As part of the Inspired Living Series, join us on Thursday 23 May to find out what is happening to our local weather patterns and biodiversity.

Our presenter line up includes weather and biodiversity experts Nate Byrne, Professor David Karoly and Dr Greg Moore.

Nate Byrne, is the weather presenter on ABC News Breakfast, meteorologist, oceanographer and science communicator. Nate will discuss the latest climate modelling and how it’s predicted to affect Melbourne’s weather.

Professor David Karoly is an internationally recognised climate change expert. David will explore the latest climate science and how we can help reduce the increasing risk of catastrophic climate change.

Dr Greg Moore is a member of the National Trust of Victoria’s Register of Significant Trees member and inaugural president of the International Society of Arboriculture, Australian Chapter. Dr Moore will discuss how Manningham’s changing climate is impacting local biodiversity.

Inspired Living Series - keynote speaker events

The Inspired Living Series - keynote speaker events showcases five insightful, not-to-be-missed evenings at the iconic Manningham Function Centre.

The series will introduce you to a diverse line-up of local and international keynote speakers offering unique insights on how we can all shift to a greener future.

Topics range from permaculture to sustainable fashion. Each speaker will inspire and motivate simple, positive lifestyle choices, connection to nature and growing a thriving community in the midst dynamic change.

Come along and learn from therapeutic horticulturist Shani Shafrir, who will discuss the health benefits of gardening and how being in nature and engaging in gardening activities can support a healthy mind, body and soul.

Shani will also discuss how gardening and garden spaces can become age-friendly and support healthy ageing through design and management techniques.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps!

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Join Elizabeth Baxter, Dementia Services Specialist, for an online session to learn about changes you can expect with dementia. 

She will explain how to plan for the changes, and what to do to support the person you care for stay safe, connected and active when living with dementia.

Living and Learning at Ajani presents a special carers event led by a health-care professional. Come along and learn how you can incorporate mindful practices into everyday life and practice self-compassion and kindness.

Registration is required. Afternoon tea provided.

Visit Aquarena for a friendly and informative morning of gym demonstrations tailored for older adults.

Learn how to safely and confidently use a variety of gym equipment under the guidance of qualified staff. 

No experience needed, just come along and give it a go!

If you’re an artist living or working in Manningham, join us for an online meet and greet to build creative connections in your backyard.

Facilitated by Debby Maziarz, this inaugural community of practice event will look at what dramatic adaptation can mean for your arts practice, with particular regard for opportunities and challenges presented by online tools and modes of working. 

You'll hear from local creatives Adrian Rice, Cath Rutten and Lindy Yeates about their experiences, particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as have the chance to share ideas and discuss your current practice.

Free event.
Limited numbers, registration essential.

Image: Lindy Yeates, installation shot from the Sanctuary Project, 2020-21.

More Information

Manningham Art Gallery

Located at the entrance to MC Square, Manningham Art Gallery presents a diverse range of contemporary art exhibitions and related public programs throughout the year. See all upcoming exhibitions.

Progeny is a collection of dynamic works, spanning video, sculpture, painting, and digital media by Edwina Green. The works collectively highlight Green’s creative practice and research interests across recent years (2019-2023).

Progeny in its direct meaning is to be ‘the descendants of a person, animal or plant; offspring’ and pulls from the artists continued connectivity between ancestral lines, intergenerational discourse, and concurrence of being both ancestor and descendant.

Informed by her identity as a Trawlwoolway First Nations woman, motifs of weaving, hand harvested and sewn bags, kelp, spoken word, organic movements on canvas, images of home, and oysters communicate a delicate ancestral tribute, and the current dance in which Green is choreographing with her multidisciplinary, experimental practice.

Progeny interrogates introspection, historical association, vulnerability, and an ability to invest in the artist's practice with a sense of intentional curiosity and closeness. 

Edwina Green, Oyster. Image by Jordan Halsall.

Send your kids along to our school holiday drama workshop with professional actor and artist Sorab. 

The workshop is for younger children aged between 8 to 12 years. They will be introduced to the principles of performing and self-expression through fun theatre games and activities.

Workshops take place in our beautiful Doncaster Playhouse.

Bookings are essential as spaces are very limited.

Don't miss this opportunity to catch Sarob before he heads off on tour!

About Sorab:

Born and raised in Melbourne, Sorab Kaikobad has been acting and creating since he was a child.

As a graduate of 16th Street Actors Studio, Sorab had the good fortune of working with various master teachers including Elizabeth Kemp and Chris Edmund. He has also worked under some of Australia’s finest directors, such as Jason Raftopolous, Iain Sinclair and Paul Currie.

Join renowned educational group Sustainable Gardening Australia as they discuss how the garden can be a place of climate action.

You'll also learn how to implement changes to reduce your contribution to climate change and help build personal and community climate resilience.

The session will also discuss how to climate proof your garden using organic waste, microclimates and water smart gardening.

The seminar begins at 6.30pm, or join us from 6.15pm for our monthly food swap, where you can bring and trade homegrown produce, cuttings, seeds, gardening magazines, jars, ferments and more!

