The popular program begins with learning the basics of the software. You’ll then move on to programming a robot to complete weekly challenges ranging from moving objects to negotiating mazes. Participants are able to progress to an intermediate program which will be run during term 3, 2013.

The Robot Program is run by Maribyrnong City Council Youth Services, it’s free but places are limited so bookings are required.

Interested? Contact Phoenix now.

phoenix@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au
9091 4700 (p)
phoenixyouth.com.au

The post Robots in Footscray: Program one yourself at Phoenix Youth Centre appeared first on Footscray Life.

Produced by Multicultural Arts Victoria the inaugural Emerge in the West Festival will see Nicholson Street transformed into a street party celebrating the amazing cultures and talents from local African communities who have made the City of Maribyrnong their home in recent years.

The festival main stage will include a diverse line up of local African dance grooves, Sudanese reggae, Eithiopian jazz, Azmari banter, Somali pop, traditional Burundian drums, West African dance and Cape Verdean reggae.

A cultural stage will feature traditional artists from Sudan and Ethiopia and the African Walking Bus Tour led by local tour guide Bersanji Ibrahim will explore some of Footscray’s undiscovered delights.

Local traders will open their doors to create a vibrant cultural marketplace packed with authentic foods, exotic fashions, crafts and homewares, cooking classes and Ethiopian coffee ceremonies.

Emerge in the West forms part of the Emerge Festival which is now in its tenth year, the two month festival runs from 18 May – 31 July and commemorates United Nations World Refugee Day and Refugee Week.

When: Saturday 18th May 2013, 11am – 5pm
Where: Nicholson St, Footscray

The post Emerge in The West Festival transforms Footscray into a street party this Saturday appeared first on Footscray Life.

The viaduct will take regional trains over the river and is connected to a flyover which will carry the trains over the Werribee line.

Regional trains will travel in between the metropolitan train tracks through Footscray Station.

The viaduct has been designed to allow for the existing heritage bridge to be seen as much as possible. Colours of the surrounding earth have been chosen for the flyover structure, and additional lighting and landscaping will enhance the area.

Visit  Regional Rail Link for more info or call the community information line on 1800 107 925.

The post New rail viaduct over Maribyrnong River appeared first on Footscray Life.

Footscray local Baby Guerrilla tells us about life as a paste up artist.

How did you get into paste up art?
I always knew I wanted to be an artist. I did most of a fi ne art degree at Monash University, deferred, lost the papers, then eight years later I went to the VCA (Victorian College of the Arts) and did the whole degree again. I started doing paste ups because they were more spontaneous than my canvas art. Although, because I’m a perfectionist they now take just as long.

Why the name ‘Baby Guerrilla’?
It’s the nickname my dad used to call me. It was his favourite joke. He was calling me a baby gorilla, saying I couldn’t be domesticated. It was a term of affection but it was also an insight into my character. When I started doing street art I changed it to guerrilla to reflect my political motivations. It has a lot of meaning to me.

What is the inspiration behind your artwork?
I draw inspiration from many things. I am inspired by the power of nature (reflected in her piece with the woman carried up by an eagle) the powerful force that energises the universe has both the power to destroy and create. The work is intended to be representational of everyone but they will resonate differently with different people. People will see something in the pieces about themselves.

Can you tell us about the award you won last year?
The competition was run by the Union Dining Restaurant in Richmond, in conjunction with the TarraWarra Estate. I’m really grateful. They were really generous (the total prize was $9000). I bought a new computer with the prize money and they cooked a five course meal for me and my friends – I’m probably not going to eat that well ever again ha ha. I am glad I entered because meeting the brief and the challenges of the wall really extended my art practise.

What’s next for Baby Guerrilla?
I have a few more paste up commissions on the go. My passion is for creating large scale public artworks. I can see so much possibility within the medium for enhancing our environment. My dream is to do massive buildings, even a skyscraper…now that would be phenomenal.

As a street artist, Baby Guerrilla keeps anonymous to protect her identity.

The post 5 Minutes with Baby Guerrilla appeared first on Footscray Life.

Community led groups are also playing in this creative space, experimenting with new technologies that could change how we shop, work and collaborate. We spoke to the founder of the newly formed Footscray Maker Lab Dr Josè Ramos about 3D printers, empowering the disenfranchised and life hacking.

With a background in social innovation, Dr Josè Ramos saw an opportunity to link skilled up migrants and refugees with a network of more enfranchised creative types. A former lecturer of community development at Victoria University and a Footscray local, Dr Ramos gave in to “a voice in the back of my mind that annoyed me for years” and founded the Footscray Maker Lab.

“The idea is to connect those people in need in the western suburbs with the more enfranchised population,” said Dr Ramos. “They need a space where they can conceive of enterprises that will make money.”

Dr. Jose Ramos

Dr Ramos said the lab is embryonic now, being operated from a rented desk space at the Cotton Mills studios. Meetings are held each month at the studios with the group deciding which projects to play with. Membership is open to anyone interested in combining forces to make things that couldn’t be made in single discipline fields.

