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

Serene Terrarium: Workshop for Beginners

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

Four women standing and holding up small mosaic lamps in front of a circular neon sign.
Until

Mosaic Art Classes: Turkish Lamp Workshop

Make beautiful mosaic lamps at this Turkish lamp workshop in Melbourne!

Dr Bob Brown standing wearing an orange jacket in a rainforest.

Saving Rainforests: Bob Brown in Conversation

An in-depth discussion on temperate and tropical rainforest ecosystems.

Architect design of a very modern large scale building wtih lots of glass, at dusk.

Free Public Lecture: Architect Kjetil Trædal Thorsen

Snøhetta – designing culture, designing change.

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

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.
Until

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.
Until

Learn to Cook Thai: Pad Thai and Papaya Salad

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

A person wearing blue rubber gloves creating an Ikebana arrangement, which is the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging.
Until

Botanica 001: Ikebana Workshop

A contemporary ikebana workshop exploring form, balance and negative space in an intimate setting.

A woman in Regency-period costume including a white bonnet, white neck ruff and a red checked dress with puffed sleeves; holding a tea cup and saucer.

Dining with Jane Austen with Lise Rodgers

Join Lise Rodgers for a presentation delivered in costume on dining in the time of Jane Austen.

Wooden miniature shrines containing special objects.

Shrines of Love and Grief Pottery Workshop

In this workshop you will learn how to make a clay shrine of love and grief to remember loved ones.

Portrait of a subtly smiling young woman with short brown hair, wearing a pink and blue striped knitted jumper.

Shut Up and Write

Write alongside others, without comparison or competition.

Three people seated on yoga mats in meditation poses in a garden setting with autumn leaves.
–

Five Element Meditation and Mindfulness

Learn how to balance your true nature with the seasons of life for health and happiness.

A black cat and a white cat, connected to each other by threads.
Until

Thought Experiment

Dive into meaningful 'what ifs' with curious, creative minds at this social meet-up.

Floral accessorie made from silk and beads.
Until

French Embroidery Workshop

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

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

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.
Until

Mosaic Making Workshop for Beginners

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

Seven glasses of wine behind two platters of cheese and crackers on a wooden table.
Until

Perfect Pairings: Guided Cheese and Wine Matching

Learn how artisan cheeses pair with fine back-vintage wines in this guided tasting.

A still-life painting of a steak and kidney pie, grapes, slices of bread and lemons.

Food and Ceramics: Alchemy of Fire

Join Distinguished Professor Peter McNeil for a lecture and afternoon tea about food and ceramics.

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

DIY Craft Workshops

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

A close shot of hands working on a paper collage showing orange flowers.

Paper Collage

Explore different techniques to create a unique artwork.

A young girl holds an old ship steering wheel.
Until

Polly Woodside Open Day

Climb aboard and roam the decks of one of Australia’s last surviving 19th-century tall ships.

Hands with white paint drawing a snake in the sand.

History Council of Victoria Book + Author: Snake Talk

Tyson Yunkaporta and Megan Kelleher follow snake stories from around the world.

A Regency-era oil painting of raw seafood and vegetables, including three different types of fish, a crab and carrots.

Eating and Drinking in the English Regency

Meat, drink and be wary: Join Jennifer Kloester for a lecture on the realities of Regency dining.

An example of fine porcelain diningware with a blue and gold patterned outer edge and a painted image of a woman in a flowing gown in the centre.

Dining at the Palace: Collecting British Royal Tableware

Join Scott Coleman for a lecture on palace dining accompanied by an afternoon tea.

Portrait of Sir Salman Rushdie with his hand to his chin, wearing glasses, an aubergine vest and grey shirt.

An Evening with Sir Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie returns to Melbourne to discuss the transformative power of literature.

Portrait of Canadian political commentator, David Moscrop, wearing red glasses, a mustard t-shirt and an open blue hooded jumper.

David Moscrop: Too Dumb for Democracy

Political commentator, David Moscrop, explains what's going wrong in today's political landscape.

A person seated at a table doing embroidery, with soft fabrics, scissors and thread on the table.
Until

Hyperfocus Masterclass Series

Interactive sessions that focus on hands-on experimentation and play that will make time fly by.

A group of people wearing aprons and standing behind a long wooden table as they participate in an Italian cooking class.
–

Pizza e Pesto Masterclass

Craft pizza and pesto from scratch at this cooking masterclass.

Jacinda Ardern smiling at camera, with her long brown hair framing her face, posed in front of a white background.

Jacinda Ardern: A Different Kind of Power

Trailblazing former Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, reflects on power, politics and resilience.

A woman presenting to a group of seated listeners, holding up a picture and making a point.
–

The Constitution, the Governor and Royal Assent

A tour exploring the role of the Old Treasury Building in our democratic past, present and future.

Vintage black and white photograph of a young Oscar Wilde, wearing a velvet blazer and holding a book while resting his head on one hand.

Oscar Wilde: ‘I can Resist Everything Except Temptation’

Join Susannah Fullerton for a lecture exploring the writer, Oscar Wilde.

A person standing at a podium in front of the Shrine for the Anzac Day Dawn Service.

Anzac Day Dawn Service

A solemn early-morning ceremony honouring the service and sacrifice of Australia’s veterans.

Discover more

A white plaster bust sculpture of a Greek goddess, used as a planter with dried plants and herbs arranged in the top opening.

Magic and Medicine: Rituals of Wellbeing

Discover the practices of magic and medicine in ancient Greece, and create your own concoction.

A hand-drawn sketch of a teapot with a blue and white design and gold touches, with a handwritten note alongside it.

Winter Sketching with Alissa Duke

Learn to sketch on location in the historic exhibition house of Fairhall.

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.

An audience seated in a lecture theatre for a panel discussion; five panellists on stage in front of a black stage curtain.

Ambition and the Aftermath

Join a panel of experts for this riveting conversation about ambition in Shakespeare’s plays.