Red Dirt Poetry Festival hits the ground running this week and Executive Director Laurie May was on 8CCC Brekky early today to give listeners a rundown on what the 2026 program has on offer. From Thursday 20 August until Sunday you'll find plenty of events to join in, including at 10am Saturday our 8CCC carpark hosts the international Haiku Death Match! Then it's a gentle stroll over to Lhere Mparntwe for Tree Jazz with Wendy Taleo at 11.30. Laurie spoke about her time representing Australian poetry in Rotterdam last year, which resulted in the inspirational pairing (or re-pairing/reparing of art and science as well as the  collaboration with Chilean poets for this year's festival.

<a href="https://www.reddirtpoetryfestival.com/">Red Dirt Poetry Festival</a> hits the ground running this week and Executive Director Laurie May was on 8CCC Brekky early today to give listeners a rundown on what the 2026 program has on offer. From Thursday 20 August until Sunday you'll find plenty of events to join in, including at 10am Saturday our 8CCC carpark hosts the international <a href="https://www.reddirtpoetryfestival.com/event/haiku-death-match/">Haiku Death Match</a>! Then it's a gentle stroll over to Lhere Mparntwe for <a href="https://www.reddirtpoetryfestival.com/events/?filter=true&amp;venue=along-todd-river">Tree Jazz</a> with Wendy Taleo at 11.30. Laurie spoke about her time representing Australian poetry in Rotterdam last year, which resulted in the inspirational pairing (or re-pairing/reparing of art and science as well as the&nbsp; collaboration with Chilean poets for this year's festival.

Kate and Brian bring you local stories, music and interviews live from Mparntwe Alice Springs & Tennant Creek

Kate and Brian bring you local stories, music and interviews live from Mparntwe Alice Springs &amp; Tennant Creek

8CCC Big Brekky

Interviews, local stories and news for Central Australia and The Barkly.

Presented live weekdays on 8CCC Radio 102.1FM.

Stream through the 8CCC Connect app and 8ccc.com.au

Listen back to interviews On Demand or through our podcast

8CCC Big Brekky is supported by the Community Broadcasting Foundation

Interviews, local stories and news for Central Australia and The Barkly.
Presented live weekdays on 8CCC Radio 102.1FM.
Stream through the 8CCC Connect app and 8ccc.com.au
Listen back to interviews On Demand or through our podcast
8CCC Big Brekky is supported by the Community Broadcasting Foundation

8CCC Big Brekky On Demand

Red Dirt Poetry Festival 2026 with Laurie May

Sarah Wilson from ECNT joined Baini on the Big Brekky to chat about the upcoming Gaslit: Blitz and Boogie event.

The event, Saturday August 29th, will be held to distribute ‘Ban Fracking’ signs across Darwin suburbs. Sarah noted that 120 volunteers will be needed to hand out signs to the houses that have registered, and put the call out on the show for people to sign up online.

After the ‘Blitz’ comes the ‘Boogie.’ From 2-6pm, an open party will be hosted at the Nightcliff ECNT space with food, live DJs, banner painting, screen printing and more.

Sarah outlined the reasons for the event, and the need to promote anti-fracking sentiment throughout the NT.

“Fracking in the Northern Territory has been going on for almost two decades now, and the community has been super strong this whole time in holding off full scale production gas fracking. But there are really big players in the Beetaloo Basin where they want to frack in the Northern Territory now. Santos, a huge company, have escalated the Beetaloo Basin as their number one most important project they want to go ahead with”

Sarah gave an explanation as to how this posed huge risks to waterways and climate. The fracking process not only involves drilling up to 4kms deep and 10kms wide into the basin, but also potentially harmful chemicals continue to be injected into the earth which could cause contamination.

If you’d like to volunteer for the Blitz and Boogie event or register for a 'Ban Fracking' sign, go to the Gaslit webpage to sign up.

