Tracing the Past, Shaping the Future is an invitation to discover how Indigenous Knowledge and cultural land management can shape a more sustainable future.

This exhibit contrasts the Bundjalung people's Country-centred worldview with today’s Eurocentric approaches, examining changes in our physical environment from pre-colonial times to now. Through the lens of plant communities, we invite you to reflect on how we can learn from the past to guide our stewardship of the land moving forward.

Join us for the opening of this exhibition in our Lismore shopfront.

Mitch King and Tess Eckert will share a movement and spoken word performance about their journeys of connection, disconnection and reconnection to country from two First Nations friends from opposite sides of the world.

Oli Costello from Jagun Alliance, Elle Davidson from Zion Engagement and Planning and Josh Creighton from Agency in Design will yarn about this collaboration.

Two Tarts Eats & Treats will provide delicious nibbles.

Tracing the Past, Shaping the Future
5 Nov 24 — 6 Feb 25 
Living Lab Northern Rivers shopfront, Lismore

Exhibition opening
Thu 31 Oct
5.30—7pm

Learn more.

Please get in touch with us at livinglabnr@scu.edu.au or on 02 6626 9188 if you have any accessibility requirements that you want to discuss with us.

Disclaimer: We may take photographs of the speakers and the audience at this event for promotional purposes. Please let us know if you wish not to be photographed. 

A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION WITH JOSHUA LEWIS, KRISTIN DEN EXTER AND TECHA BEAUMONT

As we grapple with a changing climate and the negative impacts of historical land uses, what opportunities exist to work with nature rather than against it, and if we take this approach, what is at stake? What can we learn from Louisiana’s Mississippi Delta about implementing nature-based solutions that allow our waterways to flourish?

Join us for an evening with New Orleans-based Professor of River and Coastal Studies, Dr. Joshua Lewis, Richmond Riverkeepers co-founder Dr Kristin den Exter and Bruns Riverkeepers co-founder Techa Beaumont. Together they’ll share local and international perspectives on using nature-based solutions to tackle big environmental challenges along our waterways.

From wetland restoration to river management, coastal Louisiana has seen everyone – from passionate environmental advocates to large industries – embrace nature-based solutions. But for those of us living in Northern Rivers, how do we sift through these ideas? Which projects really represent a shift toward a sustainable future, and which ones are just “business as usual” with a green label?

Joshua will share valuable lessons from over 20 years of experience in Louisiana’s Mississippi Delta, helping us to critically examine nature-based infrastructure proposals. It’s an exciting space, but also complex, and this conversation will offer a helpful framework for understanding what’s working, what’s not, and how we can apply these insights to our own region.

Josh will share highlights from his work with nature-based solutions around the Mississippi Delta and will then be joined by Kristin and Techa for a discussion exploring the opportunities locally to use this knowledge to live harmoniously with our waterways. Together they’ll host a Q&A session.

Snacks provided, drinks available for purchase 

Register here. 

This event is a special Green Drinks as part of the Bruns Riverkeepers Launch program. 

Hosted by Mullum SEED, Living Lab Northern Rivers, Bruns & Richmond Riverkeepers. 

Joshua Lewis is visiting Australia at the invitation of Living Lab Northern Rivers in partnership with Sydney University’s Henry Halloran Research Trust.

About Joshua Lewis

Joshua Lewis is director of the Tulane ByWater Institute. His research and community engagement seeks ecologically appropriate and socially equitable responses to water and ecosystem management dilemmas. Josh works closely with local governments, community organizations, and global partners to build interdisciplinary research programs. He currently leads an ecological monitoring program investigating the ecological effects of large-scale green infrastructure in New Orleans. 

Joshua has been core to bringing cross sectoral collaborations to support New Orleans in rethinking their relationship to water following Hurricane Katrina as part of the Greater New Orleans Water Urban Plan. The plan outlines how resilient infrastructure projects can slow, store and use stormwater effectively to lessen subsidence and protect our neighbourhoods from flooding while creating equitable and accessible green spaces and waterfronts.  “Over the past decade, community, government, business, academic and philanthropic partners have largely begun to embrace the idea of ‘living with water’ and using green stormwater infrastructure to reduce neighbourhood flooding, develop equitable economic opportunities and improve quality of life”

Read more about the Greater New Orleans Water Plan here.

