Knowledge Melbourne

Did you know that 1 in 3 Australians spend more than 40% of their income on housing? Income inequality is on the rise. It's more and more difficult for many people to find affordable places to live. In the future, what will it take for everyone in our community to keep a roof over their head, especially our most vulnerable? Come and hear answers from architects, policy-makers and people with lived experience of housing stress. Let's keep housing in Melbourne open to all. Speakers include Sara Savage (MC), Timmah Ball, Dr Heather Holst, Innocent Karabagega

Are the cinematic cities of tomorrow two-dimensional caricatures of our culture, or thought experiments that shape and inform real world cities? Melbourne International Film Festival and Melbourne Conversations bring together a filmmaker, urban planner, researcher and technologist to discuss the bright and dark metropolises that populate our screens and our streets. Speakers: Alex Proyas is an Australian film director/writer/producer whose feature films include The Crow (1994), Garage Days (2002), I, Robot (2004), Knowing (2008) and Gods of Egypt (2016). Professor Angela Ndalianis is Research Professor at the Swinburne University of Technology, whose research focuses on film entertainment media technologies. Stephen Rowley is a researcher and urban planner and the author of 'Movie Towns and Sitcom Suburbs: Building Hollywood’s Ideal Communities'. Vanessa Toholka is a technology commentator, and a producer and presenter of Byte Into IT radio show on Triple R. Richard Haridy is a writer, film critic and broadcaster, and writes for the emerging technology news website New Atlas.

We can now record the world’s languages at an unprecedented rate, precisely at the moment they are most threatened. What does the future hold for language in the age of digital tech? At Melbourne Knowledge Week 2018, linguist and international guest of the festival Laura Welcher (The Long Now Foundation), Nick Thieberger (Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures) and Paul Paton (First Languages Australia) get together to discuss the future of language preservation. Date recorded: 7/5/2018

Office parties, presents, stress, familites, overindulgence, happiness for many - depression for some, trashed credit cards … but not enough sanity! Love it or hate it, whether you're in the "party hard" or "parent hard" set, the festive season is upon us. Join our seasoned panel in the final Melbourne Conversation for 2003. Have a laugh, get some survival tips and share your stories Speakers: Jane Clifton Professor Ian Hickie, Dr Francis Macnab AM, Denise Scott Date recorded: 9/12/2003

When Ron Robertson-Swann's Vault was unveiled in 1979 in Melbourne's City Square, a furore erupted. Nicknamed the Yellow Peril, this work survived in the oublic domain and will soon be relaunched in pride of place at the new Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Will Federation Square be the new Vault? Have Melburnians grown up in 20 years or have our senses simply been dulled? Corporations, councils and citizens all weigh in on our debate over public art - what, where, why and for how long? Speakers: Marie Sierra (MC) Ron Robertson-Swann , Richard Holt , Peter Davidson Date recorded: 6/10/2002

The arts are littered with examples of censorship of one kind or another - Chloe, Rabelais, Salo, Piss Christ, Baise Moi, the list goes on. Which production will be the Ballet Frankfurt of this year's Melbourne Festival and whose moral sensibilities will be outraged? Will a new, more conservative world tolerate increased freedom of artistic expression? How do we strike a fair balance? What's the role of the media? Speakers: Associate Professor Louise Adler (MC), Adrian Martin , Kate MacNeill, Dr David Bennett, Terry Lane Date recorded: 21/10/2002

Beneath all the laughter, comedy is a pretty serious business. Some comedians will risk six months rent to put on a show; others have become household names. Gain some insights into how the art and business of comedy are balanced and hear how comedians blend their passion for getting up on stage with the demands of the entertainment business. Speakers: Red Symons (MC) , Jodie J Hill , Kevin Whyte , Rachel Berger , Dave O’Neil Date recorded: 8/4/2003

Merry Rituals and Happy Christmas. Communion with God, Community Expression or Meaningless Party? During the past two talks in this series, we have discussed death and meaning from the perspective of both the believer and the non-believer. Speakers and audience members alike have been passionate in their discussion of these important topics. Tonight's talk will no doubt be just as passionate as our panel turns their attention to rituals and their purpose in our society. With Hanukkah about to begin, Ramadan drawing to a close and Christmas fast approaching, this time of year is rich with religious and secular rituals and festivities Speakers: Terry Lane(MC), Cr Dick Gross ,Dr Maryanne Confoy, Rev Tim Costello Date recorded: 17/11/2002