Monday 12 June – Sunday 18 June

TWiSK #369

Film Fest ends with celebration of St Kilda
Tiwi artists at two new exhibitions
Story time fear reaches St Kilda

Police using Safety orders to exclude amenity offenders 
Eyewitness report from ComSafe meeting

Plus more music, arts and community

SKFF St Kilda Celebrations with Brian Nankervis @ Alex

Monday 12 June, 5 pm to 6 pm
Join St Kilda champion and man about town Brian Nankervis for a tour through St Kilda’s cinematic and photographic past and present. Including films made in St Kilda and drawn from this year’s program, special musical moments of memorable music clips, and some sparkling surprises drawn from the City of Port Phillip photographic archive, this session will be full of surprises. Free
Tix
1/135 Fitzroy St
SKFF Winners Screening @ Alex
Monday 12 June, 3.00 pm – 4.45 pm
See the award-winning films and hear directly from the filmmakers.
Tix
1/135 Fitzroy St
Teen Art Workshop Project @ Linden
From Monday 12 June, seven Monday nights 4.30 pm – 6.30 pm
Make, play, learn – do it your way. Embrace creativity on your own terms. Whether you want to experiment, have fun, or acquire new skills, it’s all up to you. Join in for a relaxed and open environment where you can express yourself. Free
More information + registration 
Food drive for refugees @ Elwood St Kilda Neighbourhood Learning Centre
Tuesday 13 June – Thursday 15 June, 9.15 am – 4.45 pm
In the run up to World Refugee Day (20 June), Elwood St Kilda Neighbourhood Learning Centre (ESNLC) is hosting a food drive for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC).
Drop off non-perishable food donations at 87 Tennyson Street, Elwood.
Click here for a list of the ASRC’s most needed items 
Contact ESNLC on 9531 1954 or email reception@esnlc.org.au for more information.
87 Tennyson Street
Ella Mai – Heart On My Sleeve Tour @ Palais
Tuesday 13 June
Mai has won several awards, including her first Grammy for Best R&B Song, 3 Billboard Music Awards including the coveted Top R&B Artist. $90
Tix
Trio of Tiwi artists present Sun, Moon & Stars @ Vivien Anderson Gallery
Until 8 July, official opening event Wednesday 14 June, 6 – 8pm.
The Tiwi Islands off the coast of Darwin are home to a celebrated arts tradition. This exhibition that brings together three Jilamara artists across generations, sharing cultural
knowledge through the process of making contemporary artworks.
Info
284–290 St Kilda Road
Tuesday to Friday 11 am — 5 pm, Saturday 12 pm — 4 pm
Johnathon World Peace Bush @ Linden
Until 10 September
Opening event > Friday 16 June, 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Artist Talk > Saturday 17 June, 1 pm – 2 pm
Everything that came before makes the present is the first institutional solo exhibition by Tiwi artist Johnathon World Peace Bush. Bush’s works are defined by his layering of figurative elements, often sourced from Western art history, religious iconography and images of political figureheads, over cultural mark-marking that reflects Jilamara, Tiwi body paint designs.
Info
26 Acland Street
Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 4pm
Closed on Public Holidays

