Voice On Pako September 2015

Geelong West and Newtown

style, people & places

free monthly SEPTEMBER 2015

TRAFFIC STOPPING CAFE READING

www.voiceonpako.com.au2

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Making it biggerTHE Pako Maker’s Market got off to a great success with approximately 24 stall holders participating in each of their June and July markets. Visitors and stallholders say they love the newly renovated venue with its plush carpet throughout and wonderfully warm heating that gives the old church a cosy and friendly atmosphere.

All items at the market are handmade goods from mainly local makers. They include rugs, uggs and bugs, or jewellery, jams or Japanese kimonos. Some of the favourites are Little Miss Meringue and her wonderful variety of treats, Bok Bok B’Gerk’s alder tree earrings and goodies, and Fizzy Pop’s children’s art designs.

From October onwards the market will more than double in size as

they expand outdoor for the winter months. This will also help the long waiting list of stallholders wanting to participate.

Pako Maker’s Market is run by the Geelong

Vineyard Church and is on every second Saturday of the month from 9am-2pm at their old bluestone church at 178 Pakington St. Geelong West.

WHAT'S on pako

STUDENTS from Chilwell Primary School have been people watching with purpose lately as the whole school are looking at portraiture and creating portrait for the Who’s Who Portrait Prize at The Geelong Gallery being

held later next month. Guest sitters have included Roxie Bennett and local shop keepers. The Grade 6 students were lucky enough to attend a portrait painting workshop with Geelong artist Lianne Gough at

the Geelong Gallery where they painted Wathaurong elder Gavin Couzins.

Many of the students portraits will be on display during the School Art Show at Boom Gallery Educational Space in November.

Pako Makers Market at Vineyard Church.

In your face

ABOVE: Students with Gavin Couzins, Artist Lianne Gough and Education Officer of the Geelong Gallery Gail Frost.LEFT: Grade 6 student Sophia Morris’ painting of Gavin Couzins

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NEWS on pako

Cover girlOur cover girl this month is local Megan Aginfort, pictured at a favourite spot - Pakington Village.

Voice star in Newtown

Geelong College Chaplain Rev Tim Edwards with Tim McCallum.

INSPIRATIONAL tenor Tim McCallum returned to his hometown of Geelong in August to share his voice and story.

Fresh from his stint on Channel 9’s The Voice, McCallum took centre stage at The Geelong College’s Keith Humble Centre for Music and the Performing Arts in Newtown as part of the

Centre forLearning, Research and Innovation’s lecture series.

McCallum said he always loved coming back to Geelong, where he had received much support and many opportunities through the years.

“Geelong’s home for me, so I may live away and I may not ever live in Geelong again, but it’ll

always be the place where I grew up and learnt the skills I’ve got and the people I hold dear live there,” he said.

Tim stayed as the college’s Artist in Residence for a week as part of its arts week, themed “Draw me a dog”, with proceeds going towards Assistance Dogs Australia, of which Tim is an ambassador.

Toilet idea pannedSTRONG public opposition has forced Geelong Council to rethink the idea of building a toilet block on the corner of Hope and Pakington streets.

Two new toilet blocks were proposed to replace the one in the car park behind Geelong West Town Hall.

The other new toilet proposed for the area between the Town Hall and the Albert St car park is not opposed.

Locals want decent toilets but they don’t want to lose valuable community space or ruin the look of Pakington Street with a highly visible toilet block.

About 50 locals vented their feelings at a recent information session.

The city was due to publish alternatives late in August. See the Voice on Pako facebook page for updates.


NEWS on pakoMale choir to return

Sew good for communityAN exciting new creative space opened in Newtown last month.

The Sewing Room is a community studio space offering beginners classes, workshops and an open studio space where you can bring along your own sewing project and work in a friendly and fun atmosphere.

The Sewing Room is located in the Rutland Street arts precinct established by Boom Gallery.

Sewers will be able to use the open studio for their own

projects or join in workshops including Learning the Basics, Sewing for Beginners, Make a Garment and Textile Workshops.

