The Task
The Task
Melbourne regularly makes it into 'top ten' lists: most livable cities, most sporting cities, most culturally diverse cities... But how much do you actually know about Australia's second largest city?
In groups of 4, your task is to conduct an in-depth exploration of the city of Melbourne, focusing on one aspect of Melbourne life, chosen from the list below. Your findings will be presented in a 3-5 minute documentary suitable for a segment on Channel 10's "The Project".
Areas of focus
Choose one focus area from the following list.
Literary Melbourne In Melbourne's mind
Musical Melbourne Humanitarian Melbourne
Sporting Melbourne Criminal and Commercial Melbourne
Linguistic Melbourne Scientific Melbourne
Artistic Melbourne
You are challenged to avoid the most obvious observations about your focus area; go beyond the tourist guide version of Melbourne, and explore its living, authentic, quirky heart.
Your exploration of Melbourne must be a personal one. In conducting your research, you must physically visit relevant sites of interest (virtual visits won't be enough). You need to record evidence of your visits, in the form of video, audio or still photos, and include these in your documentary.
Laneways & precincts of Melbourne
Melbourne Central - Life of the City
Artistic Melbourne
What are the latest art commissions for Melbourne? What's the most expensive piece of street art? How long does it take to create an art project?
What do art curators do? Go ahead and ask!
National Gallery of Victoria
Ian Potter Museum of Art
Public Art projects - City of Melbourne
Art in parks and gardens
Art in the city
Street art
Street art, Hosier Lane, homeless and the Archibald
Galleries
Boll-art
Art, statues and monuments in the City
Wander Melbourne's city streets and intimate laneways to find inspiring works of art in some surprising places. See some examples here.
What is the gender proportion of statues in Melbourne? What is the gender proportion of commissioned artists?
Historical Melbourne
To be or not to be
What would you ask a philosopher?
School of Philosophy, Melbourne
Existentialist Society For those who question whether life has a meaning and a purpose.
Melbourne. A twist at every turn.
Food of Melbourne
Take-away & burgers - looking for a particular cuisine in a particular location?
Cafes - whether it be coffee, ice-cream & gelati, cakes and pastries, juices & smoothies
Charitable food places
Kinfolk : We are a café addressing social inclusion through great coffee and seasonal food. Our volunteers are the driving force of our social enterprise and their contributions make a difference with 100% of our profits being donated to our partner charities every year.
Dinesmart (StreetSmart - Action against homelessness). DineSmart unites restaurants and their diners to help people in their local community. For the six weeks in the lead-up to Christmas and New Year, participating DineSmart restaurants ask each table to add a small $2 donation to their bill. 100% of all donations collected through restaurants are distributed locally to help people who are homeless or at risk.
Coffee cart by Crepes for change Our ‘permanent’ carts (such as the one currently running at RMIT Training in Melbourne) are financially self-sustainable and operational Monday to Friday. Each cart is staffed by at least one experienced full-time barista and 3 ‘trainees’. These trainees are disadvantaged young people in need of an opportunity to gain experience and employment to change their lives, and are recruited through our partner organisations such as Launch Housing and STREAT. The trainees receive paid employment, training and mentorship for up to one year, with the aim of then leaving to enter permanent long-term employment, often through one of our corporate partners.
Charitable Melbourne
Talk to people who run the very important charity organisations in our communities.
The Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation
Melbourne City Mission
Feed Melbourne
The Big Issue Vendors come from all walks of life with many . Some are homeless; some have intellectual of physical disabilities and some are struggling with addictions. All of our vendors have been marginalised through their circumstances and are looking to improve their lives.
Melbourne City Mission
Media Melbourne
Scientific Melbourne
The Royal Society of Melbourne - Join up or talk to people about what they do.
CSIRO
The Young Scientists of Australia Become a Young Scientist! Or talk to people about what's involved.
Law and Order Melbourne
The Coroners Court
The Magistrates Court
The Supreme Court
What are you interested in finding out from people working in our legal system?
Sporting Melbourne
Visit The G​ and the National Sports Museum to kick a footy and other interactive stuff. Why not interview some of the members?
The Australian Grand Prix
AAMI Park The bio-frame roof design is unique in Australia and the world. What are some of it's unique features?
Investigate the city's professional sporting clubs that call Melbourne and Olympic Parks home.
Free images, music and sound
Please use images, music and sound ethically. Here is a link to free images, music and sound.
Environmental Melbourne
Degraves Street Recycling Facility
Find out how this initiative based in Ross House basement carpark is dealing with Degraves Street waste in a creative way.
What are other recycling initiatives in Melbourne?
Council House 2 - Our Green Building (Environmental Melbourne)
Interested in architecture? Urban design? the environment? Why not find out all you can about Council House 2?
CH2 is located at 240 Little Collins Street, Melbourne.
Council House 2 - our green building
CH2 has been designed to not only conserve energy and water, but improve the wellbeing of its occupants through the quality of the internal environment of the building. CH2 demonstrates a new approach to workplace design, creating a model for others to learn from and follow.
What else can you find out about environmentally friendly buildings in Melbourne?
Environmental Melbourne
Think about what you would like to find out about environmental projects in the CBD.
Friends of the Earth Food Co-op
Clean Up Australia - volunteers welcome
More and more community gardens are springing up in Melbourne. Melbourne city council
What other community gardens and gardening initiatives can you find? Go and talk to people who are involved.
Musical Melbourne
Interested in finding out about the diversity of music happening in Melbourne? Get an overview or focus on a musical genre.
Ever wonder how easy it is to make a living by busking? Why not talk to the buskers around Melbourne? The city of Melbourne is full of buskers and street performers. Visit this website to see where you are most likely to find them.
Tap and go to end the 'sorry no cash' chorus for buskers
Melbourne busker Jessica Paige, pictured in Bourke Street Mall, is rapt customers can now pay by credit card
Melbourne Music Week - is on from the 15/11 - 23/11 and is made up of 250 acts, 85 events.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra
Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Victorian Opera
Musica Viva
Choirs of Melbourne (alphabetical listing)
Federation Bells - You can submit a composition for the bells!
Botanical Melbourne
What do Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens do? Can anyone join?
Melbourne parks and gardens
City of Melbourne - Parks
Discover themed and hidden bookshops
Make time to talk to the people who organise author talks at The Wheeler Centre.
The Wheeler Centre Books, writing, ideas
What kind of questions would you ask people who work in these bookshops?
The Haunted Bookshop - cult horror and sci-fi classics
Metropolis Bookstore - art, graphic design, architecture, photography, textiles, music, film and more
Minotaur - the pop culture megastore
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