About Home Harvest: Home Harvest is a free, complete home gardening program that runs monthly from February to December. It aims to educate and inspire residents to grow their own organic, nutritious and delicious produce at home. The series hosts seminars, question and answer time, on-site activities and food swaps! 

Registrations are essential. 

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Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

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Participants will learn how to make and maintain beeswax wraps for keeping food fresh and hygienic without the use of single-use plastics such as cling-wrap.

By improving your home's efficiency, you can reduce energy costs and create a more comfortable home for your family.

Looking for ways to improve comfort and energy efficiency at home? This 2-hour session, funded by Manningham Council and hosted by Doncaster Library, is perfectly timed as we enter the warmer months. 

Join expert presenter Lucinda and learn practical strategies to optimise your home and appliances for summer comfort.

Topics include:

• how heat builds up in your home and strategies to reduce this
• simple tips for staying cooler in summer
• choosing efficient and affordable appliances
• habits and behaviours to make your home more liveable
• government freebies, rebates and financial incentives.
   

You'll leave with fresh ideas and an upgrades roadmap to help you achieve greater comfort and lower energy use – long into the future.

The session is suited to anyone looking for simple, practical ways to save money, reduce their environmental impact and improve their home's liveability. 

Registrations are essential.

Note: Pines Learning will be hosting an earlier session of Liveable Homes - Summer Comfort on 9 October 2025.

Power up a cleaner future

This event is part of our Electrify Your Life program, which supports residents to go all-electric at home, creating a brighter Manningham. Learn how to make the switch at Electrify Your Life.

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Keep up to date with our latest environment and sustainability events.

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Warning: First Nations Peoples should be aware that this exhibition contains images, voices, or names of deceased persons.

Held as part of Manningham's annual National Reconciliation Week program, Serving Country is an exhibition that recognises and acknowledges the valuable contribution of Australian First Nations servicemen and servicewomen who have served, or are serving, in the Australian Defence Force.

For more than a century, First Nations Australians have had a long and proud history of serving in the defence of our nation in many theatres, from South Africa to the present day. Exact numbers are not known of how many First Nations Australians men and women served our nation, as official defence policy in the first half of the twentieth century was aimed at excluding the enlistment of persons “not substantially of European origin or descent”.  The fact that they served at all at a time when they were denied the basic rights of citizenship is significant – a situation not fully corrected until the 1970s.

The Serving Country photographic exhibition shares the lived experiences of Australian First Nations families and individuals who have proudly served and continue to serve in Australia’s Defence Force.

Many returning veterans are still living with the trauma of their experiences in the battlefield.  Serving Country serves as a platform for sharing stories, both inspiring and devastating, of courage and mateship. Sharing stories plays a vital and healing role in Australian First Nations culture.

Serving Country is the creative work of Sydney-based human rights social documentarian and Creative Director of Blur Projects, Belinda Mason and videographer Dieter Knierim. There are currently over 200 photographed portraits printed on brushed aluminium 60cm x 40cm panels and continues to grow.

Installation view, Manningham Art Gallery. Photo by Charlie Kinross.

The local community is invited to a guided walk to learn about the billabong's extraordinary significance  and to help in a working bee to collect old tree guards. 

Refreshments will follow. 

This event is part of the 2024 Birrarung Riverfest. 

This event has been funded by the Victorian Government through the North East Community Fund.

Over a four-week program, participants will alternate between a Pilates Mat class and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) classes.

Both sessions are suitable for beginners and advanced participants. Classes are run by a qualified Aquarena instructor.

These sessions are being run in partnership with Serenity for Women, Aquarena and Manningham Council.

Spots are limited so registrations are essential.

What to bring: Exercise mat, water bottle, towel 

What to wear: Comfortable clothes to work out in

Benefits of Pilates

• Increased muscle strength and tone particularly of your abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks (the core muscles of your body)
• Balanced muscle strength on both sides of your body
• Improved posture
• Better mobility

Benefits of HIIT training

• Tabata is one of the most popular forms of HIIT style classes
• Full body HIIT, a full body workout is great for anyone no matter your level of fitness
• HIIT incorporating small weights to help tone and strengthen the muscles of your body

By going all-electric and improving the efficiency of your home, you can improve comfort and lower your energy bills.

Solar Savers is a local government initiative that helps residents go electric with trustworthy suppliers and quality products. 

The Solar Savers program is expanding to provide greater choice, with more products and suppliers. 

Join a series of informative webinars during August 2025 to learn about the exciting new offerings. 

Session 3: Reverse cycle air conditioners (split systems)

In this presentation, you'll learn about reverse cycle air conditioning systems, how they work and the benefits of installing one. You will also hear from Solar Savers' panel of trusted suppliers, who will answer common questions about this energy efficient heating and cooling option.
 

Registration is essential. 

Join us at further sessions throughout August:

Electrify Your Life

This event is part of our Electrify Your Life program, which supports residents to go all-electric at home, creating a brighter Manningham. Learn how to make the switch at Electrify Your Life.