About Kristin den Exter

Kristin has a passion for fostering social collaboration and is committed to community-led approaches and the ongoing need for decolonisation and cultural awareness. Kristin grew up on the banks of Mahmun (the Wilsons River) in Lismore, lands of the Widjabal Wiabal people. Her connection to the river has sustained her life, from learning to canoe at Richmond River High School in the 1980s, to planting trees on the river in Lismore with Wilsons River Landcare since 1993. Today, Kristin loves nothing more than to canoe up river in Lismore with the restored riverbank forest on either side.

Kristin has diverse background in research, community and industry engagement, environmental science and management, and for over 12 years fostered relationships between Southern Cross University and its communities, before taking up a partnerships role for the National Landcare Network. Along with likeminded colleagues Kristin founded the Richmond Riverkeeper in 2022 after the biggest floods on record. Kristin now devotes her time to the Richmond Riverkeeper and a new role with Jagun Alliance on their Heal the Rivers project. 

Read more about the Richmond Riverkeepers vision here.

About Techa Beaumont

As a land custodian along the Bruns River Techa has been working with others along the river to co-found the Bruns Riverkeepers Alliance. After working for over a decade on the frontlines of international campaigns on the ecological and human impacts of the mining and finance sector, Techa turned her eye to activism in her local community, founding a range of community initiatives including arts and cultural development organisation Kulchajam and the Mullum Organic Food Coop. After completing a two year Rotary Peace Fellowship working with Indigenous communities in Peruvian Amazon, she returned to the region, first as the co-director of an environmental consultancy supporting national and international environmental campaigns with spatial analysis and evidence based research and now as the executive director of regional environmental charity Mullum SEED.

Read more about the Bruns Riverkeeper here.

Join us for an exploration of the creative sector's role in reimagining and reconstructing Lismore after the 2022 floods. 

This special panel discussion explores the vital role played by the creative sector in helping communities navigate an uncertain future. In this case the uncertain future is made obvious by the unprecedented floods of 2022 and the clear need for a substantial change in how we prepare for and manage floods and other hazards in the Northern Rivers. Lismore is in the midst of a massive reconstruction effort, and this includes the major cultural institutions based there. 

This panel will explore how these organisations see their role in this moment in this community and will look at the decisions they have made regarding their own programs, infrastructure and future plans.

Panel includes:

Jane Fuller, Executive Director, Arts Northern Rivers

Betty Russ, co-founder and director of Elevator ARI

Libby Lincoln, Executive Director, NORPA

Cherine Fahd, Associate Professor, School of Design, UTS

Ashleigh Ralph, Director, Lismore Regional Gallery

MC: Dan Etheridge, Engagement Director, Living Lab Northern Rivers

Register here.

Free. Places are limited and registrations are essential.

Please get in touch with us at livinglabnr@scu.edu.au or on 02 6626 9188 if you have any accessibility requirements that you want to discuss with us.

Disclaimer: We may take photographs of the speakers and the audience at this event for promotional purposes. Please let us know if you wish not to be photographed. 

Part of University of Sydney Festival of Urbanism 2024.

About Jane Fuller

Jane (she/her) is a diverse mixed Australian-born heritage of Latvian, Irish, New Zealand and lives on the Bundjalung Nation. Coming into the arts through her father who was a touring ‘carnie’ with pantomimes, theatre shows and musicals, Janes first ‘job’ was to help out with the costume changes in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda, Vic. Jane is currently the Executive Director of Arts Northern Rivers, the peak body for arts & culture in the region, and leads a talented team of producers, programmers and connectors to develop and deliver engaged public and sector programs that support the development of the creative industries in the region. Jane has worked extensively in the Northern Rivers region as an independent producer, Placemaking Producer and Festival Producer for the Boomerang Festival (Bluesfest). Previously holding leadership positions with BlakDance – the national Peak Organisation for First Nations dance, Executive Producer for Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) and the Associate Producer for the Australian Cultural Festival, Australian Embassy, Jakarta,  Executive Producer for the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Bali and international program Director for the Hong Kong Fringe Club.

 She is passionate about supporting creatives to take agency of their own creative and their communities’ cultural development. She strongly believes in the power of a creative community bringing value and vibrancy to our shared experience.

About Betty Russ

Betty is an artist and arts worker living on Bundjalung country (Lismore). Working across sculpture, assemblage, installation, sound, and embodied research, her practice ferments between and around the philosophies and renderings of eschatological terror, speculative +/ science fiction, hauntology, the-weird-and-the-eerie, and myriad modes of spirituality. Material manifestations protrude from hypnagogic fantasy, nightmare, horror and absurdity, while searching for psychological mitigation to the abject shock of the past, and sweaty white-knuckled fear of the future.