Learning the Basics includes: Getting to know your Machine and Getting to know your Overlocker. Bring along your machine and manual. All materials are supplied. Alterations 101 covers a range of alterations to existing garments and Make a Basic Pattern covers making your own pattern directly from a favourite garment.

Monthly Saturday morning Kids Sewing Clubs for 6-8 and 9+ year olds and School Holiday Sewing Programs for Big Kids and for Little Kids will be fun.

Group activities include School Concert Costume Sewing, making School Book Bags, Painting Smocks, Book Week Costumes, Harmony Day Costumes, Easter Bonnets, Christmas Crafts and Quilters’ Days.

Private sewing classes can be tailored to suit specific needs. Students can work on school

technology projects. Perfect if you have a brand new sewing machine or overlocker and are not sure what to do next!

The Open Studio space is available for casual use or there is an annual membership for regular users.

The Sewing Room is open from Tuesday to Saturday, along from 11 Rutland St, Newtown.

[email protected]

www.facebook.com/thesewingroomgeelong

MORE than 700 people are expected to attend St Mary's Basilica to listen to the world renowned Melbourne Welsh Male Choir next month.

The Choir are preparing for their annual recital at St Mary's Basilica as part of the Geelong Seniors Festival. Last year there was a standing ovation from more than 700 senior citizens at the conclusion of the one hour performance, and this is marked to be even better.

On Thursday October 1 more than 30 choristers will perform songs from traditional Welsh hymns and anthems, spirituals, selections from Broadway shows, as well as some famous operatic choruses.

Formed in 1984, The Melbourne Welsh Male Choir has grown from a small group of enthusiastic singers into one of Australia's most acclaimed male choirs, with an on-stage strength of 50-60 choristers. Appearing at some of the most prestigious concert venues, the Choir has shared the platform with some of the world's most distinguished performers, including Judith Durham.

This recital will commemorate the 13th anniversary performance by the choir in Geelong. Hosted by Tuckers Funeral and Bereavement Service this recital is promising to be bigger and better. Tickets must be prebooked as this event will book out quickly.

This event is free to attend and tickets can be collected from Tuckers Funeral & Bereavement Service - phone 5221 4788 for more details. A gold coin donation is requested for entry on the day on behalf of St Mary's Parish Foundation and The Les & Trevor Cole Fund.

NEWTOWN'S NEW CRAFT VENUE: The Sewing Room is run by Lyn Luck. It recently hosted a Millinery Association of Victoria event.

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PAKO online

IT seems the castle wasn’t enough and now Robbie Lecchino is extending his reins out into the infinite space of Instagram.

Winning the hearts of the people, the King now has over 11k followers and there are hundreds pledging allegiance daily.

I had a chance to meet with Robbie, and while he didn’t yet make me a knight he did let me know how he garnered his congregate of Instagramers.

“A friend suggested I get on Instagram, I wasn’t really aware of how it worked, but I figured each day I would post a picture of what I’m doing and I think after a couple of weeks I realised how much of a tool it would become. I started asking people how they heard about us and they kept saying Instagram.”

The Castle has been operating in its warehouse location since last June, but the stronghold expanded further this year by opening a kitchen in the rear which saw his social media following grow substantially. “We had around 6000 following the account before food, but every time I put a picture up with food we have a whole new audience. I don’t know where they all come from, but

every morning I will wake up to another 50-100 followers.” Which is a little concerning, because I didn’t know I could be so easily won over by a nice lunch.

Though I can see why he’s well loved online. Robbie has a neat philosophy when it comes to all this. “You need to be 100% honest, Instagram can be very transparent. I have regular customers who will notice that I’m having an off day through my posts.”

He warned me of the concept

of having some marketing-guru puppeteer behind the page masterminding the best way to get the most followers. “This doesn’t work, people want honesty and passion, put yourself into your Instagram and people can tell if it's genuine or not.”

The transparency is frightening to me because of the prospective of haphazardly posting a picture that unknowingly alludes to my deep dark repressed secrets. But Robbie is definitely on to

something, and he’s running the gram more than its running him. “I don’t monitor when I post, I try to get one up in the morning, otherwise I post in the moment and never store photos for later use, the picture and the feeling exists in the moment.”

To address online negativity Robbie heeds the advice “if you don’t like something, just keep scrolling”.

