A weekend of writing, relaxing, and telling it like it is.

Be | Write | Hear is a retreat for courageous writers seeking serenity and self-expression set in the stunning lands of the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung Peoples (The Great Ocean Road).

Facilitated by spoken word artist and award winning poet, Fleassy Malay, this weekend will be a mix of guided writing sessions and self-time to relax and focus on your own practice whilst connecting with other writers and creatives. All this, set to a backdrop of ocean-views and highland cows.

Flowing over Valentine's Day weekend this retreat is the perfect respite for giving yourself and your craft the focus, love, dedication, and reverence it deserves.

All served, of course, with the fierce-gentle sass of Fleassy Malay.
(If you don’t know Fleassy Malay’s work we highly recommend reading the facilitator bio below before you boQu)

Quick Overview

Session times will be facilitated by Fleassy Malay. They will mostly be focused on writing with a light sharing element if you want. Each session is optional and you can choose to attend or take space for self-directed practice.

There will also be a session focused specifically on self-publishing.

Free time you are welcome to explore the local beaches, rest-and-write on site, or even drive down the road to Apollo Bay.

Evenings will involve a casual hang-out space with a lightly facilitated opportunity for poetry sharing. You can also use this time to write, play games, connect or leave the site and explore the local area as you want.

Meals are provided, 3 meals a day. Breakfast will be self-serve at your own pace and lunch and dinner will be sit-down and eat together.

Alcohol and Substances there may be wine in the space for evening use only, however generally the retreat is intended to be low consumption. Smoking is not allowed in any of the buildings and will be restricted to designated areas on site. No illegal drugs on site please.

This retreat is gender inclusive (all gender identities are welcome) however there is a zero tolerance for misogyny, racism, and any form of homophobia or transphobia. The content will likely centre the experiences of women and LBTQIA+ people, if this is uncomfortable for you it will not be the retreat for you.

Accessibility. The venue is unfortunately not accessible to wheelchairs (this was an oversight in my booking as they are still in the process of updating accessibility and I apologise if this prevents you from attending. I will endeavour to make sure I run a writing workshop in an accessible space in the future). There are a small number of steps around the site. Some beds are bunk beds, please let us know when booking if this doesn’t suit you.

What to Expect

An exact timetable is still being formed and will be released closer to the event however the current timetable looks like this (please note it may change slightly)

Friday Feb 14th:

Afternoon/Evening
4pm check in and social arrival time

5pm welcome and writing session 1

7pm Dinner

Evening poetry sharing and connection or free time

Saturday Feb 15th

Morning
Breakfast (self serve)

Session 2

Free retreat time

Lunch

Afternoon

Session 3

Free retreat time

Session 4

Dinner

Evening
Poetry Sharing/open mic opportunity and social time

Sunday 17th

Morning

Breakfast (Self-serve)

Session 5

Closing

We are still establishing the exact closing time of the retreat with the venue but we are aiming for 1pm potentially a little later.

Accommodation Types

There are 3 types of accommodation. All share access to shared toilet and hot shower facilities:

Shared - These are rooms shared with 1 to 2 other people. These rooms can feature single beds and bunk beds. If you know someone else joining the retreat and you have agreed to share a room together, please make a clear note of that in your registration, or contact us asap. We will do our best to accommodate.

Private - These are private rooms with double or king sized beds

Luxury - These are luxury glamping Bell Tents with ocean views. They feature a double bed. Please note, due to the nature of tents this option may not be appropriate for you if you have restric

Your Facilitator

Fleassy Malay (They/Them/She/Her)
Two times TEDx speaker, award winning poet, Fleassy Malay, is an internationally renowned, evocative and powerful spoken word artist, speaker and educator. They are a global advocate for Women’s and LGBTQI+ rights and a fierce voice for the power of authenticity and courage as a social change tool.
Fleassy is the founder of Melbourne’s acclaimed NFP organisation and Women's Spoken Word event, Mother Tongue Poetry.

As an educator, Fleassy facilitates and mentors on courage, confidence, and public speaking both through their own programs (such as SpeakUP, and RISE - Speaker Training) and through partnering with organisations and groups.