SKiPPS Winter Wellness @ Albert Park Oval #1 Pavilion
Thursday 15 June, 8 am – 6.30 pm
Celebrate the approaching winter solstice & rejuvenate with a special fundraiser for St Kilda Park Primary. Enjoy a session or two or full day of yoga, sound bath, hypnotherapy, chakradance or Feldenkrais method. All profits to SKiPPS. $20 per session or $115 for full day (8 sessions).
Tix
Spanish Film Festival @ Astor
From Thursday 15 June
Celebrating 25 years, the Festival features two key programme strands: New Spanish Cinema and Cine Latino.
Thursday 15 June, 7 pm: Two Many Chefs (Sold Out)
Sunday 18 June 2:00 pm: Fados; 7:00pm History of The Occult
Wednesday 21 June, 7:00 pm: J: Beyond Flamenco
Saturday 24 June, 4:00 pm: The King of All The World
Sunday 25 June, 1:00 pm; Walls Can Talk + Goya: May 3
Wednesday 5 July, 6:30pm; Carmen
Tix and info
Pride Month: Drag Trivia with Freida Commitment @ Library
Thursday 15 June, 6.30 – 7.30 pm
Freida Commitment is Melbourne’s resident Queen of Nerds. An iconic hostess, she always delivers camp comedy and uplifting energy to every room she enters! Strictly ages 18+. Free
Bookings please
Drag story time event now online only
Council has dropped plans for a drag story time event at St Kilda Library due to security and safety concerns.
The event was to be part of Pride month celebrations in Port Phillip.
In a carefully worded statement, Council CEO Chris Carroll said “Due to the security and safety concerns, and to avoid any disruption and distress to young participants and their families, staff and other library users, we will not be holding this event in person. Our Drag Storytime will instead be made available online for interested families.”
“In the current environment, we believe proceeding with events differently is the best way of supporting our LGBTQIA+ community at this time.
We condemn the hate speech directed to our Council, staff, Councillors and the performer on this topic.”
The Church @ Palais
Thursday 15 June
The renowned five-piece line-up is centred around bassist, vocalist and founder Steve Kilbey. $81
Tix
Boy & Bear @ Palais
Friday 16 June’
Boy & Bear’s previous four albums have all gone top 10 on the ARIA charts. Supported by indie/electronic act Boo Seeka. $80
Tix
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” @ Alex
Friday 16 June – Sunday 2 July, various times
Broadway’s Tony Award-Winning Smash Hit. $55 / $25 Family $98
Tix

Hallowed Horns + Steppers @ Espy
Friday 16 June, 8:30 pm
Bringing together horn players from around Melbourne, 6-piece Hallowed Horns deliver a performance traversing the darker reimagines of Jazz, Funk, Rock and Hip-hop gems. Expect blazing horns and kick-arse beats. Free
Info

Kevin Borich Express @ George Lane
Friday 16 June 16, 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Guitar legend. Only a few tix left.
Tix and info
What does ‘world heritage’ mean? @ U3APP Saturday zoom
17 June 2023 – 2.30 to 3.30 pm
A zoom conversation between Dr William Logan AM and Dr Joe Hajdu explaining what it takes to get onto the list and how places are managed once they have been inscribed. How the system works will be explored using Berlin’s Museum Island as a case study. Free
More info and zoom link 
Queer Gaze: A Wicked Storytelling @ Pride
Saturday 17 June, 7 pm – 10 pm
Celebrate the legacy of the influential Wicked Women magazine with a screening of archival footage from Wicked Women events and selected short films, and hear from key wicked performers, patrons and personalities. $20
Tix

Perry Keyes @ George Lane
Saturday 17 June, 3 pm – 6 pm and 7.30 pm – 11 pm
Now with two shows, due to popular demand. Direct from Redfern.
Tix  | YouTube 

Alex Lloyd @ Espy Gershwin
Saturday 17 June, 5:30 pm
Multi-platinum ARIA award-winning musician. $44
Tix and info

Yacht Rock Revival @ Memo
Saturday 17 June, 7 pm
Yes Yacht Rick is a thing. The Yacht Rock Revival play the best songs from the era 70’s and 80’s light rock, an era when ‘smooth’ meant everything. $50/$30
Tix
Spill the Tea with Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus @ Pride Centre
Sunday 18 June, 1 pm – 4 pm
Complimentary tea, coffee and delectable treats in the gorgeous surrounds of the  Pride Centre.
Info

