, placing more than twenty poets in cafes all over the country and receiving extensive media coverage.
Question: What is on the Australian Poetry iPhone app?
Paul Kooperman: Our iPhone app, called Australian Poetry, is a list of Australia's leading poets, poetry organisations, publishers of poetry, literary festivals and writers' centres. It helps poets, and people interested, find out about competitions, prizes and venues to read, or hear poetry, at convenient locations.
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