Open Mic

Discover the joy of making stuff up! Our Williamstown improv group is where Melbourne's west comes to play, connect, and unleash creativity. Improv isn't just about being funny (though you'll laugh heaps). It's about: ✓ Building confidence in social situations ✓ Improving listening and communication skills ✓ Meeting amazing people from Hobson's Bay ✓ Reducing stress through play and laughter ✓ Discovering your creative side ✓ Having a screen-free, present-moment experience No theatre experience? Perfect! No prepared material? Even better! The only rule is 'Yes, And...' - supporting each other's ideas and having fun. Drop in any Wednesday, 7-9pm. Location: **Williamstown Community and Education Centre Inc 14 Thompson St, Williamstown VIC 3016**. Suitable for ages 16+. First time is free, and its $10 a class after. ***Free parking out the back. Please come to the front, and we will open the door.***

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH so **IT'S DRAWING NIGHT AT SQUISHFACE** Join us at Squishface's studio space in South Melbourne: Studio Hall, on the grounds of St Kilda South Port Uniting Church on Dorcas St. There are FOUR TRAMS you can catch from the city. **58, 96, 12** or the **1!** It is even walkable from the city. Bring your sketch books, bring your pens, bring a friend. It's not a class - it's a drawing hang out. All skill levels welcome. Always lots of regulars, always newies. Be socially awkward, be confident as heck. This is informal, it's just a free drawing session. Go ahead and bring snacks. But no nuts please! Our venue is wheelchair accessible, as are the very toilets. Minors are welcome but will need an accompanying adult. Contact us on 0422509144 if any issues or you get lost. Please follow us both on instagram, for comic and zine related news and events. [Squishface Studio](http://www.instagram.com/Squishfacestudio) Here's an [instagram video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4J5GiOPLxc/) showing where Studio Hall is. You simply enter from the street, walk up toward the big bluestone church, then go left to the car park and you will find Studio Hall!

Hey everyone We are putting on an in person OpenShift meetup on Wednesday 25 Feb. Come and join us to hear the latest capabilities for OpenShift 4.21, Roadmap, Virtualisation, GPU, AI & MCP servers and more. Having just returned from Red Hat One in Vegas we have a lot to share of what we have seen happening around the world. Its the usual time starting at 6pm with a 7:30pm finish as well as drinks and pizza! Look forward to seeing you there. OpenShift Meetup team https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/achieve-more-red-hat-openshift-421

Come join us and practise public speaking! All levels are welcome. Take the first step to overcome your fears, build confidence and learn to speak with impact in a friendly, supportive and encouraging environment. Start you public speaking journey with us now to improve your communications skills and elevate all aspects of your life. Please arrive 10 minutes early so we can settle everyone in for a 5.30pm start. See you soon!

**Would you like to improve at public speaking, in a fun, supportive environment?** Come along to Toastmasters to learn how to write and deliver speeches, and have fun doing it! Please visit [www.maccabitoastmasters.org.au](http://www.maccabitoastmasters.org.au/) and register your interest to attend in person via the **Contact Us** tab on the webpage. We kindly ask that you arrive on time to avoid any disruption to the meeting. **About Maccabi Toastmasters** Maccabi Toastmasters encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to overcome public speaking nerves and to become confident and accomplished speakers! * Would you like to improve your public speaking and presentation skills for work or school? * How about overcoming the anxiety and challenge of providing constructive feedback and performance evaluations at work? * Maybe you're looking to change jobs and would like to brush up on your communication skills and really impress the interviewer? * Are you feeling anxious about an up-and-coming speech you have to give at a special event? A Birthday, Wedding, Anniversary, Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah, Engagement Party or Corporate function? * Would you like to improve leadership skills? * Maybe you're just looking to have fun by sharing your thoughts and stories in a entertaining and friendly social environment? If you answered YES or MAYBE to any of the above, then you've found the right club! Join us at our next meeting and see how friendly and entertaining our club is. Just come along and have some fun! **What to know before attending a meeting** Please **visit www.maccabitoastmasters.org.au/directions.html** for meeting information and directions. Our website is a great starting place to find out more about the club and what to expect when attending your first meeting. To assist us in running the meetings smoothly, we kindly ask you register your interest at least one day before attending. Please note that video recording of the meeting or speaker is not allowed, with exception granted only by written permission from the club executive committee.

