Open Mic

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 0419369845 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!

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!

[We're now using Luma to organise the meetups, we're just duplicating the event here at Meetup to notify registered users. **Please register - and subscribe for future notifications - at the [Luma January Melbourne MicroPython Meetup](https://luma.com/zfcwjv1w) event!**] The January MicroPython Meetup will be held at the CCHS and live-streamed and recorded over zoom: ​​[https://planetinnovation.zoom.us/j/93446219588?pwd=NWsyYjhlakJ6eXNOWTUraVl4eUFpdz09](https://planetinnovation.zoom.us/j/93446219588?pwd=NWsyYjhlakJ6eXNOWTUraVl4eUFpdz09) ​​ The CCHS will open at 6:30pm and we'll aim to **start talks at 7:15pm**. ​​International guests, please check the [time in your timezone](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=November+Melbourne+MicroPython+Meetup&iso=20251126T1830&p1=152). ​​For those meeting in-person, pizzas will be organised - please chip-in $15 if you're interested. ​​We'll be doing a News Roundup and maybe another talk or two (TBD!). ​​Recordings of previous meetups can be found on the official [MicroPython YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@MicroPythonOfficial) channel - or older recordings on [Matt's personal YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@mattytrentini/videos). ​​Beginners are *always* welcome, just bring a laptop if possible and we'll supply plenty of microcontrollers for you to use.

**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! :-)

**Get ready for a heart-warming afternoon of readings in a cool, historic cellar - and guess what? It will cost you less than a cup of coffee (well, almost!)** NOTE: THIS IS A TICKETED EVENT Cost: $25, strictly limited to 25 seats Your ticket includes a $20 food and drinks credit voucher ($5 goes to the venue to support costs). [CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR SEAT](https://MelbournePoets.eventbrite.com.au) Budding poets, writers and lyricists join Melbourne Poets for our monthly Poetry & Prose Meetup! This is a true open mic event (usually without the need for a microphone). There'll be an opportunity to read your work (if you're brave enough) and listen to others over a drink or two. You don't need to be published; you just need to be passionate about your craft. So grab a support buddy and come along to our luxe loungeroom hidden away in the 170-year-old bluestone cellars in East Melbourne's Tribeca precinct. We've got great cocktails, back-vintage wines, craft brews, amazing food, and good vibes in a chilled and supportive safe space. RULES: This is a ticketed event due to limited seating capacity. $20 of your ticket price is offset against any bar drinks and food ordered through the venue on the day. Please ensure each piece is less than 5 minutes for those wanting to read. Depending on attendance and number of readers, there may be multiple opportunities to read. Please no "clicking" or trauma porn, and no self-promotion allowed during the readings but networking after the event is absolutely OK. GETTING THERE: We recommend you use public transport or rideshare. We are on the 12/109 tram line (stop 16, Wellington St), several Bus Routes (302, 303, 304, 305, 309, 318, 350, 905, 906, 907, 908) or a 5-10 minute walk from Jolimont and North Richmond train stations. If you decide to drive and/or have a designated driver, 2-hour paid parking is available around Powlett Reserve, Darling Square, and the Fitzroy Gardens. Extended paid parking is available at Care Park at 162 Albert Street, East Melbourne or the Epworth Freemasons Car Park in Gotch Lane off Grey Street. UNABLE TO ATTEND? Cancellations and Refunds are generally not possible. However, for sudden illness, COVID, or other special circumstances, we may agree to reschedule your session to another day or provide a gift certificate for part or all of your ticket price. Please SMS your request to 0466 045 473. #poetry #readings #poets #writers #prose #lyricists #melbournepoets #melbournepoet #melbournepoetry #melbournewriter #melbournewriters #melbournetodo #poetryandprose #poetrylovers #openmic

**Freeda — Open Art Studio Melbourne** Freeda is a welcoming, donation-based community art space where you can slow down, create freely, and reconnect — with yourself and with others. These sessions offer a calm, pressure-free environment with open-ended creative invitations. There is no right or wrong way to make art here, and no expectation to create something finished or “good”. The focus is on process over product, freedom over perfection, and connection over comparison. No previous art experience is needed. All art materials are provided. Gentle guidance is available if desired. Light snacks are provided. Freeda is not an art class or art therapy — it is a shared creative space for self-expression, presence, and community connection. Sessions are donation-based. There is no obligation to contribute, but donations help cover materials and venue costs and keep events accessible. **To attend, please register via Humantix here:** [https://events.humanitix.com/freeda](https://events.humanitix.com/freeda) Everyone is welcome 🌿

Join us for a free improv session each Sunday until Feb 22nd! Each week, a new experienced teacher from The Improv Pit will run some simple warmups and games for us to build up our skills, but most of all to have fun. Open to anyone so please bring any friends that might be interested and let’s all enjoy this beautiful summer weather ☀️

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, Purple Room (End of corridor) More to come...

This is so much better than sitting at home watching TV!", said one of our participants after a jam session :) Forget the pressure of performance and join our relaxed jam session! This is a low-stress, high-fun opportunity to connect with fellow players. What to Expect: \- Hundreds of leadsheets to choose from\. \- Whether you know three chords or 30 scales\, please come along\. You might learn a few things\, or discover the satisfaction of teaching others a few things\. \- I will provide a bass uke \(amplified\)\, a Casio keyboard\, and a drum machine \- these will help make our sound fuller\. If you are a singer who can harmonise\, come along too \- always great to hear harmonies\. \- drinks available at the bar\, and you can bring takeaway food to the RSL if you haven't had dinner\. Come ready to listen, learn, and make some beautiful noise!

**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*

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

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 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 11 at Streetlight Guild. 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:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. 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! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.

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!