For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, Country is the key to identity and spirituality. It is every living thing. In these yarns with local and visiting artists, we’ll explore the meaning of every living thing and its centrality to art practice for First Nations people. Join our esteemed lineup of cultural leaders and artists including …

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, Country is the key to identity and spirituality. It is every living thing. In these yarns with local and visiting artists, we’ll explore the meaning of every living thing and its centrality to art practice for First Nations people. Join our esteemed lineup of cultural leaders and artists including …

Explore the pitfalls and possibilities between tech, humans, and the planet with experts David Stringer (Bloomberg), Chris Speed (RMIT), Gemma Baxter (MAVlab), Joe Glesta (Climasens), Theodore Galanos (Aurecon; Infraredcity.ai), and Vanessa Toholka (Byte Into IT). Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.…

Learn about the secret life of ants and the art of science communication in this discussion led by Museums Victoria Research Institute expert entomologists Dr Ken Walker and Simon Hinkley, with Melbourne Museum’s Antopia exhibition producer Jillian Clark.By MPavilion

Tune in to BVN’s principal Bill Dowzer as he charts the evolution of their New York-born Re-ply project, followed by a discussion with Professor Kerstin Thompson (KTA), and Anna Jankovic (Simulaa), who explore how similarly responsive urban initiatives can produce tangible economic and social benefits here – and wherever cities value vibrant street…

Listen in on this brains trust with Urban Design Forum, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, and VicHealth to help re-centre nature and improve neighbourhood health. Public health experts Jenny Veitch (Deakin), Georgina de Beaujeu (Deakin; Tract Consulting), and Professor Hannah Badland (RMIT) present their research ahead of a long-tab…

Leah Manaema Avene is a Tuvaluan-Irish mother, researcher, musician, therapist, broadcaster and artist. Theresa ‘Tea’ Angela is a Filipino-Australian artist, storyteller and wellbeing facilitator and the communications manager at MAV. Lauren Mullings is an Afro-Caribbean artist, writer and the CEO of MAV. We interviewed Leah, Tea and Lauren, as par…

Matisse Laida is an artist whose practice is based around community and food. They are the founder of We Eatin’ Good, a platform for queer people of colour to come together. Anthony 'Banda' Bandalan is a producer who cares deeply about community cultivation and uplifting his creative counterparts. Nickila De Silva is an artist who creates across vi…

Zoom into the multifaceted roles of microbes with help from a mycologist.It’s easy to forget that billions of microbial lifeforms are living beyond sight, helping ecosystems thrive and communicate. Danish Australian artists Rhoda Ting and Mikkel Bojesen give these tiny lifeforms some overdue time in the spotlight. Their collaborative sculptural ins…

Find pressure-free ways into mindful living and life-goal kicking with Chris Cheers.What even is mindfulness? How can we find space for it in our day, rather than feel like it’s another thing we aren’t doing? This short, interactive workshop is about redefining mindfulness so it tools up your composure, rather than feeling like something you have t…

Get beneath the surface of Reef Design Lab’s ecological habitats. For Every Living Thing, Reef Design Lab took to the pond to install one of their Modular Artificial Reef Structures—a tower of cascading nodules that’s designed to encourage the restoration of marine life. Tune in and hear from Alex Goad of Reef Design Lab and marine ecologist Dr Bre…

An interactive yarn exploring earth, sound, and touch through Indigenous design and knowledge systems.How do we engage with earth, sound, and touch to deepen our connection to the environment? In our second BLAKitecture forum, audiences gathered around Bradley Kerr (Windsor Kerr), Clarence Slockee (Gardening Australia), Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO…

Vijay is an audio-visual and laser artist of Sri Lankan Tamil and Cornish descent, born in Naarm. His practice fuses analogue sound synthesis with cutting-edge creative technologies. Vijay is known for creating immersive environments under the moniker Xenosine. We chat about: A Glastonbury love story Family attempts to break up his parents A Hell’s…

Ayman Kaake is a photo-media visual artist and performance creator whose work explores the complexities of isolation that come from starting a new life away from Lebanon. MzRizk is a Lebanese Australian DJ, radio presenter, live performer and event curator. Ezz Monem is a photo-based artist, who repurposes and transforms images, drawing on his expe…

Bexx Djentuh-Davis is a Māori and Ghanaian filmmaker, producer, event curator and queer youth worker. Gabriela Gonzalez is a Chilean visual artist, sound producer, photographer and broadcaster. We interviewed Bexx and Gabriela at the Arts Centre Melbourne, as part of Art Souk. We chat about: Bexx on her Nana’s boxes of letters and photos Gabriela t…

An interactive yarn with the creative team behind 'Home' as they prepare for the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.Celebrate the opportunities of understanding and shared perspectives on what ‘home’ means with Bradley Kerr and the 2025 Creative Directors of the Venice Architecture Biennale's Australian Pavilion as they share insights on their exhib…