 Betty completed a Bachelor of Art and Design in 2020 at Southern Cross University, Lismore, and has recently exhibited with Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Lismore Regional Art Gallery, Firstdraft, Metro Arts and Dark MOFO. Amongst a dedicated personal practice, Betty is also a Co-Founding Director of Elevator ARI and is committed to her active role in supporting regional experimental practice and creating springboard opportunities such as Groundfloor. Groundfloor was co-founded with June Golland in 2022, to expand the networks and opportunities for regional artists, and the reach of metropolitan organisations.

About Libby Lincoln

Libby has undertaken leadership roles in producing and curating major cultural projects and managing diverse arts organisations for the past 32 years; and is considered one of the most experienced arts leaders in Australia.  

Through her senior management roles in numerous artistic organisations, Libby has curated and implemented a range of artistic projects from international collaborations and commissions; to large-scale community projects; to initiatives that develop and profile local artists and arts organisations.  Partnerships, artistic exchange and collaborations have been a major theme throughout her career.  
Libby has implemented benchmark models through long-term partnerships with government, including regional Councils, and funding bodies.  Through her arts development roles, she has provided leadership for local artists, strategies for art form and audience development, and developed education initiatives.

From 2017 to 2022, Libby led arts and cultural transformation for the City of Gold Coast.  As custodian of the Cultural Strategy 2023, she was responsible for arts development and cultural growth in the City.  She worked closely across all areas of council to embed the cultural strategy priorities into destination and attraction policies.

The 2022 floods were a calling for Libby to work with the community in which she lived.   In November 2022 she was appointed as Executive Director of NORPA – Northern Rivers Performing Arts and is now co-leading the company in its recovery and rediscovery of its role as a theatre maker. Libby possesses a Masters of Fine Arts in Cultural Leadership through NiDA.

About Cherine Fahd

Cherine is one of Australia's leading photographic artists. For over twenty years, she has exhibited, written and curated works that focus on photography and video performance. Her projects often incorporate members of the public, her immediate family, friends and the artistic community. Cherine is interested in how photography brings people together and how we use photography to perform, connect and tell stories. Her work has been commissioned by major cultural institutions in Australia, including the Sydney Opera House, Carriageworks, Performance Space and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. She holds a PhD from Monash University Melbourne and is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney.

About Ashleigh Ralph

Ashleigh is the Director of Lismore Regional Gallery. Before this, she has been Assistant Director, Development and Operations at the Institute of Modern Art, Assistant Curator at UAP and has worked at Griffith University Art Museum, Edwina Corlette Gallery, and the University of Queensland Art Museum. She is also the Founder and Director of Innerspace Contemporary Art. Ashleigh holds a Bachelor of Arts, Art History with First Class Honours from the University of Queensland.

Many residential properties in North Lismore are part of the buyback stream of the Resilient Homes Program, the largest residential buyback program in Australian history. As the suburb transitions from a vibrant neighbourhood to a new future, many local stories, it’s history and the deep understanding of place will move with the residents.  

Living Memory is a community project exploring the stories, history and memories of North Lismore. At the heart of this work is the desire to creatively support a community experiencing a massive transformation — to tell their stories in their own words.  With North Lismore residents, we will create a series of reflections and portraits, and a collection of historical materials and artefacts, celebrating the people and a suburb now rapidly changing.  

If you’re a current or recent resident of North Lismore your local knowledge is vital to this project and we’d love you to be involved.  

Come join Adele Wessell and Cherine Fahd as they share more about the project and learn how it can be designed with the interests of locals in mind. 

Register here.

Free. Places are limited and registrations are essential.

Please get in touch with us at livinglabnr@scu.edu.au or on 02 6626 9188 if you have any accessibility requirements that you want to discuss with us.

Disclaimer: We may take photographs of the speakers and the audience at this event for promotional purposes. Please let us know if you wish not to be photographed. 

How can deepening our knowledge of the Richmond River help us to reduce the impacts of flooding in the Northern Rivers? 

Join us for a conversation with researchers from Southern Cross University about the ways they are working with our community to increase our understanding of the Richmond River. 

As part of the Southern Cross University’s Vice Chancellor’s Flood Recovery Project Scheme, Emily Horton, Associate Professor Adele Wessell and Dr Brendan Cox have been collaborating with people across the Northern Rivers to bring together a wealth of knowledge about our local river. 

Their research explores the ways we live with a dynamic and highly modified river in our landscape, with the ambition to develop creative new solutions that will allow us to live in harmony with our waterways, regenerate the landscape and reduce the impacts of flooding.  