**IMPORTANT:** registrations are essential! Attendees that have not registered will be charged $5 to enter. For FREE entry, get your membership below: [https://bit.ly/LanguageExchangeMembership-FluentFast](https://bit.ly/LanguageExchangeMembership-FluentFast) **== Find someone to practice with before the event ==** (Optional:) post the language you're learning (and teaching language) in the comments so the right people can connect with you. E.g. a comment like: "#learnFrench #teachEnglish seeyou all soon :-)". **Overview:** Every week, over 150 people from 23+ countries meet at out language exchange to practice a new language and make new friends over a beer. The first thing you will notice when you go to New To Melbourne is the great community atmosphere; people in our group are friendly and helpful and always welcoming of new group members. I hope you can bring a friend and join us for some language practice :-) Our language exchange is free and runs every We3ednesday night, there's cheap food & drinks if you arrive at 6pm and want some dinner ;-) **If you want to attend:** Event cost: **FREE**! (you must register for free entry: [https://bit.ly/LanguageExchangeMembership-FluentFast](https://bit.ly/LanguageExchangeMembership-FluentFast)) **First Time? / What is a language exchange?** If you've never been to a language exchange (many people haven't) we wrote an article for first timers (based on our 8+ years of running language exchanges). It's a comprehensive article and well worth reading: [https://bit.ly/firstTimeAtTheLanguageExchange](https://bit.ly/firstTimeAtTheLanguageExchange) **===== EVENT FORMAT =====** When you arrive, you receive a badge with your native language and the languages you would like to learn. Place them on your chest with your native language on the right and other languages you are learning on the left. Then go meet people and exchange languages! What to bring: Pen and Paper and good vibes! Age Group: 18+ **===== FREE BEER AND PIZZA FOR FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS! =====** We're looking for friendly volunteers who want to help out and welcome newcomers to the group. We provide free beer/drinks and food (pizza wedges etc) and a friendly team of other volunteers to hang out with. If it's your first time at the event, you're welcome to applt - our volunteers are often newcomers too :-) To find out more about volunteering at our language exchange, please see the link below: [https://bit.ly/NTM-Lang-Exchange-volunteering](https://bit.ly/NTM-Lang-Exchange-volunteering) **===== Group Rules =====** We pride ourselves on running events where people feel safe and open to making new friends. To protect our group members, we have several rules in place: 1\. This is \*not\* a dating group\, please do not ask for people's numbers / socials\. Contact them via the meetup\.com private chat if you want to get in touch\. 2\. Please do not advertise other groups / events / tours on this page or to this groups attendees during / after events\. 3\. Please do not advertise products and services \(e\.g\. MLM / mentorship\)\. Please do not ask our attendees to complete surveys\. 4\. Please do not add people to wechat / whatsapp groups\. By join our group or attending our events, you agree to these rules. If you attend an event and someone is breaking these rules, you can speak to the host if you wish. **===== MENU =====** The management gave us a special menu with some cheap eats :-) This section will be updated soon. **===== NEW TO MELBOURNE! =====** This event is run by New to Melbourne! We run fun and affordable event for people mostly between 18-35 including: international students, backpackers and even some locals :-) You can find all our upcoming social events and tours here: [https://bit.ly/FF-Free-language-exchange](https://bit.ly/FF-Free-language-exchange) See you soon! :-)

Join the Melbourne TED Talk Community for an engaging session and meet people who like being an ideator, who want to bring their voice to a larger community. In contrast to a typical public speaking training event, where you receive feedback on your "Um", "uh", "ah", "er", "hmm" and the way you present, this goes beyond that. **The objective of this community is to get inspired by some of the best ideas serving humanity, find your own calling and voice, be an ideator, and share your ideas clearly and persuasively.** The talk we will play is one of the amazing talks from the TED Library. In this session, we will delve deeper into the topic and gain perspective, and learn from each other. Be prepared to network, engage in meaningful conversations, and embark on a journey of professional development and leadership growth. **Mark your calendars and don't miss this opportunity to refine your public speaking abilities with the Melbourne TED Talk Community!** **TED Talk link to watch together:** https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability **Agenda (as a guide)** 6.00 PM Registration 6.10 PM Introduction by Attendees 6.25 PM 5 min talk by Organisers (optional) 6.30 PM Breakout session (Group / Individual) based on topic 6.45 PM Individual / Group shares their takeaways 6.50 PM Practice the Art of Public Speaking - 2-3 talks of 2.5 minutes 7.15 PM Feedback to the Presenters and overall session 7.20 PM Event Concludes & floor opens for Networking **Fees: The event has a $5 contribution towards hiring the room and Audiovisual. This can be paid through PayPal at the time of registration.** Looking forward to seeing you there. The Organisers Raj

