Keep entertained these school holidays

Check out the events and activities happening around Maroondah this autumn!

Out and about:

City Nature Challenge

Friday 29 April to Monday 2 May various locations around Maroondah

Be involved in the City Nature Challenge by downloading iNaturalist and find, photograph and record native flora and fauna around Maroondah. Keep an eye on our website for guided walks that will be happening during the City Nature Challenge event.

Maroondah Federation Estate Gallery

34 Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood

Bloom like flowers: Hsin Lin

Open until Friday 8 April Hsin Lin’s new exhibition features meticulously detailed acrylic paintings and prints that celebrate native Australian flora and wildlife which highlight the ecologies and habitats that support and connect them.

The Arts Lounge Exhibition – Di Ellis and Bill Kearney

Open until Saturday 2 April Wyreena’s Arts Lounge is showcasing the intricately stitched artworks of Di Ellis and pictures by professional photographer, Barry Kearney.

Still the Water Flows

Monday 7 February to Friday 8 April

Still the Water Flows is a selection of works exploring how both humans and nature are continuously ‘fluid’ and have the ability to adapt in times of turbulence, trauma and change. Wyreena Community Arts Centre

Pawesome! Pet Portraits with Emily

Saturday 19 March, 10am to 1pm Capture your furry friend’s face in a pet portrait. Just print out a few photos of your pawesome pet and leave with a beautiful art piece and the techniques needed to create more.

Beginners Furniture Chalk Painting with Melinda

Saturday 2 April, 9am to 1pm Prepare a piece of furniture for painting with a choice of chalk paints. Bring your own small piece to work on such as a small table, cabinet or bedside table.

Check out the range of activities available at Wyreena Community Arts Centre these school holidays! The events are suitable for primary school aged children, with staggered timeframes to suit different age groups.

Ceramic candle holders

Tuesday 19 April, 10am to 11.30am; 12.30pm to 2pm (5 to 12 years) This pottery activity is sure to bring the family together. Create a candle holder using a pinch pot, coils and wooden tools.

Handmade books of special treasures

Wednesday 20 April, 10am to 11.30am (6 to 8 years); 12.30pm to 2pm (8 to 12 years) Learn to make a handmade art book that you can fill with your favourite things and special treasures in this creative workshop. Reclaiming Art

Thursday 21 April, 10am to 11.30am (8 to 12 years); 12.30pm to 2pm (5 to 7 years) Breathe new life into old paintings by personalising forgotten or donated pieces using acrylic paints.

Cactus Pots

Friday 22 April, 10am to 11.30am (6 to 8 years); 12.30pm to 2pm (9 to 12 years) Come and join us as we make cute and quirky cactus pots. These unique pots are made using slabs of clay with spots of slip to make the thorns. Book your space for the holiday program activities by visiting www.maroondah.vic.gov.au, by phone on 9294 5590 or in person at Wyreena.

Down to a fine art: exploring connections

ArtSpace’s latest exhibition explores Maroondah’s connections to its Chinese-Australian community in Becoming Home: Stories of Chinese-Australians, from 1 to 20 March.

We caught up with curator Tammy Wong Hulbert to discuss the inspiration, connection to the exhibition and the artists involved in Becoming Home.

What inspired the exhibition?

The exhibition began as a conversation about developing a project that explored the Chinese-Australian community through a creative collaboration. I was keen to demonstrate an alternative representation of Chinese-Australians having a long and connected history here in Australia. In particular, I was intrigued by the story of the significant Cheong Family who established themselves in Croydon in the late Victorian era. In my work as a gallery curator, I have often developed historical exhibitions and contemporary art exhibitions separately, but with this project, I wanted to bring together the voices of an earlier generation with current new immigrant voices. I saw that as an inspiring and interesting challenge.

How did you start the curatorial process for this exhibition?

I started with the interesting history of Cheong Park, but I also wanted to bring together this history with more contemporary voices in the community. In doing this, I enlisted Siying Zhou, a multimedia artist with a keen interest in Chinese-Australian history and Ai Yamamoto, a sound artist, who was able to capture the emotional landscape of the local environment. Together, we collaborated with Chinese Community Social Services, who supported us in finding local participants with interesting stories to tell. They introduced us to Jenny Zhuang, Jiawen Lin, Fiona Wu and Leo Ren, who all had their own interesting journeys in making Maroondah their home.

How did the collaboration process go?

We had an amazing team of participants to work with, but it was challenging having to work under lockdown conditions in Melbourne over 2020/21. Under pre-pandemic conditions, I focused on spending time with participants so that we could really get to know each other, but during the pandemic, we had to rely on video meetings to establish the project and at one stage even asked the participants to make their own videos for use. These were then edited into Siying’s video and Ai’s sound files, so the production was truly collaborative. We also worked with Paul and Penny Cheong who provided their personal historical materials from their family collection and the Museum of Chinese-Australian history. They provided reproductions of photographs and materials to tell the Cheong family’s story from a historical perspective.