Emily, Adele and Brendan will share highlights from their research, followed by a Q&A session. 

Register here.

Free. Places are limited and registrations are essential.

Please get in touch with us at livinglabnr@scu.edu.au or on 02 6626 9188 if you have any accessibility requirements that you want to discuss with us.

This event is part of Richmond Riverfest 2024, in collaboration with Richmond Riverkeeper and Southern Cross University.

More about the Vice Chancellor’s Flood Recovey Project Scheme.

Join us for a special workshop showcasing the remarkable fishing net crafted by the project participants in collaboration with Namatjira Haven. This unique project honours Aunty Gwen Williams and celebrates traditional cultural practices, and the fishing net will be available for viewing.

• Experience a live demonstration of how the net was constructed using string made from the Native Hibiscus, gathered throughout the year. Local knowledge holder Mr Dhinawan Baker leads this construction and story.

• Enjoy a short film documenting the construction process, created by local Aboriginal filmmaker, Coedie McCarthy, Director and co-Producer of the film. The film will presented by co-Producer, Dr Tom Dick from Namabunda Farm. This project has been assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust.

• Participate in a hands-on workshop and learn how to make the string yourself.

The event also includes a Yarning Circle with Aunty Jacqui Williams to reflect on the cultural significance of the net and its legacy.

This interactive workshop is perfect for anyone interested in river health, Indigenous knowledge, and sustainable practices. Don't miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and celebrate our natural heritage.

This event is free. All are welcome, please register so we can make sure there is enough nibbles for everyone.

Register here.

Part of Richmond Riverfest 2024.

For more information on this event contact kylie.day@scu.edu.au.

A conversation with Living Lab Northern Rivers, Lismore City Council and Adapt NSW.

What does it mean to adapt to a changing climate? Adaptation is a term that we hear a lot lately, but it can mean different things to different people.  

 In July, join us at the Living Lab Northern Rivers shopfront in Lismore to share what adaptation means to you, and hear from other people in our community about what it means to them. Together we’ll explore what adaptation could mean for Lismore and how we can work together to get to where we want to be. 

Bring along an object from home or the environment that represents what adaptation means to you to start the conversation.

This event is free and all are welcome.

Free coffee and babycino available from 9.30am at Dark Horse Espresso – Molesworth St. BYO mug or keep cup.

This workshop is part of Lismore City Council’s Climate Conversations. Find out more about this series.

Do you have ideas, hopes and dreams for the future of Lismore? Bring a mate and join us at the Living Lab Northern Rivers shopfront to explore a future Lismore, have some pizza, play some games and share your ideas.

Some of the ideas we have been exploring include:

• Creating more safe and affordable housing above the flood zone,

• Better public transport and bike paths connecting different parts of the town,

• More places to hang out and be active,

• Strengthening Lismore’s creative community with more places and opportunities to create,

• Changing the way that local council works to make it easier for people to open up shops around the CBD (and help to make them flood resilient),

• Converting empty buyback land into spaces for wildlife, urban farms, parks and sporting fields.

 WHAT IS LOOK AHEAD?

For the last six months, we’ve been listening to people from across the Lismore community, and a team of expert designers, planners, engineers and architects, to come up with innovative scenarios for a future Lismore where everyone can feel safe and thrive. Learn more about the Look Ahead: Community design for Lismore co-design process, expert panel members and more.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH THESE IDEAS?

These ideas are an ongoing work in progress. There is still a lot more work to be done, including working through the technical issues, talking with people and organisations who can help implement them, and working out more detailed plans. All of the feedback we receive on these ideas will be shared with the local council and state government to help them with their plans for the future of Lismore.  

WHO IS LIVING LAB NORTHERN RIVERS?

Living Lab Northern Rivers is a collaboration between Southern Cross University and University of Technology in Sydney, with grant funding from the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

Join us for Let’s Stick Together, a collective community-focused collage activity, open to all ages, skill levels and abilities.  

Facilitated by Claudie Frock, this workshop is designed to bring the community together through playful, intergenerational connection, using collage and drawing as tools of creative expression. Reflecting side by side with fellow community members, participants will be invited to express individual and collective visions for a future Lismore through visual means. 

All materials provided.  

This event is free and all are welcome.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Place are limited and registration is essential.

Please get in touch with us at livinglabnr@scu.edu.au or on 02 6626 9188 if you have any accessibility requirements that you want to discuss with us.

Find out more about the Look Ahead: Community design for Lismore co-design process, expert panel members.