Fleassy has a theatrical and yet deeply authentic performance, writing, and speaking style, renowned for captivating their audiences with depth, honesty, and humour. They are a passionate, powerful, vulnerable and honest performer who's words leave a profound impression.

It is good to note that Fleassy does swear and express themselves through creative and honest language that some (who are not used to it) might find surprising. Basically, if the word Moist makes you unbearably uncomfortable you may need to prepare yourself.

For understanding and informed communication it is also good to be aware that Fleassy is also ADHD, Autistic, and has Prosopagnosia (which means they do not recognise faces very easily). They are also a powerhouse of creativity. Thanks.

Terms and Conditions

Please make yourself aware of the terms and conditions. By booking into Be | Write | Hear you are accepting them for the duration of the retreat:

Cancellation Policy If an attendee cancels the following refund fees, minus the non-refundable deposit of $200 will apply:

Cancellation 2 weeks prior to Feb 14th 2024 = no refund

Cancellation 2 – 4 weeks prior to Feb 14th 2024= 25% refund

Cancellation 4 – 6 weeks prior to Feb 14th 2024 = 50% refund

Cancellation more than 6 weeks prior to Feb 14th 2024 = 100%

Transfers to other events are not available.

In the event of cancellation by Be | Write | Hear the client will be offered a full refund or to transfer the booking to another date subject to availability.

Dietary Requirements

Attendees must provide all relevant information regarding their own (or their dependants) dietary requirements. All allergies and intolerances must be stated at the stage of booking the retreat. Medical instructions and emergency contact must also be provided at this time in case of an emergency.

Be | Write | Hear disclaims all liability for any incidents resulting from dietary requirements or reactions caused by the negligence, actions, or omissions of any supplier or third party.

Travel

Be | Write | Hear is not responsible or liable for travel costs, or any loss, damage, accident or incident incurred you yourself or your property in the travel to or from the retreat, or beyond. Including, but not limited to, flights, buses, car rental, or any accommodation costs outside of the provided accommodation included in your booking.

The retreat organisers cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage of your luggage or personal possessions during or outside of the Be | Write | Here retreat. All valuables are brought at your own risk.

All activities during the duration of the retreat organised by Be | Write | Hear are undertaken at your own risk, we accept no responsibility or liability for any loss, illness, personal injury or death caused to you or a fellow participant. Any activities taken of your own accord outside of the timetables activities of the Be | Write | Hear retreat are done at your own risk.

Conduct

The Be | Write | Hear retreat promotes an environment that is supportive and inclusive. All attendees are expected to be tolerant, understanding, and respectful towards each other. We reserve the right to refuse entry or remove any writer/participant who behaves abusively, disruptively, or engages in discriminatory conduct. No refund will be issued in such cases.

Please note: The Be | Write | Hear retreat reserves the right to contact the relevant authorities over any situation they deem relevant.

Please Note we reserve the right to decline any participant at our discretion, without explanation.

Insurance

each attendee is responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate travel, personal accident, and health insurance for the full duration at the retreat. Be | Write | Hear is not responsible for any delays or cancellations in the attendees travel plans and will not reimburse any travel costs or other losses experienced in the event of cancellation by us or you.

Damage and Cleaning

Seacroft Estate venues and grounds is welcoming us onto their property for the duration of the retreat. Please treat all areas of the property with respect and care.

Any damage caused or excessive cleaning required as a result of your stay will be your responsibility to cover the cost one and will be invoiced to you after the retreat.

Pets are not permitted.

Privacy and data
All data collected and stored is used only for the purpose of organising and producing the retreat smoothly.
We will never share or sell data about attendees with any third parties.

You may be invited to join a mailing list to hear about more offerings in the future.

Comments and complaints

Despite our intentions of offering you a relaxing and enjoyable time, we understand that occasionally you may want to give feedback. Any complaints should be made, in writing, within two weeks of the end of the retreat.

If at any time during the retreat, you feel you need to talk to someone about a situation, please do not hesitate to approach one of the team members then and there.

Be | Write | Hear - A Retreat For Fierce-Gentle Writers