Coming up to Spring there’s a lot to be excited about up at KotC, including movie nights,

live music on weekends, and consistently fresh and changing menus.

But what I’m more excited about is Robbie’s #madeingtown tag and page trending.

“There’s a real community feel in Geelong and everyone’s got each others back. The made in Gtown page on Instagram is dedicated to promoting Geelong’s creative people.”

I know I’ve touched on the idea a bunch. But I feel like we’re on the precipice of an interesting era in Geelong. People like Robbie proliferate the potential we have to make our community special. There’s close to 3000 photos that have been hashed with #madeingtown in the last couple of weeks and hopefully this will become a trending trend.

KotC opens until 3.30pm every day brewing Brunswick roasted Padre coffee beans.

The King himself, Robbie Lecchino will be involved in a talk on social media for businesses and personal ventures in September to help raise money for the Give Geelong Appeal.@kingofthecastlecafe @madeingtown

Long live the kingBy Jack Cameron


What is your business and what does it do?

I specialise in custom designing cakes for weddings and other special occasions.

I work closely with each of my clients to come up with a cake that is both unique and memorable. How long have you done this?

I made my very first fondant cake two years ago, and since

then a lot has changed. My cake business has really started to gain momentum in the last six months, which I attribute to social media and word of mouth. Beautifully made cakes are visually exciting and I have found that people really respond well on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.What else do you do?

In addition to my love of

cake, I also have a love of fashion, and I currently work as a Fashion Designer for the international label ‘All About Eve’ at Stage II, which is a Geelong based company.

Juggling being a fashion designer and a cake decorator is certainly challenging at times, especially during the wedding season. Luckily for me, my mother is a keen baker and is able to jump in

and lend a hand baking cakes. Given that my mum taught me how to bake and inspired me to get into cake decorating - there is no one I trust more to help me with this exciting new venture. My mum actually taught herself how to cake decorate both my sisters' wedding cakes. I remember watching her making flowers out of icing and being amazed at all the different techniques.

After seeing mum make these cakes when I was younger, it was no surprise that I wanted to give cake decorating a go.What did you do before?

For the last three-and-a-half years I have worked as the head fashion designer for the ‘All About Eve’ clothing brand.

In recent months I have made the transition from apparel to head swimwear designer within the same

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Q&A on pakoI’m a business in Newtown/ Geelong West - Alice Broadway

brand (All About Eve).I feel really lucky that in my

job as a fashion designer I get to travel around the world looking at different trends for inspiration. For instance, this year Stage II sent me to New York and I frequently visit places like Japan and China. Japan is definitely one of my favourite places, it is such an inspiring country and I love the mix of old and new traditions. I also enjoy seeing how the youth in Japan push the boundaries in both fashion and design.

I feel my travels around the world have inspired both of my passions – fashion design and cake decorating. My background in fashion design has definitely given me a point of difference which I find my customers really respond to. For instance, I like to offer

my bridal clients mood boards – which are basically a series of inspirational images that captures the overall theme of their wedding day. This then enables me to generate computer images of the cake design, allowing the customer to visualise what their cake is going to look like. How long in Newtown / Geelong West?

I grew up in St Leonards as a child and have resided in Geelong West for the last five years.

I really enjoy living in Geelong West, it has its own character and you really feel part of a community, not to mention living minutes from Pakington Street – which is definitely my favourite shopping strip in Geelong.Why a business in Newtown / Geelong West?

Do you do most of your business with Newtown / Geelong West people?

Given that I live in Geelong West I do make a considerable effort to support the local businesses both for my personal and business needs.

I also have a great network of friends that I am able to call on when I need assistance. It is really important to have the support of your family and friends and also makes the journey so much more enjoyable.

I have also found that a lot of small business owners in the Geelong community are willing to share their knowledge – which is really great. Go Geelong!How’s your business going?

My business is in its infancy, but I really do feel things are starting to happen, and

I definitely can’t wait to see what’s on the horizon.What other plans do you have?

At present the main focus of my business is to design and create modern cakes for weddings and special occasions.

An idea I am working on at the moment is creating wedding favours (take home treats) of the sweet kind of course. I do love a take home treat.