Earlier this year we gathered as a community to share our ideas and dreams for Lismore CBD and the surrounding flood-prone areas. Some clear ideas for a future Lismore emerged — including safer and more diverse housing, better connectivity and active transport, a vibrant CBD, increased food security, and a cleaner regenerated river and surrounding environment. Importantly, we heard the need for confidence in a clearer future.  

Our panel of design experts then came together for a series of workshops, studying the results of these community meetings, exploring the town, hearing local stories and bringing a wealth of experience into the room to devise some future scenarios for Lismore. 

At our next community meeting, Living Lab Northern Rivers’ Elizabeth Mossop and Dan Etheridge will present these scenarios for a future Lismore. Join us in person or online to learn more and share your feedback. 

This event is free and all are welcome.

Place are limited and registration is essential.

This venue is wheelchair accessible and the meeting will be Auslan interpreted and streamed live online.

Free child care and transport services are available.

Please get in touch with us if you have any accessibility, child care or transport requirements that you want to discuss with us.

Contact us at livinglabnr@scu.edu.au or on 02 6626 9188.

Find out more about the Look Ahead: Community design for Lismore co-design process, expert panel members.

Raising houses above likely future flood levels preserves buildings and minimises disruption to the lives of people that live in them. Join one of our workshops to learn more about house raising and what you need to think about before you start your project.

These workshops are designed to assist anyone considering raising their home – old or new – to protect themselves from future floods. Whether you’ve qualified for government assistance, or you’re just taking the initiative, our goal is to help you think through the critical issues in order to make your project truly successful. Which, in our book, means both lifting your home to a safer level and carefully considering the challenges and opportunities this creates. 

This workshop is hosted by Sasha Mainsbridge from Mullum Cares, and attended by staff from James Davidson Architects, and a Case Manager from NSW Reconstruction Authority — all to assist you with specific property questions. 

About the facilitator: Sasha Mainsbridge has worked extensively in corporate insurance and conservation and land management. She founded non-profit Mullum Cares, in 2015, and continues to work with local residents encouraging them to reconsider their consumer choices, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and global resource depletion. After her home flooded in early 2022, she recognised the urgency of adapting our homes to mitigate climate change impacts.

This event is free and all are welcome.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Place are limited and registration is essential.

Raising houses above likely future flood levels preserves buildings and minimises disruption to the lives of people that live in them. Join one of our workshops to learn more about house raising and what you need to think about before you start yourk project.

These workshops are designed to assist anyone considering raising their home – old or new – to protect themselves from future floods. Whether you’ve qualified for government assistance, or you’re just taking the initiative, our goal is to help you think through the critical issues in order to make your project truly successful. Which, in our book, means both lifting your home to a safer level and carefully considering the challenges and opportunities this creates. 

Workshops are hosted by Sasha Mainsbridge of Mullum Cares, and attended by staff from James Davidson Architects, local Council Planning and Recovery Officers, and a Case Manager from NSW Reconstruction Authority — all to assist you with specific property questions. 

This event is free and all are welcome.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Place are limited and registration is essential.

Raising houses above likely future flood levels preserves buildings and minimises disruption to the lives of people that live in them. Join one of our workshops to learn more about house raising and what you need to think about before you start your project.

These workshops are designed to assist anyone considering raising their home – old or new – to protect themselves from future floods. Whether you’ve qualified for government assistance, or you’re just taking the initiative, our goal is to help you think through the critical issues in order to make your project truly successful. Which, in our book, means both lifting your home to a safer level and carefully considering the challenges and opportunities this creates. 

Workshops are hosted by Dan Etheridge of Living Lab Northern Rivers, and attended by staff from James Davidson Architects, local Council Planning and Recovery Officers, and a Case Manager from NSW Reconstruction Authority — all to assist you with specific property questions. 

This event is free and all are welcome.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Place are limited and registration is essential.

A conversation and panel discussion with Phillipa Carnemolla, Zac Misfud & Andy and Cath Graeme-Cook.  

Good design is good for all. How does design impact people’s independence and ability to participate in our community? How do we build inclusive teams? Join incusive design expert Dr Phillipa Carnemolla from UTS as she presents her research into the design and evaluation of inclusive environments, products and information. Andy and Cath Graeme-Cook and Zac Misfud will share aspects of their lived experience designing inclusive environments and the joys and challenges of living independently. The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A.

This talk will be Auslan interpreted.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.

Places are limited and registration is essential.

We know the problems. Now it's time for the Lismore region to focus on solutions and start designing the sort of town we all want to live in today and over the next century.

But how do we steer towards greatness if we haven't defined what that looks like?