One of the projects the group is looking at is sourcing a 3D printer which would be shared among lab members. The printers work by reading a digital model then printing successive layers of material to make three dimensional solid objects. 3D printers have been breaking ground in medicine, recycling, robotics, art and jewellery making.

“I really like what’s happening with 3D printers,” said Dr Ramos. “I think they can really change the economic landscape if people are able to produce things they need from home, whether that’s coffee cups or spare parts for your refrigerator. I think there is a new landscape of self provisioning. And they are super cool.”

Dr Ramos explained that life hacking is an essential element of innovation. “Life hacking means playing around with life, through technology and through community,” said Dr Ramos. “Lentil as Anything is a great example of a hack. You take a restaurant and subvert some of the key elements, such as how you pay, how it’s funded and how people work.”

Dr Ramos believes Footscray is the perfect location for a maker lab with a focus on social enterprise. “There are a lot of people in the area who have technological expertise, and we’re close to the city,” he said. “But we also have the diverse ethnic communities and that creates an interesting mix.”

For the maker lab to advance beyond its embryonic status, Dr Ramos said the lab is looking for support. “We are looking for a sponsored space that can be community run and that we can get messy in,” said Dr Ramos. “And it would be good to have funding to kick our projects up a gear.”

Visit meetup.com/footscraymakerlab for more information about the group and upcoming meetings.

The post A Brave New World – Hack Your Life with Footscray Maker Lab appeared first on Footscray Life.

Email your answer to footscray@footscraylife.com.au by 5pm Friday 24 May.

Double pass provided by the Regional Rail Link project.

The post Win a double pass to Allan Campion’s Footscray Food Tour appeared first on Footscray Life.

Food expert Allan Campion and friends will take guests through Footscray’s market stalls, bakeries, food stores and restaurants, visiting some of Melbourne’s most authentic Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Greek and Indian food destinations.

The 3 hour tour is held on the first Saturday of the month, costs $110 per person and includes a guided walking tour, commentary about Footscray’s food history, as well as tastings and samples ending with a traditional Ethiopian shared lunch and coffee ceremony.

Contact Allan for more info
0408 555 679 (m)
enquiries@melbournefoodtours.com
melbournefoodtours.com
Supported by the Regional Rail Link project

The post Take a Food Tour of Footscray with Allan Campion appeared first on Footscray Life.

The post The new Footscray Memorial Garden is now open appeared first on Footscray Life.

The new venue coincides with the launch of Sing Your Story, a program which invites members of the local community to bring a song from the country of their birth to Footscray Sings. The choir will learn the songs a perform them in public. So whether you have a song from Africa, China, Sweden, India or anywhere in between – come along and celebrate diversity through song!

Bridget a’Beckett, Conductor of Footscray Sings, said its an exciting time for the choir and everyone is welcome to join.

“Footscray Sings has been together for almost three years and this move to Footscsray Community Arts Centre feels like a big step in the right direction for us,” Bridget said.

Footscray Sings is part of Creativity Australia’s With One Voice choir program. The choirs welcome people from all walks of life, building bridges of understanding across cultural, generational, socioeconomic barriers in pursuit of harmony. There are no auditions and no singing experience is necessary.

“We’ll be easy to find so I hope that leads to new members dropping in for a peek, and staying forever.”

The science of singing is proven to make you healthier, happier and smarter. Plus, the choir is a great place to find friends and mentors, improve your wellbeing, learn new skills, build your employability and even find a job! So stop singing in the shower and come along to Footscray Sings!

When: Thursdays 6.00pm – 7.30pm
Where: Footscray Community Arts Centre, 45 Moreland Street, Footscray
Each rehearsal is followed by a delicious supper from Food By Miranda.
To find out more visit www.creativityaustralia.org.au/choirs/footscray

The post Find your voice at Footscray Community Arts Centre appeared first on Footscray Life.

This edition features mini reviews of some restaurants by Lauren Wambach, author of the Footscray Food Blog.

“All the flavours of Footscray are at your fingertips with the new Footscray Food Map. It’s an invaluable pocket guide of where to eat, shop and sip in exciting, multicultural Footscray,” – Lauren Wambach, Footscray Food Blog.

Footscray is full of fantastic places to eat, drink and shop – we want you to discover them all. While you might find a printed copy around town we’ve also made the map available for download.

• Download The Footscray Food Map [PDF] Right-click and save

You can also pick up a copy from customer service at Maribyrnong City Council offices.

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“Without this funding we won’t be able to keep operating at our current capacity – Free events, very low commissions for artists etc.” - Amie Batalibasi, Director at Colour Box Studio

They’ve teamed up with Able and Game, Hannakin and Charlotte Filshie Jewellery to provide some cool rewards. You can pledge as little as $5 and receive some really nice things in return for your support or dig deep and get a flash mob dance for a pledge of $1000.

Find out more about Colourbox Studio in our interview with Amie Batalibasi.

The post Footscray’s Colourbox Studio needs your help appeared first on Footscray Life.

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