A diverse, inquisitive panel of experts across design, anthropology and education asks how design can reimagine home for our aging population.Between now and 2050, Australia's elderly population is predicted to more than double, with the population over 85 set to quadruple. As we age, our requisites of the home evolve. While our need for belonging,…

A thought-provoking talk that sees heritage from new, open-ended angles.Questions of heritage can be fraught. This event takes a wide-ranging, laser-mapped view, led by Belgrade-born architect, researcher and curator Milica Božić. This talk focuses on the intertwined First Nations, colonial, and natural heritage embedded in Queen Victoria Gardens. …

A pond-side podcast about biracial belonging in the arts, recorded live.Maria Birch-Morunga is a Māori/Pakehā facilitator and craft queen. Kate Robinson is an Iranian/Australian family violence lawyer and artist. Together, they’re two biracial women who are endlessly fascinated by the juggling of cultures, identities, and family gossip that can com…

Scotty So is a Melbourne/Narrm-based artist who works across media, including ceramic, painting, photography, sculptures videos, and drag performance. Joel Bray is Wiradjuri artist, dancer, choreographer, actor and writer. We interviewed Scotty and Joel at MPavilion, as part of their season 11 Homeground series. We chat about: Kimono collections Pl…

Country holds embedded memory and narrative of place; landscapes hold knowledge, and we know that there is an interconnectedness of Country (Sky, Land, Water, Below). This architecture of Country is how we understand place. First Peoples in the industry share a commonality in appreciating and understanding that we are always on somebody else’s Coun…

Welcome to the final episode of season 2 of Being Biracial! Today we are chatting to each other about: Our reflections on this season How age impacts our conversations about being mixed-race Processing identity through the creation of art Maria’s experience at the Matariki wānanga Threads at the Immigration Museum The difficulty of creating work ab…

Steph Tisdell is Aboriginal (Yindiji) and white Australian. She is an actor, tv writer, former comedian and author of the YA novel The Skin I’m In. We chat about: Her white Dad’s surprising DNA results Hearts mown into lawns The responsibility we feel in our family units Diversity within diversity Well intended white teachers Bringing The Skin I’m …

Faustina Agolley (Fuzzy) is Ghanaian and Chinese Malaysian. She hosted Video Hits, was a DJ for Oprah and is a writer, producer and presenter. We chat about: A london love story ft The Temptations Growing up in a multi-generational Chinese household Having too much on her plate to study Chinese Learning about her dad through his music Going to Ghan…

Olana Janfa is an Ethiopian-Norwegian, Naarm-based artist. We interviewed Olana at The Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre in Dandenong where his exhibition Too Much Drama is showing till September 2024. We chat about: How Olana began creating The works in his current exhibit Too Much Drama Olana’s iconic font and art style What home means to him…

Kitiya Palaskas is a Greek/Thai multi-disciplinary designer living in Naarm. We chat about: Discovering her mix through DNA testing Her art sabbatical in Thailand Turning 40 and entering a new phase of life Having an identity crisis Can you appropriate your own culture? Feeling seen in colours, plants and precarious piles Growing up moving around t…

Milo Hartill is Botswana/Australian, and a model, performer & fat queer content creator living in Naarm. We chat about: Musical theatre school Growing up in Perth Always being the only black person in the room “I’m not racist but…” Capitalism catching on to race Triple bi - bisexual, biracial, between fat and skinny Being asked to be ‘sassy’ in aud…

This weeks episode is just us gals. We chat about: Maria started going to a queer Maori singing group Maria does her pepeha (introduces herself in te reo maori) The line between private and public when creating art and content Feeling pigeonholed to only talking about race in projects Visible diversity vs white decision makers POC artists carving o…

Our everyday lives are touched by the places that surround us, affecting how we understand, interact with and feel about our cities. This session in the City of Melbourne's Excellent City Series explores how conscious design practice can facilitate connection and a sense of belonging with the built environment, in turn creating culturally safe spac…

Melbourne’s water story has been irrevocably shaped by progress and the impacts of our changing climate. This session from the City of Melbourne’s Excellent City Series explores how original, creative approaches and traditional knowledge are delivering innovative outcomes for improving our urban water environment. With Kirsten Bauer, Jefa Greenaway…

From storage to scissors, egg cups to sake cups – good design is everywhere in Japan. Sori Yanagi, Riki Watanabe, and Masahiro Mori led the postwar design boom – renowned for their technical skill, application of materials, and simple design aesthetics. They created iconic household objects for everyone’s – everyday use. Recorded live at MPavilion …

Jason Om is Cambodian/Eurasian Malaysian, an ABC journalist and the author of All Mixed Up. We chat about: Language around being ‘multiracial’ Being Eurasian in Malaysia v Australia Rebellious women in his family His parent’s newspaper personals ad meet cute Cultural exemptions Being the traditional Cambodian son Going to Cambodia with his dad Redi…

Jen Cloher is Māori (Ngāpuhi & Ngāti Kahu) and Pākehā. They are a song-writer and performer living on unceded Wurundjeri land in Naarm (Melbourne). Jen joins us ahead of her solo Australian tour in June and July. We chat about: Being multiracial as opposed to biracial Growing up away from Aotearoa Those awkward and joyful moments when reconnecting …