In addition to wedding favours, I also have a desire to teach the art of cake decorating. Sharing knowledge is a great thing and being part of a network of like-minded people who are passionate about their hobby is very inspiring.What are your passions away from the business?

I really do love all things design – art, fashion, jewellery, homewares and of course cake decorating.

As a child I visited art galleries, went to theatre shows and generally spent lots of time making things. Creating and designing is definitely in my blood, both of my parents studied fine arts at RMIT, and my sister is a jeweller and has a business on Pakington Street called Annie Broadway Jewellery Design Studio.Do you have a website?

My website will be launching in a few weeks: www.alicebroadwaycake.com.auInstagram: alicebroadway_cakedesign

Email: [email protected]

Cake boss inspired by travels


ARTS on pako

Boom Gallery has a diverse range of exhibitions in September with more to be added over the next couple of weeks.

Craft Cubed Satellite exhibition To Render: Paper and ProcessAs a satellite exhibition of the statewide Craft Cubed Festival To Render: Paper and Process will feature the work of a group of dynamic, young artists: Lindy McSwan, Michaela Pegum, Tessy M King, Cara Johnson, Sue Buchanan, Naasicaa Larsen, Niamh Minogue, Lizzy Rich, Melanie Boermans and Gabbee Stolp. Paper allows a freedom when making.

There are no hesitations, no limits.

Fold, Crease, Crumple, Cut.

In 'To Render' this group of visual artists with diverse approaches to material explore their own practices through paper investigations, these discoveries are then

translated into new works. Iterations of the paper works will be rendered into jewellery, ceramic, textile and object work.

Anita Beaney Stillpoint"The quiet dignified beauty of nature. Offering moments of contemplation and solitude. Old. Eternal. Ever-changing. A safe harbour for the soul."

Anita Beaney's latest body of work for her solo exhibition Stillpoint explores abstract observations of sea and sky.

Employing analogue photographic techniques the images are realised in a painterly manner. The works featured in Stillpoint were shot with a medium format camera, a Mamiya twin lens c330 using 120 roll film and have been printed on to watercolour paper, a technique used to capture (and honour) the silent power of the subject matter.

Anita is a freelance

photographer based in Jan Juc, her commercial work is mostly in portraiture and fashion whilst her art practice seeks out the complexity of the human form and the simplicity of the natural one.

Jiri Tibor Novak New TiborJiri Tibor Novak's latest solo exhibition New Tibor features a selection of recent etchings, drawings and paintings created in his Aireys Inlet studio.

With his characteristic light touch and whimsy, poetry takes on image form. Tibor is much loved and respected artist and this new body of work will delight and intrigue.

"Copper + acid = image ... this is what I do....... I have recently been introduced to something which opened a new world of image-making to me. Rimona Kedem introduced me to the medium of egg/oil, egg/tempera. Materials I have been aware of but never tried

before. It actually inspired me and as every material does, dictated to me what to do and how to do it."

Trudy White / ShelterSurf Coast artist Trudy

White returns to Boom with a new series of paintings that imagine the intersection between pictures and words. Continuing a long investigation into working with water based paint on paper, Shelter is a quiet and beautiful extension of Trudy's work to date. Trudy has a varied artistic output, painting and illustration work, author and educator. She is a reflective artist who responds intuitively to her physical and emotional environment."In a house of rocksin a moonlit caveby an old oak treeyou can be brave"

BOOM GALLERY11 Rutland St. Newtown [email protected]

Full program at Rutland gallery

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ARTS on pako

Power of art

A chant on Malop

NEWTOWN-based Blink Dance Theatre was established by a group of local contemporary dance and theatre makers and has now expanded to include a broad team of multidisciplinary artists from movement, theatre, new media and design backgrounds.

The company’s central aim is to develop a platform for professional artists to continue making high calibre work in the Geelong and Surf Coast region.

Artistic Director Lyndel Quick says, “There are minimal opportunities in Geelong for choreographers or movement artists to make and present original work. Especially our particular style of dance theatre. Blink works with both dancers and actors to create unforgettable theatre where movement and body language communicates to an audience in a myriad of familiar, beautiful, disturbing, joyful and poetic truths… we make the type of theatre we would want to go see

ourselves.” The company presents

work in both traditional and site-specific spaces and generally tries to avoid major theatres.

