Events

How does design shape identity—both personal and collective? From typography to architecture, the spaces and messages around us are more than aesthetics; they shape how we see ourselves and how society sees us.

This event brings together leading figures in design and architecture to explore how design can challenge norms, amplify marginalised voices, and reshape public space.

Featuring Michaela Webb, co-founder of Studio Round and a leading voice in Australian design whose work blends strategic thinking with high-craft visual storytelling; and Tope Adesina, a rising figure in architecture whose work at Sibling Architecture focuses on public and cultural spaces. Other speakers to be announced.

Presented as part of the exhibition Catherine Griffiths: Out of Line at the Design Gallery, this conversation invites audiences to rethink how design structures our everyday experiences and shapes the world we inhabit.

About the panellists:

Michaela Webb is the co-founder and Creative Director of Studio Round, a leading Melbourne-based design studio known for its strategic and craft-driven approach to branding. With over 20 years of experience across New Zealand, the UK, and Australia, Michaela has worked on award-winning projects for cultural institutions, lifestyle brands, and major businesses. She is a sought-after speaker, former AGDA co-president, and a recognised leader in the Australian design community

Tope Adesina is a graduate architect at Sibling Architecture, contributing significantly to education and cultural projects. He has a background in public art, enhancing his understanding of public spaces. In 2024, Tope was recognized in the Australian Design Review’s 30 Under 30 Architects and Innovators mentorship program. He is currently the curator for a monthly speaker series PROCESS and has been a sessional design tutor at the Melbourne School of Design

More speakers to be announced.

Image:Catherine Griffiths7/7, 14 views(2023), wall painting [drawing: Catherine Griffiths]

Hosted by the Melbourne School of Design andthe Faculty of Fine Arts , University of Melbourne,and the NGV.

The Glyn Davis Building is wheelchair accessible.

Parking is available at theEastern Precinct Carpark. For your best public transport route, visitPublic Transport Victoria

Join the Research Unit for Indigenous Language (RUIL) for a compelling public lecture titled Bina: First Nations Languages Old and New, presented by Gari Tudor-Smith and Felicity Meakins. This lecture will explore the remarkable resilience, recovery, and ongoing revitalisation of Australia’s First Nations languages.

Australia’s language diversity is truly breathtaking. This continent lays claim to the world’s longest continuous collection of cultures, including over 440 unique languages and many more dialects. Sadly, European invasion has had severe consequences for the vitality of these languages. Amid devastating loss, there has also been the birth of new languages such as Kriol and Yumplatok, both English-based Creoles. Aboriginal English dialects are spoken widely, and recently there has been an inspiring renaissance of First Nations languages, as communities reclaim and renew them. Bina: First Nations Languages Old and New tells this story, from the earliest exchange of words between colonists and First Nations people to today’s reclamations. It is a creative and exciting introduction to a vital and dynamic world of language.

In this lecture Gari Tudor-Smith and Felicity Meakins will discuss the making of the book, why we should care about First Nations languages and the renaissance of languages in schools, the visual and performing arts, and on-Country programs such as ranger groups.

The public lecture will be followed by light refreshments and the opportunity to purchase a hard copy of Bina: First Nations Languages Old and New.

Meet the presenters:

Gari Tudor-Smith is a Barada, Yiman, Gangulu and Gureng Gureng linguist. Gari’s focus is on connecting academia with language communities in a self-determined and culturally sensitive manner. They are currently working on the development of a Gangulu Learner’s Guide and Dictionary and reclaiming Mari song practice through RUIL. They have also contributed to the development of the UQ Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalisation and are currently enrolled in an MPhil at the University of Queensland researching Gangulu language for revitalisation.

Felicity Meakins is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Queensland. She has worked for over two decades with Indigenous communities documenting their languages. This work extends beyond the traditional boundaries of linguistic research, such as dictionaries and grammars, to projects grounded in the artistic, cultural and land-based practices of these communities.

If you have any questions, please reach out to ruil-contact@unimelb.edu.au