Today we are chatting to each other, about: Do biracial apples taste better? Our fav mixed-race comedians at Melbourne International Comedy Festival - Aurelia St Clair, Lizzy Hoo, Rose Matafeo and Nina Oyama Raewyn, Maria’s mum, visited Naarm Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter Jen Cloher and Te Hononga o nga iwi at Creative West Links: Deadlock Cowboy Carter …

Darcy Vescio is a Chinese/Italian AFLW player. We chat about: Growing up in country Victoria Language barriers with grandparents Moving in with their Goong at eighteen Relationships born of bitter melon and lasagne The Carlton doco Bloodlines which took Darcy to Italy and Hong Kong to explore their family history Being a multicultural ambassador fo…

Polyglot Theatre and guests come together for a panel discussion on the joys of engaging children and families in arts experiences that connect to nature and natural environments.From its large-scale touring theatre works to small playful interventions, Polyglot has increased its focus on the way nature and sustainability feed into the organisation…

Lizzy Hoo is a Chinese/Malay and Australian stand up-comedian. We chat about: Lizzy’s parents’ movie meet cute The accidental ethnic friend group Looking back on the safeguards you put in place as a child The White Mums Club Subtle Asian Traits FB group Being a chameleon Feeling more Asian than her brothers Ethnic aunty energy Lizzy’s parents want …

Scent is often overlooked, yet it is an incredibly powerful tool in the context of design. In this informal discussion, our panellists discuss the science of olfaction and how it can influence our experience of space. Together, they explore some wonderful historical uses of scent, and examine how the emergence of cities created malodours that have …

The way we dress is central to how we express our identity. Perhaps more than other settings, the workplace has been a site of radical cultural shifts, played out through changing dress codes.Part of the Paypal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s Independent Programme, Office Wear is a panel discussion that explores the impact, interpretation and subversi…

We are back with the first episode of season 2 of Being Biracial! Today we are chatting to each other about: Maria’s experience in Rotorua being surrounded by more Maori people than she’s ever seen. Maria and her friend connecting on a deeper level now that they’ve both explored their culture. Kate’s Aunt is visiting and she’s immersed in Farsi. Th…

Explore the experiences, challenges, and stories of migrant female built environment practitioners working in Australia. Through discussing the challenges they have faced and overcome, this panel fosters a deeper understanding of the obstacles that female migrant designers encounter in their professional lives as well as how it plays into their int…

Country is not just a physical place, but also a spiritual and cultural one. It is the land, the water, the air, and the creatures that inhabit it. It is the place where Indigenous people have lived for thousands of years, and it is the source of their identity and connection to the world.Come hear from Indigenous architects and non-Indigenous arch…

Place as Protagonist explores memories and place in the city through two modes of storytelling: online map-based community engagement platform CrowdSpot, and a storytelling event that brings a mix of voices together with a prompt to share a story about a time when the city made them laugh or cry.Come along to the event and hear a mix of storyteller…

BLAKitecture for MPavilion 10 will focus on the custodial relationship to Country as a means of furthering the conversation around First Peoples rights and perspectives around the impact we have to the built environment. Waterways are living ecosystems, with rights and agency. There are existing architectural vernaculars that relate to material, cl…

The Younghusband Woolstore Redevelopment reimagines a 122-year-old redbrick wool store and adjoining network of industrial early 20th-century buildings as a new mixed-use community precinct. Hear from speakers who have worked across all angles of the project, from the architects to the art consultant, as they discuss what will be Melbourne’s larges…

Join us for a panel talk, which sees international guest speakers Nashin Mahtani and Keller Easterling come together with local urban designer Bree Trevena to discuss rethinking the future of AI, for a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable society.By MPavilion

First Nations speakers across the fields of architecture, planning and design from Australia and around the world will contemplate the good, the bad and the ugly of the built environment in an intimate yarning circle format spearheaded by BLAKitecture founder and ex-Curator Sarah Lynn Rees.By MPavilion

As Australia’s housing crisis deepens, higher-density living will be a crucial part of any effective solution. Building upwards rather than outwards can be more economically and socially beneficial: it makes use of existing services and infrastructure, and helps people live closer to jobs, schools and loved ones.From the people behind Nightingale H…

Join MPavilion founder and commissioner Naomi Milgrom AC to discuss the process of building the structure with esteemed Australian architect Sean Godsell – Principal of Sean Godsell Architects and Executive Architect of MPavilion 10 in Australia – and the thinkers behind the construction of the pavilion, Project Manager Harry Wynn Pope and Technica…

It’s a bonus live episode of Being Biracial. We interviewed each other and chatted about: - Maria’s complicated return to Aotearoa - Biracial baby names - The Woman Life Freedom movement - Kate’s exhibition Zendegi at Arts Gen - Whether the conversation about race has moved on? - Cultural diversity training Mixed Media: Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuan…