MPavilion

This in-depth discussion is a collaboration between the social enterprise consultancy Amplifier Collective and Travellers Aid, experts in delivering services to people who face travel-related challenges. The panel discussion centres around accessibility in the city and the deeper dialogue around the real challenges many in our community face navigating Melbourne, while exploring progress made and new initiatives which could help everyone to feel more at home in their hometown.

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 host Leila Gurruwiwi, with panellists Paula Savage, Kim Ah Sam, and Luke Currie Richardson.

The two talks continue MPavilion’s long-running partnership with Agency, an organisation that acts as a catalyst for connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

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 host Leila Gurruwiwi, with facilitator Mayatili Marika, and panellists Nina Fitzgerald and Shahn Stewart.

The two talks continue MPavilion’s long-running partnership with Agency, an organisation that acts as a catalyst for connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

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.

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 life.

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-table workshop.

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, and Kaylie Salvatori (Country Oriented Landscape Architecture) for an interactive yarn exploring sensory engagement and design grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems.

Linked to the Australian Pavilion for the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, this conversation considers our relationships with all living things and reflect on “home” as a convergence of memory, sensation, and future. Led by a Creative Sphere of First Nations architects and practitioners, HOME challenges conventional architectural practices and fosters deep connections through sustainable, culturally rich design and programming.

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 installation 'Microbial Dwellings' invited us to explore these hidden helpers around the pavilion.

In this talk, mycologist Tom May from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, unpacks the secrets of what has grown and offer fascinating insights into the microbes we cohabit with. What do these tiny organisms do, and why are they so essential?

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 to add.

Led by Chris Cheers, a psychologist, educator and author of the best-selling book 'The New Rulebook: Notes from a psychologist to help redefine the way you live'. Chris is passionate about creating accessible, safe spaces where people become empowered to reach their life goals. He’s here to help you shake off the anxiety of obligation and start the day feeling grounded.