Living Lab Northern Rivers is calling out for people in and around Lismore who'd like to imagine what our current spaces and places could look we as we adapt to meet future needs.  

“To make something brilliant, we need high-level technical expertise alongside lived experience from people in the Lismore CBD and its surrounding neighbourhoods. ”

Look Ahead is a series of community and expert meetings made to kickstart this process.

Our job is to ensure the designers, planners, engineers and architects that drive this project are deeply informed by the ideas, dreams, values, and memories of everyone across our community who wants to participate in Look Ahead.

It's easy for planners or designers working in remote offices to generate future scenarios for a town like Lismore, but they rarely get it right, because the solutions aren't driven by the people that live there. Data is almost worthless without some level of local knowledge.

The Lismore City Council – with the support of the NSW State Government – leading a comprehensive process to create a Community Vision and Blueprint, Our Time is Now, for the entire Lismore Local Government Area. Look Ahead operates independently of the Lismore City Council process. However, it will provide an important piece of work for their consideration, focusing on the Lismore CBD and its surrounding neighbourhoods, which sit in high-risk flood zones and have significant residential buyback activity.

In many ways, this is the most challenging area, because it's the heart of our community, so there's lots of complexity. It's also the best place to start, because the work we generate here will create future scenarios that'll be incorporated into the wider planning to come. 

Together, we've got to produce strong and beautiful visions for the future that actually work. And the process is just as important (and rewarding) as the finished product.

So please join us for an upcoming session, because we need everyone involved in order to produce a stronger and brighter version of this place we love.

Register to join one of our community meetings

Thu 15 Feb, 4.30-7.00pm
OR
Sat 17 Feb, 2.00-4.30pm

Attend only one meeting.

Register now.

Reimagine Session

A workshop facilitated by Sasha Mainsbridge

Raising houses above likely future flood levels preserves buildings and minimises disruption to the lives of people that live in them. Join one of our workshops to learn more about house raising and what you need to think about before you start your project.

These workshops are designed to assist anyone considering raising their home – old or new – to protect themselves from future floods. Whether you’ve qualified for government assistance, or you’re just taking the initiative, our goal is to help you think through the critical issues in order to make your project truly successful. Which, in our book, means both lifting your home to a safer level and carefully considering the challenges and opportunities this creates. 

Sasha Mainsbridge has worked extensively in corporate insurance and conservation and land management. She founded non-profit Mullum Cares, in 2015, and continues to work with local residents encouraging them to reconsider their consumer choices, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and global resource depletion. After her home flooded in early 2022, she recognised the urgency of adapting our homes to mitigate climate change impacts.

This event is free and all are welcome.

This venue is wheelchair accessible.

Place are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

Join us in our shopfront to sit, weave and yarn in circle with Bundjalung Elders.  

We’ll be working together to create string from fibres of the cottonwood tree that will then be woven together to create a traditional fishing net.  

Whilst weaving the net, stories and knowledge will be shared and ideas explored. We’d like to listen to stories from the Elders and open the discussion within the weaving circle to put this practice in a modern context. What does this process mean to each of us? How do our thoughts change or evolve while our hands weave? How could we apply this experience into the future? What stories or practices are shared between generations today? Has this process helped to reconnect us with the River and with traditional practices of survival? What have we learned? 

The local priority of this research was identified in collaboration with a senior member* of the Bundjalung Nation who recognised the potential loss of net weaving knowledge in the community and that this project would be a renewal process. They stated that 'in the process of renewal everyone can be involved'. 

We’ll be weaving with cottonwood collected along the Richmond River under the guidance of Nyangbul Bundjalung man Marcus Ferguson, Cultural Advisor at Jagun Alliance.   

This workshop is FREE and open to all genders.

Places are limited and registration is essential.

This event is now fully booked. If you would like to be added to the waitlist and be notified when a ticket becomes available, please register on the event link. If you are First Nations and would like to come along to this event, please contact us at livinglabnr@scu.edu.au.

REGISTER HERE

This circle forms part of a larger research project being conducted by Gnibi College at Southern Cross University. “Stories behind the fishing net: sitting with the Aunties” focuses on recording our learning journey while making a fishing net.   

This event is being run in partnership with Jagun Alliance as part of the Guung Butherun (water stories) project. This project aims to create opportunities for connection and discussion within community by bringing Knowledge holders together to provide custodianship and enhance cultural governance in what is now known as the Richmond River Catchment.  Guung Butherun is funded by the joint Commonwealth and NSW Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. 

