We can, we will survive the lockdown limbo
We can, we will survive the lockdown limboThis Week in St Kilda lockdown survival ideas
Shop locally including takeaway
Phone a friend or two who you haven’t seen for a while
Wave to others when out for exercise
Take the kids to the play ground (when they reopen)
Do things you can do, rather than think about things you cant do right now
Remember, it’s OK to pause
Mask-up, pause and know that ….
St Kilda is with you
Grants flow to local artists @ Arts Rescue Package
$132K is set to flow to 28 local arts projects as part of the Councils Arts Rescue package announced in May. The grants range from $2k – $8K, with projects set to be delivered up until December next year.
St Kilda highlights
A project to digitise artworks by Indigenous artists at Galiamble
She Writes at TheatreWorks, a new writing and performance program for emerging or mid-career playwrights.
The Lunarium by Finucane & Smith, cabaret style artist in residence at Luna Park.
Celebrating Mirka’s Magic, a milestone exhibition at the Jewish Museum.
Emerge2020, a ‘mini Archibald style’ community art prize and show at Space2b.
The Greer Effect, a theatrical look at Elwood’s own Geramine Greer, coinciding with fiftieth anniversary of her ground-breaking The Female Eunuch.
Big Sculpture in shop windows along Acland Street
Singing Walking Trail around eight Elwood locations with the Elwood Community Choir.
TWiSK looks forward to inviting you to participate in them all!
Click here for a complete list of the grants
Image above:
The Gnomon Experiment by local photographer and artist Lucia Rossi explores ways of recording the earth’s movement relative to the sun.
It will use time-lapse photography and drawing methods, to capture the shadow patterns cast from significant local landmarks.
More creative grants @ Love My Place
Applications close on Sunday 27 September
Grants of up to $10K are available for local projects that reactivate public space with music, art installations or activations, lighting, seating, amenity, indigenous trails, games and community social gatherings.
Get granted 
Community owned renewable energy @ Port Phillip zoom
Wednesday 9 September, 5 pm – 6 pm
A webinar about community owned energy projects and their benefits. Learn about types of projects and how you can get started with your own renewable energy project. Free
No need to book – click this link on the day
Password: Power
Creative connections to nature @ EcoCentre Zoom
Thursday 10 September, 6 pm
Explore inner-creativity and links to nature through writing and drawing activities.
Ideal for inexperienced writers and drawers. Free
Register 
Live Revisted @ Memo
Memo is restreaming live shows from earlier this year.
Each will be available for viewing for 48 hours only. $15 each
Renee Geyer – 50 years in the Biz revisited
Friday 11 September, 7.30 pm
The Black Sorrows “Revisited”
Sunday 13 September, 7.30 pm
Tix 
Gnomes pop-up @ St Kilda
#gnomesofstkilda
First it was teddy bears, then spider man (and the occasional Wonder Woman), then Spoonville.
Will miniature Gnomes be next?
If you spot gnomes around St Kilda , tag your pics @gnomesofstkilda or use #gnomesofstkilda
gnomesofstkilda@gmail.com
Fund a summer circus cabaret @ Gasworks Arts Park
Outdoor event Summer 2021
Anticipating that outdoor venues will be the first to again host live audiences, the creative crew at Gasworks are fundraising to bring the dynamic all-ages family-friendly Circus Under The Stars to life.
But they need to raise $10K to make it happen. $2+ donations are tax deductable.
Join the circus
Next week
No lights, no camera, no action? @ PPP zoom
Monday 14 September, 6 – 7 pm
With the arts hard hit, Progressive Port Phillip is zooming with the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, to discuss the importance of the arts to Port Phillip. What can Council do? What’s happening – or not – at the State and Federal levels?
Register 
Locals CAN expose the gas fallacy @ Community Webinar
Tuesday 15 September, 7 pm – 8.30 pm
Local Climate Action Networks have combined forces to bring a power packed panel to discuss the real impact of gas in our energy future. Free
More info and tix
Early education forum @ PPP zoom
Tuesday 15 September 8 – 9 pm
With Council elections looming, Progressive Port Phillip is hosting a zoom discussion about early education and childcare. Includes guest speaker Jay Weatherill, former SA Premier and CEO of the Minderoo Foundation’s “Thrive By Five” initiative.
Local speakers include: Isabelle Oderberg, local parent; Martin Foley State MP for Albert Park; Sam Hibbins, State MP for Prahran; and Linda Davison, Clarendon Children’s Centre
Followed by a Q&A
RSVP 
Future of local media @ PPP and MEAA
Thursday 17 September, 6 pm – 7 pm
This Zoom will discuss the parlous state of our media, made worse by the COVID crisis. Hear from MEAA’s Acting Director of Media, Adam Portelli and toss around ideas for generating new local media.
RSVP 
Ron S. Peno & Cam Butler @ Memo live stream
Sunday 20 September, 7:30 pm
FINGERS Xed: Playing songs from the three albums by The Superstitions, Ron and Cam present these as intimate rearrangements; semi-improvised and electric, loose but always exciting and full of emotion. $15
Tix 
Val McDermid @ 20th Davitt Awards
Saturday 26 September, 8 pm – 9 pm
Sisters in Crime Australia is thrilled that Val McDermid will present its 20th Davitt Awards for the best crime books by Australian women and published in 2019.
Free but you can by a supporters ticket $10 
Nominations for Council close on Friday 22 September
Rate Payers billboard campaign, raises eyebrows and questions
With ballot papers in the mail in about 4 weeks, the Rate Payers of Port Phillip have flexed their considerable financial muscle with some high-profile advertising billboards.
With candidates running in every ward, RoPP have also declared their intention to paint the town purple with corflute signs.
But of course, we have some questions. One serious and one cheeky:
How much are the billboards costing and where is the money coming from?
And the cheeky question, is RoPP aware that one of their billboards is in Stonnington? (Yes on the boarder overlooking Port Phillip, but in Stonnington none the less!).
Visit Rate Payers of Port Phillip to meet their candidates
Election battle lines #1:
Is Council over staffed?
Q: How many Council staff does it take to change a light globe?
That’s the text of one of the Rate Payers of Port Phillips latest billboards.
Is it just purple prose or is there more too it?
Sarcasm aside, Port Phillip has more employees than neighbouring councils – in fact nearly double that of Bayside. However, it may not be a fair comparison, as Port Phillip staffing also includes childcare and welfare services that aren’t required or supplied in Bayside.
Progressive Port Phillip has a detailed and interesting commentary on this.
160 – 180 positions vacant
While Council staff obviously do more than change light globes, it is an inconvenient truth that Council has been operating with 160 – 180 positions vacant (out of 846 EFT) for sometime before COVID.
(See TWiSK from 11 May )
Over the same period, the CEO’s monthly report consistently claimed high levels or organisational performance – begging the questions about the need to keep the vacant positions on the books.
Restructure reduced payroll by $5.6M
However, the recent restructure at Council reduced the EFT by between 62 and 37 positions and delivered a small decrease in overall payroll year on year (down $5.6M).
Given that the current Councillors (and CEO) have delivered staffing reductions, the important question then becomes:
Is the speed of restructuring at Port Phillip proceeding fast enough?
The voters will have the final say.