Like Improv Storytelling, Music or singing? In this session we will combine these elements to create an improvised musical blending the story of theatre, the fun of improv and the magic of music. We'll start off with some singing and improv warm up activities, do a quick rundown of sorry structure, suggest a topic and then get into exploring the world and characters a (musical) scene at a time, hopefully reaching some sort of satisfying conclusion! Depending on interest, we may take turns acting and singing in the scene and being musicians. It's all very amateur so if you have basic level improv or musical skills you're most welcome to join! I will bring a keyboard and acoustic guitar, but BYO other instruments, voice and snacks. Last time it was a lot of fun, so we hope to recreate that magic again! attendance fee is $10, payable on the day Some level of exposure to music, improv theatre, role-playing or similar is recommended but not compulsory. Also, if you do plan on coming, us know instrument if any you're wanting to bring! However just bringing your voice is fine as well. See you there! P.S. Note there will be bus replacements that weekend, so we advise allowing extra time, there is also the route 57 tram not too far away

Smashing! Try something new Interactive workshops - Become the charismatic leader Why is Smashing different to other speaking clubs? Passion!!! 1. **Everyone talks** many times during interactive workshops 2. **FAST LEARNING** 3\. Relaxed and fun **IMPORTANT: Be on time, as doors close at start time** Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St (Opposite Queen Vic Market) Level 1, RAINBOW ROOM More to come...

Toastmasters is a worldwide organisation which empowers its members to conquer their fear of public speaking and become better communicators. There is no need to formally register for the event, just RSVP to this meetup event if you can, then simply show up in person on the evening. If there is no one at the entrance, please message one of the organisers on this app For more information, check out the City Centre Toastmasters website [here](https://citycentretoastmastersmelbourne.toastmastersclubs.org/). What we'll do at the meeting: \- Impromptu speaking \(Table Topics\): Everyone can take part in this\! \- Prepared Speeches: Please note that only Toastmasters members can give prepared speeches\. \- Get friendly and constructive feedback on your speaking\. \- Get to know each other during the break\, before\, and after the meeting\. Important to know * Members of this Meetup are not automatically members of the club. Meetup refers to people who belong to the City Centre Toastmasters Meetup group as 'members,' but from a Toastmasters' point of view, people are only members if they've paid their club dues.

If you've got soul and love to sing, join us on Thursday 26th February at 6pm. No audition needed! The wonderful Monique Boggia leads us, helping us bring songs to life like I Second That Emotion, Son of a Preacher Man, Ain't No Mountain High Enough and Tracks of My Tears. We meet above the bar at **FAD Gallery,** 14 Corrs Lane, Melbourne. (Corrs Lane is in Chinatown, off Little Bourke Street). Grab a drink before we start and take it upstairs. After we sing, we love to be social and always have a drink and a chat in the bar. There's no need to commit to every week in this 8 week term. You can pay **$20** per session or pay in advance for the whole term: **$100**. Class dates for Term 1, 2026 Week 1 - 5 February Week 2 - 12 February Week 3 - 19 February Week 4 - 26 February Week 5 - 5 March Week 6 - 12 March Week 7 - 19 March Week 8 - 26 March Any questions? Email Dan at xx.danscott@gmail.com

Ever wondered how humanity would respond to an asteroid heading for Earth? Or how the world might react to first contact with aliens? Welcome to **The Thought Experiment** — a new kind of meetup where we explore big *“What if…?”* scenarios in a fun but thoughtful way. Each session, we’ll pick one scenario (from global crises to wild sci-fi situations) and work together to imagine solutions, strategies, and possibilities. This is for **curious minds of all kinds** — students, professionals, creatives, or anyone who enjoys thinking differently. Some people might bring research, others just bring imagination. Either way, we’ll brainstorm together and see where the discussion takes us. [Thought Experiment Site](https://thoughtexperiment.au/) **We ask everyone to Buy a drink at the venue** **You Need to have Conversational English.** **This is a 3PM start event.** **Format:** * Quick intro to the scenario * Small-group discussions * Share back with the group * Wrap up + (optional) post-discussion drinks For our first meetup, we’ll introduce the format, get to know each other, and jump into a scenario together. ***Story Arc: Cosmic Dread*** Keywords: *Generational Ship, Nature* **Scenario: Remember Me** The launch was flawless. The systems are stable. The mission is progressing. The crew remains calm. All readings align with the original departure data. After months in deep space, nothing appears out of place. Except for one detail. Every star we pass looks strangely familiar. Saturday 3–5 PM Oxford Scholar. A small group. Big imagination. No right answers. Just curiosity, debate and fun.