*Out of respect we are not naming the elder as they have recently passed, but they will remain as an honorary co-author on the project as they requested. 

Image: Jahvis Loveday

Reimagine Session

A workshop facilitated by Sasha Mainsbridge

Raising houses above likely future flood levels preserves buildings and minimises disruption to the lives of people that live in them. Join one of our workshops to learn more about house raising and what you need to think about before you start your project.

These workshops are designed to assist anyone considering raising their home – old or new – to protect themselves from future floods. Whether you’ve qualified for government assistance, or you’re just taking the initiative, our goal is to help you think through the critical issues in order to make your project truly successful. Which, in our book, means both lifting your home to a safer level and carefully considering the challenges and opportunities this creates. 

Sasha Mainsbridge has worked extensively in corporate insurance and conservation and land management. She founded non-profit Mullum Cares, in 2015, and continues to work with local residents encouraging them to reconsider their consumer choices, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and global resource depletion. After her home flooded in early 2022, she recognised the urgency of adapting our homes to mitigate climate change impacts.

This event is free and all are welcome.

This venue is wheelchair accessible.

Place are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

*THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED*

Adaptation at Play: A children’s workshop with Cara MacLeod 

Local children will co-create a special exhibit sharing their ideas and hopes for resilient housing in the Northern Rivers. Participants will recreate their local area in a collaborative artwork with felt and loose parts. Through games, drawing and modelling, they’ll imagine and design houses that meet their needs and respond to our changing environment.

Cara MacLeod lives on Yaegl Country in Northern NSW and works as an artist and facilitator in museums, galleries, schools and community settings. She creates fun and inclusive programs and resources for people of all ages and abilities. Cara values collaboration and community-led initiatives to creates change by building connections between artists, communities and the environment.

This event is free and all are welcome.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Places are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

*THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED*

Adaptation at Play: A children’s workshop with Cara MacLeod 

Local children will co-create a special exhibit sharing their ideas and hopes for resilient housing in the Northern Rivers. Participants will recreate their local area in a collaborative artwork with felt and loose parts. Through games, drawing and modelling, they’ll imagine and design houses that meet their needs and respond to our changing environment.

Cara MacLeod lives on Yaegl Country in Northern NSW and works as an artist and facilitator in museums, galleries, schools and community settings. She creates fun and inclusive programs and resources for people of all ages and abilities. Cara values collaboration and community-led initiatives to creates change by building connections between artists, communities and the environment.

This event is free and all are welcome.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Places are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

Lunch and Learn

A workshop with Caro Robertson and Tim Gittos from Spacecraft Architects (NZ)

Could co-housing work for you? This workshop will cover a potted history of what we have learnt through co-housing projects of different scales and densities. How many neighbours do you want? Do you really care about cat-policy? Are you trying to change the world with this one project? Or do you simply want it to be easier to share a cuppa with your neighbour and borrow the whipper-snipper from time to time? 

Spacecraft Architects, established in 2012 by Caro Robertson and Tim Gittos, emerged from a self-built house in Whanganui, NZ. They specialise in designing small, budget-conscious, custom houses for creative clients on complex sites. We firmly believe that project constraints foster design innovation and beauty. Spacecraft expertise in infill housing has expanded to larger projects, including multi-residential and apartment cohousing initiatives.

This event is free and all are welcome.

Includes a light lunch.

This venue is wheelchair accessible.

Place are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

Living Lab Talks

A conversation with Caro Robertson and Tim Gittos from Spacecraft Architects (NZ)

Spacecraft was formed out of an interest to design with an economy of means, for the environment, affordability, and beauty. They believe in extending the role of the architect to advocate for and support alternative ways of living and development.

Having fun with housing will explore working towards, and experiences with cohousing — specifically where groups of individuals pool their resources to build denser, in some cases multi-generational housing, with a shared social space at heart.

Spacecraft Architects, established in 2012 by Caro Robertson and Tim Gittos, emerged from a self-built house in Whanganui, NZ. They specialise in designing small, budget-conscious, custom houses for creative clients on complex sites. We firmly believe that project constraints foster design innovation and beauty. Spacecraft expertise in infill housing has expanded to larger projects, including multi-residential and apartment cohousing initiatives.

This event is free and all are welcome.

This venue is wheelchair accessible.

This talk will be Auslan interpreted.

Place are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

Lunch and Learn

A workshop with Caro Robertson and Tim Gittos from Spacecraft Architects (NZ)

Could co-housing work for you? This workshop will cover a potted history of what we have learnt through co-housing projects of different scales and densities. How many neighbours do you want? Do you really care about cat-policy? Are you trying to change the world with this one project? Or do you simply want it to be easier to share a cuppa with your neighbour and borrow the whipper-snipper from time to time? 

