Sustainable September at Fed Square goes virtual

Fed Square has announced its family-friendly Sustainable September, a month of virtual events and activities featuring some incredible personalities and headlined by the return of the Little Food Festival, all coming together to serve as a reminder that while we might not be able to come together right now, we can still all do our part to nurture our health, environment and community.

With a mix of live events, fascinating videos, exclusive film screenings, content for things that can be done at home, and insightful podcast conversations, as well as the return of the incredibly popular Little Food Festival developed in partnership with the Sandro Demaio Foundation and Monash University, Sustainable September’s kaleidoscope of experiences truly has something for everyone, all available on the Virtual Square.

The month of Sustainable September activities is set to feature big names including Alice Zaslavsky, Stephanie Alexander, Julia Ostro, Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson, thanks to incredible partners such as the Sandro Demaio Foundation, Monash University, Sustainability Victoria, the City of Melbourne and Sea Shepherd.

A highlight of Sustainable September is the return of last year’s hugely popular Little Food Festival, in partnership with the Sandro Demaio Foundation, Monash University, and the City of Melbourne, in virtual form on 30 September. Aimed at kids aged five to 12, the Little Food Festival promises to be an immersive and vibrant celebration of the power of food to inspire learning, featuring a curated lineup of at home do-it-yourself activities, entertaining videos including a live stream on the Fed Square website and interactive content.

Drawing on the themes of environment, health and community, the Little Food Festival will include a video showcase of stories and activities, accompanied by a downloadable booklet full of activity sheets so that kids can learn and play along as they watch. The videos will be hosted by Alice Zaslavsky and will feature Sage Garden, Oz Harvest, Afrohub, ArtPlay, Lentil As Anything, the Royal Botanical Garden, Beci Orpin, Stephanie Alexander, Costa Georgiadis, Julia Ostro, and Pawa Foods.

Monash University staff and students have curated several activities this year for the Little Food Festival. The Minecraft challenge returns for another year, with a new challenge for kids to build a food sustainable world.  In addition to this, kids will have the opportunity to participate in a Citizen Science food waste and packaging challenge as part of the festival.  Both of these challenges will be launched in early September, with winners announced September 30. Monash’s Little Food Library is back too with a story time like never experienced it before.

The Little Food Festival will be open for registration from 7 September, with registrants receiving resources to get them ready for the festival including material lists, activity sheets, and more. On the day itself, the videos will be launched in amongst live crosses from host Alice Zaslavsky via the Virtual Square’s live streaming page.

The Little Food Festival will run from 10am to 3pm on 30 September, but registrants are encouraged to log on in early September to start working on the Minecraft and Citizen Science challenges.

At 7pm on 14 September, Fed Square, in partnership with Sea Shepherd, will be holding a free online screening of the documentary Watson*. Focusing on the life and mission of Sea Shepherd Founder Captain Paul Watson, the documentary melds contemporary interviews with Paul Watson, archival clips of Sea Shepherd’s dramatic encounters, alongside breathtaking underwater footage. The film screening, which people can register to watch by visiting here, will be followed by a live Q&A with Paul Watson. People who register will also receive some delicious vegan recipes from Sea Shepherd’s galley, so they can enjoy a #MeatFreeMonday at home while watching the film.

To celebrate Sustainable September, Fed Square’s weekly podcast Anything But Square will be releasing a series of sustainability-focused episodes throughout the month:

• Fed Square CEO Xavier Csar in conversation with Sea Shepherd Australia Director Jeff Hansen about the origins of Sea Shepherd, current and future campaigns, and what organisations and individuals can do to help protect our oceans.
• An interview with Berlin-based food artist and the creator of Food Art Week, Taina Guedes, about this international movement and the importance of our eating habits to the environment.
• Fed Square CXO Suzana Bishop is joined by Sandro Demaio, CEO of VicHealth and founder of the Sandro Demaio Foundation, to discuss the Little Food Festival and his mission to educate people about the importance of food for good health.
• A chat with Frida from the Inconvenience Store, a pay-as-you-feel grocery store that promotes a message of reducing food waste and building a community.

In addition to the above, the Virtual Square will be home to a wealth of sustainabilit-focused content throughout Sustainable September, including plenty of videos, articles and resources on things people can do at home.

For more information about everything happening during Sustainable September, visit fedsquare.com/sustainable-september.

*Please note, Watson contains images that people may find upsetting and is rated M for strong themes.