Most recently, Blink presented Soft Landing – a series of dance and performance works which offered audiences a journey through various secret performance spaces down in the Rutland Street arts precinct. The starting point for the event was Boom Gallery, where audiences enjoyed a drink and checked out the artwork on display in the gallery before heading off with their assigned usher. Five short original works, each under ten minutes in length were presented in various warehouse spaces. Mostly dance but also some text based pieces.

Artists involved in the project were invited to respond to the provocation of 'Falling' which was the overarching theme that linked the short works. Participating artists were given free studio space to rehearse their works

as well as artistic and logistical support from the Blink team.

Blink are not just interested in churning out performances however. The group see the company as a vehicle for each artist's professional development, a way to continue to develop their creative practices and engage in collective projects that inspire them. Much of the company’s work is devised, meaning there is no script or score.

Artistic Director Lyndel Quick explained: “A Blink show begins with a very basic idea. It could be an image, a feeling or a piece of music. If it sticks around inside my head and begins to gather a few more images, I know it’s something I need to keep going with and so I let it out to play. I share ideas with our team and together we start imagining further. We begin to create a little world and each do a hell of a lot of research. Phrase material and short tasks are created for us to play with in the

studio and I also listen to ridiculous amounts of music as inspiration. Most ideas start as a seed and take on a life of their own.

"The dramaturgy is very important to the making of a Blink show and how the audience travels with us on the journey. The shape of the work is constantly changing during the development, it’s a very organic process. The challenge is that the work must also have a clear and strong concept and through line but also open enough to allow the audience to enter and bring their own imagination to the work."

In just a few years, Blink has steadily developed a small but dedicated audience who are very interested and open to new theatrical experiences.

The company’s creative producer Jessica Lesosky says, “We make theatre because we must. Because we believe in the power of art to be transformative for both individuals and communities.”

Picture: FERNE MILLEN

DANCING Shiva Kirtan group is reaching more and more people after playing relaxing, mediative afternoon sessions at Geelong City Yoga recently.

Based on traditional Sanskrit text, kirtan chanting is done in a call and response style which brings the audience and the musicians together in the experience.

Geelong City Yoga run by Tim Oddie in Malop Street is Geelong's longest running yoga school and is one of only two certified Iyengar schools in the region.


Pakington Village111 PAKINGTON STREET, GEELONG WEST

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Pakington Village111 PAKINGTON STREET, GEELONG WEST


PROPERTY on pako

25 Cairns Avenue, Newtown $900,000-$950,000

BEHIND a distinctive and attractive Californian Bungalow façade, this picturesque family residence combines classic charm and dynamic indoor-outdoor entertaining areas and generous landscaped gardens.

The captivating main bedroom with stylish ensuite and walk in robe is a private sanctuary away from the additional three

bedrooms, all with built in robes, a further bathroom with separate toilet, and large functional laundry.

Original timber floor boards flow through the home as well as other period features.

The home is further complemented by a superbly appointed kitchen, boasting a Smeg 900mm oven and gas cooktop and black stone bench tops which flow out to the expansive open living and dining area; overlooking the entertaining deck and lush garden oasis, leading through to a further

undercover entertaining area, including a wood fire oven.

A double carport, storage shed, gas ducted heating, split system air conditioner further enhance the home.

With numerous public schools (including Chilwell Primary –zoned school), transport, shopping, and the renowned Pakington Street, all within a stone throw.

The land size is approximately 615 m2.Agent Jodie Bliss Real Estate at 319 Pakington St, Newtown

Sensational single level surprise

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corporate photography

styled food photography

lifestyle photography

[email protected] l 0400 721185

Elaine Johnson and her daughter Olivia in Kuantan, Malaysia.

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TRAVEL on pako

“WHERE can we go for a holiday that’s warm and not too far from Australia with our kids?

It must also have plenty to keep them occupied so we can just relax”, my friend asked me not so long ago.

