This month we were excited that Darebin Council asked to write an article about our Honestly project for Your Darebin. Your Darebin is Council’s online community newsletter which highlights key events and projects happening in the neighbourhood and tells the stories of the people and places that make Darebin a great place to live, work and play.

You can check what they wrote about us here and sign up to receive Your Darebin in your inbox monthly here.

Lee putting up the letters

We’ve got so much going on at the minute it is hard to keep up.

But our podcasting studio is progressing. We know the equipment we need to buy (thanks DJ City) and have the funding (thanks to the fabulous Clifton Hill/North Fitzroy Community Bank). Now we’re in the process of creating a cool and edgy space for creative souls to podcast from … ‘cos there’s a lot less fun in a boring room right?

Lee is immersed in painting a mural on the wall in Room 3 (soon to be officially called The Cupboard). It is a projection of plants and flowers from our garden. Lee and I got the idea last year when we were projecting the outline of the mural outside the community shed onto the wall at night, and the shadows of the lemon tree looked so lovely.

So, on Wednesday I spent the afternoon holding up plants with Lee drawing around their shadows. She is now using photoshop to evaluate how best to fill in the shapes with block colours. And then we’ll get to work with infill. And we hope, end up with a lovely unique room that is fun enough for inspired podcasting, but equally suited to counselling and music lessons (because in our tiny building multi-purpose spaces are where we’re at).

Can you spot some of the plants … there are daisies in the mix, and bird of paradise leaves, banana passionfruit, plane tree leaves and cliveas to name a few.

On Friday 12 March, we invite you to come along to a special morning tea following which we will officially open our new neighbourhood community art initiative, the Alphington Neighbourhood Gallery.

The Alphington Neighbourhood Gallery will feature 12 art works by an artist connected to the neighbourhood. The gallery will be paste up boards along our fence. The works will be accompanied by a bio and a QR code link so that anyone passing by can find out more about the artist. This project has been funded by the lovely Yarra Arts team at Yarra City Council, who we thank very much.

The first artist we are featuring is Ross O’Meara. His works will be up for one month. We plan to feature 10 artists over the coming year.

We’d love it if you could join us from 11.30am for morning tea followed by the launch.

Ross O'Meara, Untitled, 2019, ink on paper, courtesy of the artist and Arts Project Australia

Ross O’Meara, Untitled, 2019, acrylic on paper

Ross O’Meara, Untitled, 2019, watercolour on paper

Ruth Maddison, Box Hill Over 90s Club, from the series Women Over Sixty 1990-91, pigment print

Hi all, Leanne here.

This is a bit of a complicated story, but my mum plays tennis at North Fitzroy (Edinburgh Gardens), and was chatting to Professor Martha Hickey’s partner (I assume he plays tennis there too). And they talked about this upcoming exhibition at The Convent in Abbotsford that Professor Hickey conceived out of concern that the message to younger women about menopause ageing was almost exclusively negative and did not reflect the capability, diversity and achievements of older women.

Professor Hickey is a clinical psychologist and gynaecologist. She is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne, Director of Gynaecology Research Centre at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Head of Menopause Service at the Women’s and Visiting Professor at Harvard University.

And mum thought it might be interesting to share. And I think she is right. So here we go!

Flesh after Fifty - changing images of older women in Art is running at the Abbotsford Convent from 7 March -11 April.

The exhibition will explore and challenge negative stereotypes of ageing while celebrating and promoting positive images of older women. It will bring to the fore images that need revisiting or have been overlooked, plus 10 new commissioned art installations that explore social issues, health and empowerment of older women.

It is accompanied by curatorial discourse and community engagement in a series of forums, events and essays by key academics, artists and community leaders exploring the politics and social impact around the construction of images of older women, addressing this topic in the pursuit of a new visual dynamic and appreciation of the older female form.

A list of artists involved in the exhibition can be found here.

And the full program of events that sit alongside the exhibition are here. They include a host of movies, a women’s dinner hosted by Denise Scott, a writer’s panel including Melanie Cheng, Donna Ward and Catherine Deveney, a gogo dancing for over 50s workshop and other extra fun workshops including (the unique chance ladies, to make your lady parts out of icing!? in) the Hotham Street Ladies workshop.

Sounds pretty edgy and fascinating right? Just like all of us! And it’s right on our doorstep. This is an event that was delayed for a year by COVID, so it might also be nice to support the artists now that we can get back to things again.

Laki Sideris - Suburban Vintage

Early last year Darebin Council merged its major arts events into a new arts festival called FUSE, with a program designed to showcase the richness and diversity of Darebin’s arts community twice a year, in autumn and spring. Unfortunately COVID put a bit of a dampener on things in 2020, but this year (fingers crossed) it is full steam ahead and the Darebin arts team has put together a wonderful festival ready for us all to explore.

Running from 11th to the 28th March, you can visit art exhibitions, attend live music and theatre, participate in workshops or art walks, and discover the hidden events and unexpected happenings that are part of FUSE.

Program highlights include:

• The Art of Storytelling in Song, a performance in conversation with Mick Thomas and Jessie Lloyd at Preston Reservoir Bowls Club, Friday 19 March.

• Suburban Vintage, an exhibition at Darebin Arts Centre by award winning photographer Laki Sideris, illuminating the traditions and personalities behind the Darebin amateur homemade wine competition. (20-27 March.)

• Women of Soul, a special ten year anniversary musical event celebrating the resilience of female artists in Darebin.

• The premiere screening of Ganbu Gulin: One Mob, a moving documentary that tells the story of Darebin’s decision to cease celebrations on 26 January. Preston City Hall, 13 March.

• Paradise Lots, a live theatre experience from experimental theatre company Pony Cam, and a group of young artists. See an urban carpark transformed into a large-scale performance space and challenge your unchecked assumptions about youth. 19-21 March (location details on registration)

To see the full program, book in and find out more visit www.fusedarebin.com.au. Note that most events are free.

No matter who you are, you’re bound to discover something that moves, intrigues or connects you. Sounds great hey? Aren’t we so lucky to have this on doorstep, and to live in a community that values and celebrates the arts.

Women of Soul