COGB Grant Writing Presentation

Grant writing can be a bore, but gee the money for a new project would be nice!

Join the wonderful Anne Mangan, Stronger Communities Officer at City of Greater Bendigo as she walks us through opportunities, eligibility criteria and how to construct a really comprehensive and well written application.

The Studio Sessions


In the early days of the global pandemic, Emporium Creative Hub grappled with new technology to deliver online discussions with a variety of creative leaders to discuss topical issues, questions, resources and inspiration pertinent to the creative community.

Co-working and COVID - What Next?

Co-working is a great way for start-ups and small businesses to learn, grow and connect with like minded collaborators as well as share resources and experience.

If there is one thing that the current COVID pandemic has shown us it is the importance of feeling connected, but what does connection look like for co-working spaces and the businesses that rely on these central locations to source work and connect with industry?

What are some of the benefits of co-working and how can we adapt co-working concepts into our current and post-COVID plans?

How do we get through this together? And where do we find the right community for us?

We will be talking with some really innovative thinkers and champions of the creative and co-working community, Krista Horbatiuk, General Manager at Castlemaine State Festival, Amber Gibson Community Coordinator at ACMI X co-working space in Melbourne and Philippe Ceulen, Head of Programs at Creative Enterprise Australia

The Studio Sessions - What can business incubation do for you?

The explosion of energy required to grow from sole trader to small business needs a lot of fuel. Joining an incubator can power you up and give you the tools and process to grow. But how do you find the right fit for you and you business?

Join our panel of professionals from Sertori Consulting and Minds at Work as they talk us through how business incubation programs work and the many benefits of a great incubation program for any creative enterprise. Our panel will also answer any questions you have about whether an incubator is the right fit for you and your business

For more information: https://www.emporiumcreativehub.com.au/incubator

Creativity for Health and Happiness

As health discussions amidst a global pandemic take on new context and at times become frightening, it is important to remember that creativity can have a huge positive impact on both physical and mental health. We are joined in this Studio Session by health care professionals Dr Robert Blum, medical oncologist at Bendigo Health and Dr Sandro Demaio, CEO at VicHealth, who will discuss the role of creativity in their work and share some of their personal observations about creativity and creative thinking in the health care sector.

In Conversation with Christian Wagstaff

Many Bendigonians would recall when Rosalind Park became home to The House of Mirrors, a fascinating walk-through installation composed of a labyrinth of seemingly endless mirrors that explored themes of uncertainty, thrill and paranoia. A couple of years later we were introduced to 1,000 Doors, a claustrophobic maze of rooms and corridors, haunting and nostalgic in equal measure.

Join us as we speak with Christian Wagstaff, the mastermind behind these incredible installations, about his inspiration, his work and his views on the value of creativity in the time of crisis.

Christian Wagstaff is one of Australia's most experienced and well-respected production and event designers and is, with Keith Courtney, one half of Creative Production Services. As well as House of Mirrors and 1,000 doors, Christian’s resume includes installations at Dark Mofo, Crown Casino, The Logies and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival to name but a few.

The Studio Sessions - Bendigo, Creative City.

Listen in as we have a panel discussion with Cr Matt Emond and Michael Hudson about supporting creative cities.

Performing Arts - Stories of our Times

Join a number of the regions key performing arts leaders to discuss the importance of sharing our stories through performing arts.

Funding application tips and tricks from Regional Arts Victoria

2020 programs were discussed in this session, for current funding opportunities, please visit https://www.rav.net.au/funding-opportunities/

Regional Arts Victoria inspires art across the state. Through creative facilitation and other specialised programs, artistic projects and advocacy, they develop and sustain creative communities and artistic practice all over Victoria.

In this weeks Studio Session, Malcolm Sanders from Regional Arts Victoria will discuss the information you need to know in order to put in an application for the relief and recovery funding.

Find out some handy tips and tricks for constructing your applications.

Malcolm is the Creative Arts Facilitator for the Central Highlands region at RAV. He has enjoyed a career in the small to medium theatre sector for over twenty years, including his position as General Manager of St Martins Youth Arts Centre in Melbourne, and Courthouse ARTS in Geelong. Malcolm was born and raised in regional Victoria, he returned to the country to commence working for Regional Arts Victoria in 2013.

Creative Victoria Funding Opportunities 2020

Dave Hughes from the Emporium Creative Hub was joined by Creative Victoria to discuss their 2020 funding opportunities.

Visit https://creative.vic.gov.au/ for all current opportunities and guidelines.

Fashion Forward

We are joined in our Studio Session this week by Leila Naja Hibri, CEO at the Australian Fashion Council, and Karen Webster, Principal and Dean LCI Melbourne design college.

Despite the challenges that our current social isolation is presenting, Leila and Karen will both share some of their thoughts on mentoring and the importance of positive, creative and progressive problem solving and business development in order to sustain a strong local fashion industry.

