Rhyme N Roots
📅 Date: Saturday 22 February 2025
⏰ Time: 4:15 - 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Building F Lobby
77 St. Georges Road Preston VIC 3072
Graphic design by Steffie Yee, using elements of ‘Legacies Meld Here’ by TextaQueen
Hosted by Queen V of Kriyaness is RHYME N ROOTS a celebration of local wordsmiths and the power of language.
THE SCHEDULE:
Open Mic Session 1: 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM
Open Mic Session 2: 5:30 PM - 6:15PM
The Showdown: 6:15 PM - 7PM
OPEN MIC
Step up to the mic and speak your truth. Our Open Mic Sessions are a space for raw expression, where community voices come together to share stories, rhythms, and ideas. It’s a night of inclusivity, connection, and liberation—where every word fuels collective growth and every performance celebrates the power of our shared humanity. Join us for an evening of reflection, resonance, and creative freedom—Retrospective!
To open up the sessions, we have Strictly DT offering Rhyme on Time as a little pre-game warm up to get you in the flow state to bring your inner poet or rapper.
We've booked out the reserved slots for Open Mic. Please fill out the form if you wish to be added to the waiting list. We have allocated free spots for those feeling called to the mic without a plan— you can try your luck on the day! If not, it's always fun to witness the power of the word and hear those snaps!
THE SHOWDOWN
Poetry and Conscious Rap: a collective healing experience.
Witness the power of words and rhythm when Spoken Word Artists and Rappers battle it out in the showdown of wordsmiths. This is not just a competition, it’s a co-creative space for healing, empowerment and authentic self-expression. The prompt for these wordsmiths battling it out? UNITY AND APATHY.
Check the line up below:
AWALE AHMED
FLASH POETRY
QUEEN AMARANTHA
POLI PEARL
SARAH ST. JAMES
STRICTLY D.T
ABOUT THE CREATIVES
QUEEN V, Rhyme N Roots Host
Queen V is a French Caribbean poet, MC, host, and visual artist from Martinique, raised in France.Founder of Kriyaness, a wellness and creative business, she helps emerging artists find their voices.
Her passion for writing began in childhood and evolved into spoken word poetry, debuting at Bar Oussou in 2019. During the pandemic, she honed her craft, performing at online events like “Good Bread” in 2021.
Nominated a Melbourne Fringe Ambassador in 2022 for visual arts, Queen V's charisma has made her a sought-after MC, poet, and artist. In 2024, she launched “Unshakable Love” poetry book debut collection , her latest creative endeavor.
STRICTLY D.T, Rhyme on Time facilitator
Decial Douglass, aka Strictly D.T, is a lyricist, poet, and performer. Born in Seattle, raised in Fremantle, and now based in Melbourne, he has been deeply embedded in Hip Hop for over a decade.
D.T has shared stages with legends like Mos Def, Common, Tech N9ne, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. In 2017, he won International Songwriter of the Year, standing out among 16,000 entries from 140 countries. But for him, accolades don’t outweigh his passion for the culture—he’s dedicated to uplifting his local scene, mentoring teenagers to find their purpose, and helping artists navigate life’s internal conflicts.
DT has created fun games and activities to help teens and adults tap into their creative state. One of them being “Rhyme on Time”. A “quick thinking on the spot” activity that will turn you into a rapper in seconds. DT has done all the hard work. You just need to rhyme on time.
We’re celebrating legacies of stories, creative expression, cultures and art for MAV’s BLOCK PARTEE! Bringing together world-class artists, collectives, and creators for an unforgettable day of music, art and connection. See the full program here.
Through our program RETROSPECTION, we’ve been reflecting on the last 50 years of MAV and the rich archive of stories told by multicultural communities across the continent through the decades. To mark this milestone and MAV’s new headquarters at Melbourne Polytechnic Preston, we've taken over a drab carpark to decorate it with a BLOCK PARTEE— our joyful celebration of connection and expression.
MAV’s BLOCK PARTEE is supported by City of Darebin, Creative Victoria, Creative Australia, Melbourne Polytechnic, Victoria Government and VicHealth’s Future Reset Program.
