Events
Faculty of Fine Arts and Music at the University of Melbourne
Featured events
Joe Isaac Symposium - Stratification by design: meritocracy and the reproduction of inequality
Oct
16
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Conference or Symposium
Meritocracy is often celebrated as a fair system for allocating social rewards, promising that education, employment, and prestige are distributed according to individual ability rather than inherited privilege. Yet across societies, evidence shows that meritocratic systems routinely reproduce and legitimise inequality. In this talk, Dr Lauren Rivera argues that such outcomes are not flaws of meritocracy but constitutive features of how it operates. Drawing from existing research in sociology, psychology, and management, current events, and her own empirical work, Dr Rivera identifies three mechanisms through which elites sustain their dominance in ostensibly merit-based systems: consecration, or the power to define and evaluate merit; adaptation, or the unequal capacity to cultivate valued traits; and co-optation, or the strategic use of meritocratic ideals to resist challenges to privilege. Together, these processes demonstrate how meritocracy launders advantage in the language of deservingness, naturalising hierarchies and, at times, dehumanising marginalised groups. Dr Rivera concludes by suggesting that genuine fairness requires not simply alternative distributive mechanisms but structural transformations that reduce the extreme stakes of stratification itself. |
Sustainable set building: ‘All Her Fault’ works towards a circular economy
Oct
17
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Seminar or Forum
Sustainable Set Building: All Her Fault Works Towards a Circular Economy
A Panel Discussion for International Design Production Week 2025
Art departments use a huge amount of materials when building sets, much of which ends up in landfill when the shoot concludes. All Her Fault, recently shot at Docklands Studios in Melbourne, sought to meet high sustainability benchmarks, with their art department adopting a responsible approach to sourcing and disposing of all materials. The team consulted with sustainability experts, trialled innovative building methods and materials, and used environmentally responsible vendors for both procurement and disposal. In this panel discussion you will hear from key members of the art department, construction crew, material consultants, and sustainability advisors as they reflect on the challenges, successes, and lessons learned on this project.
This event is featuring Max Dennett (Art Director), Seth Aitken (Art Director), Frank Burridge (Main and Frank Studio), Alex Cheesman (Picture Zero Consultancy) and Illusions Australia.
Registration
Tickets for this panel discussion are free but registration is required via Humanitix.
Registered attendees who find they are no longer able to attend are encouraged to cancel their ticket via Humanitix or contact fineartsmusic-tickets@unimelb.edu.au so that we can release those tickets for other patrons to book.
Venue
This panel discussion will take place in the Dr. Tony Gould Room in the Southbank Music Building on St Kilda Road. Please meet Front of House by the St Kilda Road entrance to be directed to the venue.
PARKING
The City of Melbourne has recently changed the parking restrictions around the Southbank Campus. Parking control hours are now expanded to 7am–10pm, seven days per week, and are capped at three hours. A $2-per-hour fee after 7pm is also now in place. There is no change to the $4-per-hour peak rate between 7am–7pm. Parking inspectors are regularly in the area fining drivers who overstay their meter, so we encourage everyone to be aware and avoid an expensive fine.
ACCESSIBILITY
All venues at the Southbank campus are wheelchair accessible. To read more about access services available at our venues, please visit: https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/access-our-events.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- Please stay home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms. Face masks are welcome in all settings for community and personal safety.
- In order to account for drop-off in attendance, we overbook a select number of free events at the Faculty. If you have not arrived by the start of the performance, your ticket may be released to any waiting patrons at the door. Please arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before the performance to secure your seat.
- Admission to any of our concerts and events is strictly at the discretion of Front of House. We have zero tolerance for any disrespectful behaviour.
