World Knit in Public Day – 8 June to 16 June

World Wide Knit in Public Day was started in 2005 by Danielle Landes. It began as a way for knitters to come together and enjoy each other’s company. Knitting is such a solitary act that it’s easy to knit alone somewhere and sink into your work without thinking about all the other knitters out there. Neighbors could spend all their lives never knowing that the other knits. This a specific day to get out of your house and go to a local event (with your knitting in tow) just for you and people like you. Who knows you might even bump into your neighbor! Consider this a spark, to ignite a fire; getting all of the closeted knitters out into fresh air.

World Knit in Public Day is unique, in that it’s the largest knitter run event in the world. Each local event is put together by a volunteer or a group of volunteers. They each organize an event because they want to, not because they have to. They bring their own fresh ideas into planning where the event should be held, and what people would like to do.

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Artists in residence in schools – Barking Spider and Dandenong West Primary School part two

This year, Barking Spider Visual Theatre (one of our regular school holiday workshop presenters) has an Extended School Residency through Arts Victoria, at none other than our very own Dandenong West Primary School. We’ve just had an update from BSVT with some great pictures to share!

Well, the title is official: “The Next Big Thing: We made it ourselves!”It’s all systems go at Dany West Primary. The shadow puppetry is gathering momentum, the sound creation is shaking up a storm (evoking one, literally), and the bunraku style puppetry is really taking shape as the kids are truly embracing the art form, and all the collaboration that the project demands.

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Mosaic Workshop – School Holiday Workshop

Oh, it happened so quickly! The school holiday program is over for another term! Today was our last workshop for the term 2 holidays, a Mosaic Workshop. Our participants had a quick introduction of mosaics and then it was onto the making.

Within the many bits of smashed tiles, plates and assorted crockery, artists young and old placed colours in patterns or shapes until they were satisfied. It’s a more time consuming process than you might think.

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Recycled Art – School Holiday Workshop

How fast does time fly? We’re into the second week of the holidays already! Yesterday we had a fun and crafty hands on workshop making art from recycled materials. Here are a few photos of the process and the some of the finished items!

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Campfire Yarns – School Holiday Workshop

Today is our last indigenous workshop in celebration of NAIDOC week – for this year at least! We had the Wurundjeri mob back again, this time sharing stories around the fire in Campfire Yarns.

We were so caught up in the stories being shared, not just from the facilitators but by the kids too, that we didnt get much time for photos. But here is a hand carved Lyrebird, watching over the preceedings:

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Bush Tucker – School Holiday Workshop

Today our school holiday workshops continue with a Bush Tucker workshop from the Wurundjeri Land Council. We had a presentation on Aboriginal history, culture and food and we finished up with our participants being led in a dance retelling a creation myth on the front lawn of Laurel Lodge. What a deadly day!

A participant and some of the items bought in for show

A possum skin cloak with the story of the owner imprinted on the skin

Bill instructs a kangaroo on what to do

The eagle, Bunjil, soars past a hunter

The hunters capture a kangaroo

Inspired by the final dance, a young girl takes off around the fig tree

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Boomerang Painting and Decorating – School Holiday Workshop

Yesterday kicked off our term two school holiday program with a Boomerang Painting and Decorating workshop from the Wurundjeri Land Council as part of our NAIDOC week celebrations.

First, you plan out your decorations with a pencil.

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Artists in residence in schools – Barking Spider and Dandenong West Primary School

This year, Barking Spider Visual Theatre (one of our regular school holiday workshop presenters) has an Extended School Residency through Arts Victoria, at none other than our very own Dandenong West Primary School. Across terms two and three, artists from BSVT will be working with kids from grades 3 & 4, to create an installation, puppetry & sound event, which will be presented at the end of Term 3.

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Wachter Reserve Day Out this Sunday

Sunday 29 April, 11 – 4pm

Kingsclere Ave, Keysborough (across from Parkmore Shopping Centre)

Bring the whole family and enjoy this free community festival featuring live musical and dance performances, free activities and workshops, circus entertainment, a huge 10 meter rock climbing wall, jumping castle, and much more!

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Monster, fairy and bat wing making – School Holiday Workshop

Phew! Our school holiday workshop program went out in a flurry of coloured feathers, glitter and glue today! We got down and sticky to make ourselves some wings. Some participants opted for making themselves monster wings, some made fairy wings, some made colourful bat wings and some made other types of wings. Once all wings were created, we then ran around the garden trying them out. There are quite a number of ways to make wings flap, and we’re pretty sure we discovered them all. 

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