**Comedy Night + Open Mic + Freestyle**: We've hired a professional comedian to warm the group up for our open mic session. Members have been making me laugh for years and we've tossed around the idea of a comedy night / open mic. Well, It's time to step up and crack me up. We'll start with Tristan Shae and a couple of his friends. Tristan is an alternative comic from Columbus, Ohio. A counselor by day, Tristan explores how comedy can improve mental health by telling jokes and stories that muse on how absurd life can be from squeaky clean topics to not so clean ones. Tristan produces the variety show Cheaper Than Therapy, hosts the weekly Problem Child Alt Comedy Open Mic at The Attic, and can be found engaging in all sorts of silliness around the city from stand up shows at The Nest Theater, The Attic, or The Funny Bone, to improv and sketch shows with various groups at various venues such as The Hashtag Comedy Club. **On Freestyle night** \- just bring a bottle to share\. There is NO formal wine tasting like on other weeks\. Door charge is $10 \(cash or Venmo only please\)\. We may have some left over wines to clear out\! Glasses are provided\. Take Care\. See you there\. **Parking**: There are several public parking lots near the Alive614 hall. Please be careful to NOT park in private parking lots. They do tow. Check Google maps to scope out your space. Anyone who is early could easily find a parking space on the street nearby. I am told that the Chase parking lot is safe after hours. **Glasses**: …will be provided. Please note that after the wine tasting, the EMPTY glasses need to be returned to the boxes at the service table. Please do not make me hunt down your empty glass. Please be gentle, our glasses are fragile. Uh, they are made of glass! **Food**: You are welcome to bring a snack to share. It is not required. Most people do though. If no one brings anything, there will be nothing. **Code of Conduct**: Though mostly understood, it’s still worth mentioning. We don’t have rules per se, but we highly discourage the following topics of discussion because they are likely to incite anti-social responses - Sex, Politics, Religion. Please don’t mistake this as an attempt to limit your free speech rights but rather a guide to a place and time for appropriate discussions. **After the lights go out**: After the last sip of wine, when we clean up and turn the lights out, if you still haven’t had enough of us, it is typical for a group to get together and go to a local eatery for food and/or drinks or coffee. Again, We look forward to meeting new members and reuniting with old friends. Sincerely, ***Paul Uttermohlen***, **Red 1 Realty** *Your Hilliard Wine Club Host*

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you knew Del Close on a personal level, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup** for some fun and games! The idea behind improv is to create entire scenes from scratch based on a suggestion from the audience. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway*, *ComedySportz*, or *Wild 'n Out*; it could also be done to tell stories, like *Middleditch and Schwartz*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and free!) weekly comedy event, brings the games (and occasionally different forms) for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and make friendships that'll last a lifetime! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "Yes, And" that you'll have fun!

Topic details coming soon. AGENDA: 7:00pm - Opening announcements 7:10pm - Main Topic 7:50pm - Q&A

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Sunday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at noon on Sundays. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 12:00 - quick intros. 12:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 1:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 1-1:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Sunday!

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!

Welcome to the first Let's Create. You will receive supplies to create one or more cards (but not the one pictured .. not this month anyway). These events are usually held at Day's Paper Palace (my home). However, this is a placeholder for the event and it may be moved to the Grove City Library. If you are new, you will not need to bring supplies. They will be provided.

Inspired by our successful events like "Saturday Mornings @ East Market" and other "Pot Luck in the Park" lunches, this gathering promises to be a blend of fun conversations, language exchange, and cultural insights, all while sharing wonderful foods with each other. Please bring a dish to share and anything you would like to drink. We will provide plates, plastic silverware and napkins. So, come hungry and ready to chat!