What was the most exciting/inspiring part of the process?

For me, it was meeting the participants in real life at their favourite places around Maroondah such as Ringwood Lake Park and McAlpin Reserve. These public places had really become safe places to retreat to during periods of lockdown in Melbourne and, in some ways, had become an extended loungeroom for the participants. We found they all had an enhanced appreciation of their local public parks.

Four of the 10 children of Cheok Hong Cheong (1851-1928) and his wife Wong Toy Chen (1849-1947).

The Cheong family have an amazing lineage in the Maroondah area. What was it like to work with the Cheong family?

Meeting Paul Cheong and Lesley Lowe (nee Cheong) in Cheong Park and hearing them speak about growing up next to Cheong Park was a very special moment. We also had a guided visit to Cheong Wildflower Sanctuary with Maroondah employees, and seeing all those delicate indigenous flowers was really a wonderful experience. Visit Becoming Home: Stories of Chinese-Australians at ArtSpace till the 20 March. Becoming Home: Stories of Chinese-Australians is presented in partnership with Museum of Chinese Australian History, RMIT University Contemporary Art and Social, Transformation (CAST) and Chinese Community Social Services Centre, Inc.

Community groups invited to apply for funding grants

Are you a not-for-profit group in need of funding assistance to buy equipment or deliver a program, project or event in Maroondah?

Applications for funding assistance through Council’s 2022/23 Community Grants Funding Program open 9am on Tuesday 15 March. Funding is available for not-for-profit, incorporated groups to assist with projects or programs that make a positive contribution to the Maroondah community. Financial assistance is available under three grant categories: Community Development Grants, Small Equipment Grants Scheme and Emergency Food Relief Grants. Applications for the 2022/23 funding can be made online up until the closing date of 4pm, Wednesday 27 April, with applicants advised of the outcome of their application and funds distributed in July. For information on eligibility and assessment criteria, tips for completing grant applications and funding conditions, visit Council’s website or contact our Community Development Officer, on 1300 88 22 33 or email maroondah@maroondah.vic.gov.au

Dates for your diary For more information about these and other events, please visit Council’s website.

Earth Hour

Saturday 26 March, 8.30pm Council is encouraging the community this Earth Hour to turn off all non-essential lighting and electrical appliances for one hour on Saturday 26 March. To learn more about Council’s initiatives to become carbon neutral, visit our website. Maroondah Night Run

Friday 1 April, 7pm Ringwood Golf Course Canterbury Road, Ringwood Lace up your runners or walking shoes and bring your torch for the annual Maroondah Night Run! Keep an eye out on our website for event details. Walking sports for seniors

Wednesday 6 April Maroondah Nets Heathmont Road, Heathmont Come along to Maroondah Nets to see the different walking events on show such as Walking Cricket, Netball, Football, Pickleball, Heart Foundation walking program and Maroondah walking trails.

Gluttony takes over Karralyka this April

After more than a decade as an Adelaide Fringe hub, Gluttony is on tour this April, and Karralyka will be the first to host this delectable event!

Popping up annually in Adelaide’s east parklands, Gluttony has cultivated a reputation as a feast for the senses for lovers of the arts, food and wine. Since 2011, thousands of artists have passed under Gluttony’s Art Deco-styled façade to perform on its stages, from local up-and-comers to national TV stars and globally renowned acts. With a selection of local food and beverage vendors alongside a stellar line-up showcasing the best of Adelaide Fringe Festival, this will be an extravaganza not to be missed. Confirmed acts that will be appearing at Gluttony are: • Shake It • Defiant • Yummy (pictured on left) • Ladies Night • Busby Marou • Riot City Wrestling • Petit Circus: Bon Appetit • Grossed Out Game Show • Completely Improvised Potter • Rebel – David Bowie Circus Rock Tribute • Comedy Hypnotist Matt Hale: Absolute

Chaos Come and visit the spectacle from Wednesday 6 to Sunday 10 April. To book your seat, visit Karralyka’s website, www.karralyka.com.au, or call 9870 2888. Every ticket you purchase to a show supports artists, arts workers and the arts and events industries, which are critical to the creative spirit and progress of our festival state. Your support and attendance at Gluttony is extremely valued and we thank you for your community support as we bring Gluttony Croydon Park to life.

Something magical is happening at Wyreena

Over the past few months, the Silver Birches building at Wyreena has been transformed into a magical place by local creative business, True Fairies.

True Fairies began a creative residency at Wyreena in November 2021, and have delighted the community with their imaginative installations and programs. And now, the fairies have been busy creating a magnificent Magic School inspired by magical stories like Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia. Delight in after school magic classes and learn spells in special events happening at Wyreena across the month, as well as real-life fairy school for those who wish to ‘grow their wings’. While most of the programming is focused on children and families, there are also some delightful experiences for adults. True Fairies are in residency for a limited time, so be sure to pay them a visit before they fly away! For more information about True Fairies at Wyreena, visit www.truefairies.com/ childrens-classes