This year, Yarra Plenty Regional Library has been selected to part take in Melbourne Design Week, an international festival that celebrates the multi-faced world of design, from product design and space to communication design and education.
Presented by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and in partnership with Creative Victoria, the festival starts on March 26 and runs until April 5th. This year’s theme is Design the world you want and asks us to look at design through the lenses of care, community, and climate. Events demonstrate at how our community can work together to create a better, healthier future for the world and its inhabitants.
Join us throughout the festival for a suite of events hosted by YPRL that explores how Maker Spaces help to create connected communities. Come along and explore and play within our spaces!
YPRL-hosted Events
Maker Spaces: connected communities
Friday 26 March | Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub | 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Learn about Maker Spaces and the role they play in creating community connections, both in the real world and online. We’ll step you through the newly built Ivanhoe Design Maker Space while giving you a background in how Maker Spaces differ across YPRL, and discuss the importance the practice of making plays on mental health and community wellness.
Open studio day at Thomastown's Textiles & Craft Maker Space
Saturday 27 March | Thomastown Library | 9.00am – 5.00pm
See Thomastown library’s Textiles & Craft Maker Space in action! We have craft events for everyone, young and old. Discover our range of programs and learn about the Maker Space Library while you visit on the day. A great event for families!
Screen printing workshop
Thursday 1 April | Thomastown Library | 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Discover the art of screen printing as you print your own designs on a cotton tote bag. No experience needed and all materials are provided. Bookings are essential.
Creating virtual worlds at the Design Maker Space
- Thursday 1 April | Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub | 6.00pm – 7.30pm
- Thursday 8 April | Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub | 6.00pm – 7.30pm
In this workshop, you will enter virtual reality and explore a series of tools to design your own world. Truly unlock the 3rd dimension and your creativity by designing in a virtual space that you can see, move and interact with, and even share with others. Use virtual reality equipment as your interface to draw the world or object you desire. Objects created in this session will be 3D printed and displayed within the library. Bookings are essential. Either book into the 1 April session or the 8 April session.
Further reading
If you are looking for some inspiration while enjoying our events, try these books from our collection.
The Practice: shipping creative work by Seth Gordin, 2020
For any artist, entrepreneur, or visionary who feels stuck, Seth Godin offers one simple answer: commit to the practice. In this revolutionary little book, Godin will turn your assumptions about the creative process upside down and help you to look at the world from a different angle.
Making with meaning: more than 20 meditative and creative crochet projects by Jessica Carey, 2020
A thoughtful, purposeful approach to prioritising time for making and adding more meaning and intention to your life, this book features more than 20 different inspiring crochet patterns.
Pattern Pulse: exploring the art of Australian Surface designers by Rachael King, 2020
A compendium showcasing 100 of Australia's most talented surface designers: people who create the artwork that adorns the surfaces of everyday objects we use and the fashions we wear. Read about their careers, their processes, and heed their words of 'insider' wisdom.
The future of entertainment: from movies to virtual reality by M.M. Eboch, 2020
From stage productions to television to movies, humans have always been entertained by a good story. But how might entertainment change in the future? From immersive virtual reality games to social media with 3D holograms, readers can find out what cool new technologies might change the way they are entertained.
Sustainable & Fashionable Melbourne: a guide to ethical local makers by Greta Lukavic, 2020
As consumers grapple with the sustainability and ethics of mass production, 80 Melbourne makers offer a gentle – and beautiful – alternative. From clothing and shoes, to jewellery and hats, this guide showcases the incredible talent of the Melbourne creative scene.