Creatives Practicing and Thriving with Disability

This session is dedicated to exploring creatives with disability active in our community. We will talk about two important arenas in Bendigo at the moment that exist to present art work and to discuss disability and art.

Eliza Hull is a local writer, musician and audio producer who talks with us about her recent production work with the ABC including; ‘We’ve Got This: Parenting with a Disability’ and a thought-provoking live stream featuring artists with a disability performing as part of the Isol-aid festival.

John Willis of Golden City Support Services and leader at CreateA (formally CreateAbility). CreateA have collaborated with some of our region’s leading artists producing work for the Castlemaine State Festival, Ulumbarra Theatre and toured their productions to other regions.

The Studio Sessions - UNESCO Creative Cities

Join Tara Poole, from the City of Ballarat, Tim Ellis, from City of Greater Geelong and Trevor Budge from City of Greater Bendigo as they discuss their motives behind the pursuit of Creative Cities designation. We will also talk creativity and discuss the opportunity for supporting a regional creative cities network as well as the importance of creating a platform for regional perspectives on a world stage.

How to get started in Tech/Gaming

Gaming is one of the world’s leading growth industries and thanks to COVID there is even more potential to get in on this industry no matter where you are located in the world.

With our special guests, Ben Harmon of Gravy Stain Pants, Paulina Samy of DragonBear Studios and David Parkin of Luggarrah, this studio session highlights potential career options available in this fast growing industry. It explored the transferability of gaming skills to other industries.

Ben Harmon is a designer at Gravy Stain Pants, a freelance design agency for gaming!

Paulina Samy Founder and Creative Director at DragonBear Studios is all for inclusive employment opportunities and her strategy has achieved outstanding results!

David Parkin is Founder and Managing Director at Luggarrah, a wholly Aboriginal owned and Kinaway certified business.

First Nations Cultural and Creative practice

First Nations Cultural and Creative practice is represented across our Nation and Emporium Creative Hub are excited to be talking with Indigenous Creative Entrepreneurs spreading their culture and creativity in our region.

We spoke with contemporary Indigenous artist Uncle Mick Harding about his business Ngarga Warendj - Dancing Wombat, local visual artist and story teller Janet Bromley and Life Way Items and Artifacts artist Rodney Carter.

We talked about the connection between their practice, culture and country in sustaining a creative enterprise.

Make it Happen - Find Your Pathway

In this studio session from 2021 we explored how young people are making their creative careers happen in Bendigo and launching themselves on the world stage. We were joined by some inspirational young artists and performers to discuss opportunities and futures for the local creative ecology.

Guests included Fae Scott, AKA Yer Gurl, local singer/songwriter, comedian Patti Fawcett and technology consultant Jackson Dolman.

Make Creativity your Career

If you are running a creative enterprise or getting ready to launch a creative business or product, this session is for you!

We touched on what you need to know to transform your art into a sustainable creative business. Featuring Caleb Maxwell (Hebron Films), Louise Fisher (The Design Pond) and Kimberley Furness, (OAK Magazine) who shared how they have transformed their creative skills into cash money.

Studio Sessions: Behind the Scenes

Who gets the glory when a show is a success? The leading actor? Or when a book becomes a best-seller? The author?

None of these can be the success they are without a whole host of supporting actors though. Hear what it takes to be working behind the scenes.

The Creative Life of Social Media Influencers

Creative entrepreneurs are taking over the world with their influence on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook! We are no longer bound by geographic location allowing creatives to work from anywhere in the world and engage with their audience any time of the day. COVID has afforded creatives time to think about the delivery of their business and prompted expansion in new and exciting ways with the use of socials in gaining exposure for their work. Join the Studio Session team for this session from the confines of lockdown 2020 to meet with some innovative local creative entrepreneurs who are using their social influence to survive and thrive during what has been a challenging year.‍ Guests included Paula Zetlein of Paula Zetlein Art, Cam Shand, digital content creator and Youtuber and AJ Taylor, local photographer.

Bendigo Festivals - COVID and Beyond

There is a shared sense of despair in our community for our cherished and home-grown festivals. These events are usually significant and much anticipated marked in our calendars months in advance. But with the onset of COVID we are all living with the uncertainty of what the future will bring. This weeks Studio Session is getting stuck into the grit of what our local festival organisers have been working on during their COVID hiatus. We will discuss 'the next BIG thing' for our festivals and events, how they are continuing to engage with their audience from a distance and how the era of COVID has created new and unexpected opportunities. We will be joined by Rosemary Sorensen of the Bendigo Writers Festival, Colin Thompson of the Blues and Roots festival and David Chisholm from Bendigo International Festival of Exploratory Music, it’s going to be a great discussion!