Sarah Wilson from ECNT joined Baini on the Big Brekky to chat about the upcoming Gaslit: Blitz and Boogie event.
The event, Saturday August 29th, will be held to distribute &lsquo;Ban Fracking&rsquo; signs across Darwin suburbs. Sarah noted that 120 volunteers will be needed to hand out signs to the houses that have registered, and put the call out on the show for people to sign up online.
After the &lsquo;Blitz&rsquo; comes the &lsquo;Boogie.&rsquo; From 2-6pm, an open party will be hosted at the Nightcliff ECNT space with food, live DJs, banner painting, screen printing and more.
Sarah outlined the reasons for the event, and the need to promote anti-fracking sentiment throughout the NT.
&ldquo;Fracking in the Northern Territory has been going on for almost two decades now, and the community has been super strong this whole time in holding off full scale production gas fracking. But there are really big players in the Beetaloo Basin where they want to frack in the Northern Territory now. Santos, a huge company, have escalated the Beetaloo Basin as their number one most important project they want to go ahead with&rdquo;
Sarah gave an explanation as to how this posed huge risks to waterways and climate. The fracking process not only involves drilling up to 4kms deep and 10kms wide into the basin, but also potentially harmful chemicals continue to be injected into the earth which could cause contamination.
If you&rsquo;d like to volunteer for the Blitz and Boogie event or register for a 'Ban Fracking' sign, go to the <a href="https://www.ecnt.org.au/gaslit_sign_blitz">Gaslit webpage</a> to sign up.

Sarah Wilson from ECNT

Friday 14 August is a Winter Night Market from 5pm on the Town Council Lawns. Ola, Community Projects and Events Officer from Alice Springs Town Council talks us through what to expect this evening. The community eventy is leaning into a medieval theme and besides some new food trucks and free chai and hot chocolate you can join in perusing all the stalls - but get there around 5.45pm for a surprise! The event would not be Mparntwe Alice Springs; without a great lineup of live music and the Brekky Show also chatted with two of the acts - Be Ward as part of the new trio Fuego Encantado (with Pin Rada and Luiz Gubeissi) as well as Malindi Morris and Goran Gajić from trio East of West (with Philip Griffin)

Friday 14 August is a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/todd-st-alice-springs-nt-0870-australia/winter-night-markets/1057699893863319/">Winter Night Market</a> from 5pm on the Town Council Lawns. Ola, Community Projects and Events Officer from <a href="https://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/residents/community/events/council-events.aspx">Alice Springs Town Council</a> talks us through what to expect this evening. The community eventy is leaning into a medieval theme and besides some new food trucks and free chai and hot chocolate you can join in perusing all the stalls - but get there around 5.45pm for a surprise! The event would not be Mparntwe Alice Springs; without a great lineup of live music and the Brekky Show also chatted with two of the acts - Be Ward as part of the new trio Fuego Encantado (with Pin Rada and Luiz Gubeissi) as well as Malindi Morris and Goran Gajić from trio&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastofwestmusic.com/">East of West</a> (with Philip Griffin)

Winter Night Market - Ola Be Malindi and Goran

Chloe from Huaxuan Cultural Heritage Association, Derek from Lion Heart Association, Apajok Biar Manager at MCSCA (with special helpers) and Ola Rzeszowska Community Projects and Events Officer at Alice Springs Town Council came in for a chat on 8CCC Brekky Show about the Lunar New Year Pop Up event. Due to the weather, this year it's at Braitling Primary School from 5pm-8pm. Join in the free fun activities - Fan Calligraphy, Lantern-Making, Photo Booth, Ring & Win Stall, Huaxuan Cultural Heritage and Lion Heart Association Stall, along with a full evening of entertainment. Traditional Chinese instruments performances, Tai Chi and various lion dances and stories will be highlights. 

Chloe from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HuaXuanCHA/">Huaxuan Cultural Heritage Association</a>, Derek from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LionHeartAssociation/">Lion Heart Association</a>, Apajok Biar Manager at <a href="https://mcsca.org.au/">MCSCA</a> (with special helpers) and Ola Rzeszowska Community Projects and Events Officer at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AliceSpringsTC/">Alice Springs Town Council</a> came in for a chat on 8CCC Brekky Show about the Lunar New Year Pop Up event. Due to the weather, this year it's at Braitling Primary School from 5pm-8pm. Join in the free fun activities - Fan Calligraphy, Lantern-Making, Photo Booth, Ring &amp; Win Stall, Huaxuan Cultural Heritage and Lion Heart Association Stall, along with a full evening of entertainment. Traditional Chinese instruments performances, Tai Chi and various lion dances and stories will be highlights.&nbsp;

Red Dirt Poetry Festival 2026 with Laurie May

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