The Music of Ennio Morricone & The Wild West @ Memo
Sunday 18 June, 6:30pm
Performed by The Counterfeit (feat Loretta Miller), with special guest John Mcall. Tunes to die for. $59/49/40
Tix
The Fiction with Kudos @ St Kilda Bowlo
Sunday 18 June, 5 pm
Free
Sooshi Mango @ Palais
Sunday 18 June
Sooshi Mango are bringing their Off The Boat show to the Palais. $90
Tix
Chagall flagship exhibition @ Jewish Museum
Until Sunday 10 December
The Jewish Museum’s 2023 flagship exhibition – Chagall – celebrates the remarkable story of international master Marc Chagall (1887-1985). International curator and art historian, Jade Niklai, has transformed the Jewish Museum into a Chagall-inspired dreamscape that includes an exclusive capsule of original works and poems, alongside a bespoke immersive experience and creative making space. $25/$20
www.jewishmuseum.com.au
26 Alma Rd
Contact 8534 3600 about disabled access via rear
Closed Monday and Saturday, other days 10 am – 5 pm
Uncle Vanya @ Theatre Works
From Wednesday  7 June – Saturday 17 June
Multi-award-winning director Bronwen Coleman (Dirt, Naomi, Ignis) and the Anthropocene Play Company breathe immediacy and new life into Anton Chekhov’s renowned classic, Uncle Vanya. $45 with some tix $20
Bookings

Next week Monday 19 June – Sunday 25 June

Pride and ANAM fundraiser @ Pride
Wednesday 21 June, 7.30pm – 9pm
The Pride Fund has partnered with the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) to present a fundraiser for the Rooftop Terrace Pavilion campaign.
The program includes a striking work for solo flute by Sydney-based queer composer Ian Whitney, commissioned by ANAM in 2021.
$100 (inc. $67 tax deductable donation towards the Rooftop Terrace Pavilion campaign)
Tix 
Sisters in Crime: Twist of fate: Australian Rural Noir @ Rising Sun Hotel (South Melbourne)
Friday 23 June, Dinner 6.30 pm; Show 8pm.
Crime has left the mean streets to stalk the dusty backroads of the Australian bush and thrills abound. Getting down and dirty are Michelle Prak (The Rush), Jacqueline Ross (Blackwater). Maryrose Cuskelly (The Cane) (Allen & Unwin) and host Catie Maher (Programs Lead, at Bayside Library Service).
Please book by Thursday 22 June
More info | Bookings 
2 Raglan St, South Melbourne
Scarface – 40th Anniversary @ Astor
Friday 23 June, 7.30 pm
Celebrate 40 years of Scarface with star Steven Bauer (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Ray Donovan) live on stage who played Tony Montana’s right hand man Manny.
Tix
Polyester In Odorama @ Astor
Saturday June 24 – 7.30 pm
A special screening of John Waters’ iconic 80’s film, Polyester, featuring the revolutionary Odorama experience.
Reminds TWiSK of the Valhalla circa ’79 – a lot of scratch and sniff action was had.
Tix

Late June and July

Author Talk: Carmel McKenzie @ St Kilda Library
Tuesday 27 June, 6.30 pm – 8 pm
A fascinating discussion about the history of St Kilda servants between 1841 and 1900.
Reflecting its wealth, St Kilda boasted the highest number of resident servants of any Melbourne suburb for much of the nineteenth century. Free
Bookings needed
Away @ Theatre Works
8 – 22 July
Shakespearean in structure, but deeply personal in tone, Michael Gow’s Away is a uniquely Australian look at small families… and their epic stories. In the Summer of 1967, as the Vietnam War rages, we join three separate suburban families as they pack-up their prawns and head for the Gold Coast. All there to celebrate Christmas in their own special way until a magical tempest enmeshes them and they fall apart, fall together, and fall in love. Directed by Steven Mitchell Wright.
Tix and info
Away give away – Win a double pass
TWiSK has 2 double passes to win for Saturday 8 July 7.30 pm at Theatre Works
Email with subject Away Tix to join the draw
Prizes drawn 20 June