So here we are in Club Med Cherating Beach, Kuantan, Malaysia surrounded by kilometres of unspoilt beaches and 80 hectares of rainforest where monkeys and gibbons live.

With the occasional monitor lizards (they were huge) when we walked to and from our beautiful bungalow rooms on stilts.

Culinary Delights Club

Med is an all-inclusive resort, which is great for families with children of any ages.

We had five teenagers between us; a 14, 16, 17 and two 19 year-olds and what bliss it was for a whole week of not ever hearing them say “we’re hungry”, or “we’re thirsty”, or “we’re bored”… It was every parents’ dream holiday. Families with young children can take advantage of the children’s club specialising in creating environments where kids can play, have fun and learn under the supervision of qualified and dedicated friendly staff.

We savoured a never-ending voyage of gourmet cuisine

around the clock from every continent of the world and not having to worry about the bills, the bar offered us colourful cocktails, delicious aperitifs, international spirits, wine, soft drinks and juces………….all with a friendly smile at any time of the day.

A wealth of new experiences Club Med definitely has the world’s most beautiful sports club, no matter what age or level you are. kayaking, sailing, archery, water skiing… just to name a few water sports. For those who enjoy getting back into nature, there’s the Treetop Challenge which our kids thoroughly enjoyed and there is also a circus school which

teaches you how to trapeze.. a unique feature of Club Meds. I found my inner calm doing daily water aerobics - the calm being able to be at peace with myself from all that eating and drinking.

Another highlight of our holiday was visiting the Turtle Sanctuary next to the resort. It is a conservation program run by the Fisheries Department of Malaysia to protect this endangered species. Turtles come up the beach to lay their eggs and the FDM rescue these eggs from poachers and shelter them till they hatch. As guests of Club Med, we had the privilege of releasing baby turtles into the sea for a

very small fee (AUD $15 for 10 baby turtles) which goes to help preserve the sanctuary.

If I had to sum up this holiday , I would say Club Med is the perfect family holiday for all ages, allowing everyone to come together with the flexibility to take some time out for ourselves : You can do as much or as little as you please.

This barely scratches the surface of what Club Med has to offer, so why not check it out for yourselves. Come and see us at Helloworld Geelong West 226 Pakington Street and we can get you to one of the many Club Med resorts around the world.

By Elaine Johnson, Travel Adviser, Helloworld Geelong West

Between the jungle and the South China Sea


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THIS month we got to head to Ambrosia on Pako and have a chat to head chef Daniel Brabham and owner Joubin Mahmoudi.

Ambrosia is a Greek and Mediterranean restaurant serving fresh and delicious food.

Upon arrival I kept asking myself why I had not been here, after numerous times friends having said “Allira you need to go there, it's amazing”.

From pops of colour

through to the open kitchen so we can see what the chefs are cooking, this place oozes so much cool already and I haven’t even eaten yet.

Daniel, originally from Hamilton, has been working at Ambrosia since the opening two years ago. He tells me that the menu changes a few times a year and is influenced by his own experience of cooking, the culture surrounding Ambrosia (keeping the Greek/Mediterranean cuisine alive), and its customers.

Daniel loves working here because he gets to make beautiful food that’s fresh, simple and locally sourced according to the seasons.

He says “the place has such a good feel on the weekends where groups can come together and order bits and pieces and share it all together."

And by the looks of the menu, there is something on there for everyone.

Ambrosia caters for everyone, there is plenty of

gluten free, vegetarian and family friendly options.

Joubin has been around the industry for a while working around clubs, pubs and restaurants before starting Ambrosia.

He tells me it took a while to build Ambrosia as he designed the venue himself.

"We wanted an earthy feel through the place, a place with atmosphere.”

Throughout the week some nights host specials. Tuesdays is Gyros nights - a beer or

wine with a tasty gyros for only $20, There is even a cheap cocktail night too.

Joubin also tells me that as of November they will be starting Paella Sundays from 3-6pm which is already getting my tastebuds excited.

With Christmas just around the corner, they have already started taking bookings for work Christmas parties and why wouldn’t you want to book here. Affordable, fresh and tasty food.

By Allira Jade

Earthy touch of Med' on Pako


Documents

Voice On Pako September 2015