Melbourne Knowledge Week

Melbourne Knowledge Week (1-7 May) invites participants to co-create future Melbourne through a feast of science, technology, design, workshops and celebrations.

The festival will feature almost 80 new-wave events across Melbourne, including Machines That Read Your Mind at Deakin Edge, Growing An Interactive Technology Garden at ArtPlay and a dance party amid stunning 3D projections.

Councillor Jackie Watts, Chair of the Knowledge City Portfolio, said the festival opens doors for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with the knowledge and innovation sector in our city.

“Melbourne Knowledge Week is about giving Melburnians the mindset, skills and tools to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” Dr Watts said.

“With so many forward thinking innovators, entrepreneurs and resources in our city, the connections and ideas sparked at this festival will help shape how we live in the future.

“Our prosperity and our future liveability requires that we access the knowledge to work and the capacity to be able to adapt to changing conditions.”

Keynote speaker Jason Schupbach – Director of Design and Creative Placemaking Programs at the United States’ National Endowment for the Arts – will offer an international perspective on creating smart cities where people love to live.

An American study of 40,000 subjects, which revealed people value social offerings, openness, acceptance and aesthetics over jobs and schools, supports Jason’s holistic mindset.

“Creative placemaking puts arts at the table with land-use, transportation, economic development, education, housing, infrastructure and public safety strategies,’ Jason said.

“This can help you achieve a liveable city by creating social offerings, helping people understand one another better across cultural lines, and making a place more beautiful.

“Conserving cultural knowledge is also essential. We refer to the people who know and pass down cultural knowledge as ‘culture bearers’ in the United States, and they are the soul of any community.

“All of these things are necessary for creating a complete smart city strategy.”

Melbourne Knowledge Week, delivered with partners across Melbourne’s thriving knowledge sector, will touch on themes including emerging technology, disruptive change, population growth and sustainability.

“In this city, brimming with creativity, innovation and imagination, this knowledge festival is an opportunity designed to enhance, excite and prepare our citizens for the future,” Dr Watts said.

“Come along, be inspired and connect with your fellow Melburnians to reimagine our future city.”

Program highlights:

EcoCity Storytellers Night: Eight local legends share their vision for a more sustainable and knowledgeable Melbourne.

First Nations Creating Yirramboi (tomorrow): Join artist, curator and cultural producer powerhouse Paola Balla as she asks Australian and international guests: what happens when First Nations artists create works for First Nations audiences, and how will this will make our tomorrow more powerful?

Hack The Streets: Architecture firm, Hassell, hosts an interactive workshop that connects people, places and big data to find out what makes the city hum and how our bodies influence the design of the buildings and streets around us.

Utopian Foods: An interactive dinner event hosted by the Social Food Project that will submerge you in a utopian food future. Exploring concepts from ecological diversity, ocean health and cultural identity, this event uses food to forecast a positive world to come.

Human Effect: Impact on the environment is increasingly evident, from global warming, to diminishing resources. Yandell Walton uses projection art to merge with existing public spaces, starting a conversation about politics, society, and the environment.

New Energy Revolution: Step into Powershop Labs for an enlightening look at Melbourne’s vibrant startup community working with new energy. The panel discussion will reveal the latest energy technology, concepts and challenges that lie ahead.

Melbourne Knowledge Week 2017 will run from Monday 1 May until Sunday 7 May. For the full program visit: Melbourne Knowledge Week