Pop-up bra shop aims to lift @ Carlisle Street

The first pop-up in a vacant shop activation to help revitalise Carlisle Street opened last week.
The Peek a Bras shop offers patented fabric “skins” which slip easily over bras to provide a flattering, comfortable and fashionable look for all body types and ages.
Attracting pop-up uses like this are part of a council funded $200,000 Carlisle Street Shopfront Activation Program.
Under the program, up to $10,000 is available for participants to lease vacant properties for one to 12 months.
Spaces are offered to tenants below the market rate.
Outgoings, such as utilities, are covered by the tenant.
For more information, including how to apply, visit carlislestreetpopup.com.au
(Picture: Peek a Bras CEO and inventor Ashley Grottoli)

Police using court orders to restrict amenity offenders
TWiSK exclusive

Local police are ramping up the use of Personal Safety Intervention Orders (PSIO) to exclude offenders from local hot spots.
The orders are issued by magistrates and restrict a person from entering a particular area or location. If the person breaks that order, they can be arrested by police and taken to appear before again before magistrate.
Traders in Acland Street have told TWiSK that at least two orders have been issued in recent weeks to exclude persons from the plaza after anti-social behaviour.
Call Triple Zero
Speaking individually to residents at the recent ComSafe forum (see report below), front line police said that breaking an order prompted the magistrates to require people to seek support or treatment. “This gets people into the treatment system”, they said.
Dressing Gown Man sparks fear
There was much concern around Fitzroy Steet in past weeks about a number of incidents involving so-called Dressing Gown Man, including an assault of mother and child on their way to school.
Police identified the man and took him for psychiatric care but he returned to the area almost immediately.
At the ComSafe event, frontline police said the public should immediately report such incidents to Triple Zero so the police can gather the information for an appropriate PSIO if needed.

ComSafe: The Force wants to be with you
Eye-witness report by TWiSK

About 100 locals attended a Victoria Police ComSafe community safety forum at St Kilda Town Hall last Tuesday.
The VicPol message was clearly that the Force is with you, with about 40 police members playing a part in the proceedings. And there was no shortage of senior officers, including a very involved and attentive Assistant Commissioner.
Flanked by seasoned non-uniformed staff, this community event was clearly a practiced and strategic routine, delivered with military precision. (No criticism intended).
Deep dive into the complexity of the challenge
Each segment of the forum was introduced with the latest crime stats, followed by discussion lead by senior local officers, with the front-line men and women telling the story.
We heard earnest reports from dedicated officers striving to reduce family violence, road accidents (and deaths) and disrupt drug trafficking.
It was a fascinating insight into the complex dynamic that is crime,  enforcement and justice.
At each stage in the presentations, the officers paused and genuinely asked for feedback (and also used Slido to gather online anonymous audience responses). Their message was clearly, ‘we can’t do our job without you.’
In many ways it was a masterclass in community engagement and an insight into modern policing.
But not without frustrations
But there were clearly a few issues in the room ….
The most obvious being the obvious gap between community expectations and the police resources available.
A consistent message from the police was to report crime to Triple Zero (or the Police Assistance Line 131 444). The Police turn your reports into data, and data leads to action – apparently.
But a frequent refrain from the community was that calls to the police often got no visible results.
Community frustrations included inconsistent or tardy (or no response) to calls about street amenity concerns, including drug dealing, unsafe traffic situations, E-scooter violations and hoon behaviour.
The response from Police was mostly a sympathetic repeat of the call Triple Zero message.
Co-operation is crucial
Clearly, the community need police and police need community, and the delicate balance of rights and responsibilities needs to be navigated with care and courtesy.
There were no ‘solutions’ offered at the forum, just a visible sign that co-operation is crucial.
The Police promised to hold ComSafe on a regular basis.
Greg Day
Happy to chat anytime 0418 345 829
Content suggestions and community questions are always welcome.
gday@archives.gdaystkilda.com.au
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This Week in St Kilda respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of this land, the people of the Kulin Nations. We pay our respect to their Elders, past and present. We acknowledge and uphold their continuing relationship to this land.

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