Learning

Host Jamila Rizvi, a woman wearing a tweed jacket standing in front of a desk in the State Library Victoria domed reading room.

Salon After D’Arc: The Gift of Heartbreak

Is it truly better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?

The back of a woman arching her back with her hands on her head looking at the sky with a sunny glow all around her.

Winter Special Meditation Class

Weekly meditation class with complementary snacks this winter until the end of August.

A group of smiling participants in a studio workshop setting, holding glass-domed terrariums.

Serene Terrarium: Workshop for Beginners

Create your mini plant world while enjoying a soothing cuppa and a calming environment.

Bonnie Prince Charlie, wearing 18th-century military dress.

The Jacobite Court in Exile with Dr Matthew Martin

A lecture exploring the Scottish royal dynasty in exile in 18th-century Europe.

A teacher bobs down next to a seated students writing at a table in a studio workshop and listens intently.

Stardom: Holiday Program

A full-day creative writing workshop devoted to big dreams and limelights, for ages 10-14 years.

A diamond Cartier tiara.

Talks Club: Exploring NGV’s Cartier Exhibition

Discover the history behind iconic Cartier jewels in this talk.

Two people in a commercial kitchen, in front of a bench filled with raw food and cooking utensils, preparing jars of stock.

Stock Paste: Hands-on Cooking Class

In this popular workshop, turn veggie scraps into versatile stock paste and cut food waste costs.

A person spooning food from a large salad bowl onto a plate they hold in their hands.

Local Lunch Club

Live well, eat well, together at Kathleen Syme Library.

Three illuminated lamps with cylindrical parchment or fabric shades, decorated with various pressed flowers and small human figures.

Pressed Flower Lamp Making Workshop

Make your room colourful and vibrant with your own pressed flower lamp.

Bowls and sauce-making tools on a bench in a restaurant setting.

Learn to Cook Thai: Pad Thai and Papaya Salad

Join a hands-on cooking class, featuring two of Thailand’s favourite dishes.

Two teen students writing on notebooks or into laptops and interacting at a table, as part of a creative writing workshop in a studio setting.

Treasure Hunters: Holiday Program

A creative writing workshop devoted to ancient relics and adventure, for ages 7-10 years.

A hand-drawn comic or storyboard sketch in black pen depicting a narrative scene.

Comic Book Wonder Daze Holiday Program

Join the fun of creating a floor length comic in fun one-hour workshops these school holidays.

Two people wearing aprons preparing food on a bench in a kitchen setting.

Marmalades & Cordials: Hands-on Cooking Class

In this workshop, learn to use seasonal citrus to create your own marmalades and cordials at home.

Floral accessorie made from silk and beads.

French Embroidery Workshop

Learn to craft an anemone brooch, from hand-dyeing silk to beadwork.

A social gathering with three people interacting, focused on literature and wine; the image has a purple filter over it with a blue circle overlaid in the centre.

Q-Lit Festival: Words & Wine

Four wildly different queer storytellers are paired with four fantastic local wines.

A teacher sits next to a seated student at a table and points at a notepad, during a creative writing workshop in a studio setting.

Movie Magic: Holiday Program

A creative story writing workshop for ages 8-12 years, devoted to stories of the silver screen.

A woman holding a teddy about toe read a picture book in a library story area.

Songbirds

Visit Southbank Library on Mondays for Songbirds, with songs, rhymes and stories for littlies.

Workshop class participants smiling in a studio setting, holding up mosaic pots and coasters they have made.

Mosaic Making Workshop for Beginners

Learn the art of creating beautiful mosaics from start to finish.

View of Melbourne from across the Yarra River

Shut Up and Write

Writing is often treated as something you do alone. An alternative: write alongside others.

Head-shot of Alan Joyce, a prominent middle-aged businessman, he wears glasses, a white shirt and a dark suit jacket.

Alan Joyce in Conversation

A discussion with Alan Joyce–one of Australia’s most successful and scrutinised business leaders.

Head shot of Freya List, an Australian choreographer, with blond wavy hair framing her face.

School Holiday Workshop: Musical Theatre Dance

Freya List hosts a one-day masterclass in musical theatre dance for secondary school students.

Bright artwork by Trevor Brown features bold, energetic portrayal of pelicans, water and trees.

Dementia-Friendly Open Studio at NGV

A free open studio session for people living with dementia, their families, friends and carers.

Woman concentrating while playing table tennis, she holds a bat in one hand and is wearing a navy blue t-shirt with logos on it.

Rally Her Collective

Women and girls can discover table tennis in a welcoming, and culturally inclusive environment.

A girl reading in a study nook next to a bookcase in a studio space, taking part in a creative writing workshop.

The Lost Level: Holiday Program

A full-day creative story writing workshop for ages 7-10 years.

Sommelier Antony Anderson standing in front of a table of diners, smiling and holding a glass of shiraz wine in his hand.

Secret Cellar Lunch: Old & Rare Grenache with Antony

An epic sommelier-led long lunch of old and rare grenache wines matched to four bespoke courses.

A protest banner from the 1960s with the slogan 'Migrants for Aboriginal Rights' and people marching underneath it.

Book Launch: Researching Migration on Indigenous Lands

A book launch exploring migration, identity and Indigenous sovereignty in contemporary Australia.

A sketch of Jane Austin with an enlargement of jewellery next to her.

Talks Club: Georgian Jewels and the Georgian House

Discover the jewellery and social history that defined one of Britain's most influential periods.

The shopfront of a Japanese-style craft workshop with brightly coloured craft materials on shelves and a neon sign.

DIY Craft Workshops

Unleash your creativity at these workshops where everyone is a designer.

Black and white photograph of the founder of the Tough Guy Bookish Club, Shay Leighton, drinking a beer and smiling slightly.

Tough Guy Bookish Club

Come together for an afternoon of rowdy, bookish conversation.

Portrait of trade unionist and writer, Oscar Kaspi-Crutchett.

Understanding the Rise of the Far-Right in Australia

Join a panel of experts exploring the drivers behind the rise of far-right movements in Australia.

Four people smiling and talking to each other, seated in armchairs; the image is two-toned, with a blue circle over a pink filter.

Q-Lit Festival: Masterclass Get Your Hot Take Published

Gain insider knowledge on writing and pitching for magazines and journals.

A digital rendering representing the concept of balanced intellect, with a brain on one side of a set of scales balanced with a small illuminated box on the other side, in a library setting.

Against Intelligence

This lecture explores the questions we should be asking about today’s AI.

Discover more

Looking over the shoulders of two people doing a craft activity on a blue tablecloth.

Roman Marble Mosaic Masterclass

An immersive artist-led mosaic workshop using traditional hand tools and methods.

Cartoon like illustration of two people from behind, wearing headphones and working at a synthesizer keyboard.

Synth 101 (Women, Trans & Gender Diverse) Workshop

A hands-on introductory workshop for women, trans and gender diverse people to begin sound-making!

Bright graphic illustration of a hands playing on a synthesizer keyboard.

Synth 101 Workshop

Hands-on introductory workshop for all to get started making and shaping sound with synthesisers

A red sports boxing punching bag hanging from the verandah ceiling in an outdoor setting.

Personal Safety and Self-Defence Seminar

Build confidence and practical skills at this hands-on personal safety and self-defence seminar.