Spacecraft Architects, established in 2012 by Caro Robertson and Tim Gittos, emerged from a self-built house in Whanganui, NZ. They specialise in designing small, budget-conscious, custom houses for creative clients on complex sites. We firmly believe that project constraints foster design innovation and beauty. Spacecraft expertise in infill housing has expanded to larger projects, including multi-residential and apartment cohousing initiatives.

This event is free and all are welcome.

Includes a light lunch.

This venue is wheelchair accessible.

Place are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

A Flow event

Living Lab Northern Rivers and NORPA invite you to join us before Flow for oysters, drinks, and science with friends as we celebrate the humble oyster — a symbol of regeneration, river health, and community.

The oysters of the Richmond River were once bountiful and renowned across the catchment. Bundjalung custodianship of country and care of the catchment ensured oysters were abundant. We would like to see them flourish again.

Come and enjoy oysters and refreshments as the Living Lab shopfront is transformed into an oyster bar. Learn more about the historical and future importance of the oyster, their ancestral, cultural connection to Bundjalung peoples, and the vital role they play in repairing our rivers. How do we work with the humble oyster to restore our waterways for future generations?

After the event, head over to The Quad to watch Flow, a free outdoor performance.

This event is free and all are welcome.

This venue is wheelchair accessible.

Place are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

This event is presented in association with the Ingrained Foundation and NORPA. With support from Richmond RiverKeeper and OzFish.

Reimagine Session

A workshop facilitated by Sasha Mainsbridge

Raising houses above likely future flood levels preserves buildings and minimises disruption to the lives of people that live in them. Join one of our workshops to learn more about house raising and what you need to think about before you start your project.

These workshops are designed to assist anyone considering raising their home – old or new – to protect themselves from future floods. Whether you’ve qualified for government assistance, or you’re just taking the initiative, our goal is to help you think through the critical issues in order to make your project truly successful. Which, in our book, means both lifting your home to a safer level and carefully considering the challenges and opportunities this creates. 

Sasha Mainsbridge has worked extensively in corporate insurance and conservation and land management. She founded non-profit Mullum Cares, in 2015, and continues to work with local residents encouraging them to reconsider their consumer choices, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and global resource depletion. After her home flooded in early 2022, she recognised the urgency of adapting our homes to mitigate climate change impacts.

This event is free and all are welcome.

This venue is wheelchair accessible.

Place are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

Lunch and Learn

A lunchtime workshop with Anna O’Gorman, Director, AOG Architects

This workshop is an exploration of how subtle changes can transform communities. Through insightful design and expert analysis, Anna will discuss the power of thoughtful design and community engagement in shaping vibrant, inclusive neighbourhoods. 

Learn about how different housing types can play a role in delivering better housing outcomes and understand the challenges that exist in bringing these to market. How can we support the emergence of effective community advocates for better housing and look to identify the pathways rather than the barriers?

Anna Gorman has worked with award-winning studios in Brisbane and established Anna O’Gorman Architects in 2016 to collaborate closely with clients. She is recognised for her client-first approach and possessing an empathetic understanding of the relationship between people and place. Her work has won several national and state awards and been exhibited at the Museum of Brisbane.

This event is free and all are welcome.
Includes a light lunch.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Limited to 30 participants and registration is essential.

Register now.

Living Lab Talks

A talk by Anna O’Gorman, Director, AOG Architects

Anna will share her learnings on 11 types of medium density and infill housing typologies within Australia, that demonstrate consideration of achieving liveable higher density housing. Hear about the Anne Street Garden Villas project and the 8 key strategies used to create this award-winning design. Anna will also share practical ways to address housing issues around feasibility constraints, community concerns, design opportunities and planning parameters.

Anna Gorman has worked with award-winning studios in Brisbane and established Anna O’Gorman Architects in 2016 to collaborate closely with clients. She is recognised for her client-first approach and possessing an empathetic understanding of the relationship between people and place. Her work has won several national and state awards and been exhibited at the Museum of Brisbane. 

This event is free and all are welcome.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
This talk will be Auslan interpreted.
Place are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.

Lunch and Learn

A lunchtime workshop with Anna O’Gorman, Director, AOG Architects

This workshop is an exploration of how subtle changes can transform communities. Through insightful design and expert analysis, Anna will discuss the power of thoughtful design and community engagement in shaping vibrant, inclusive neighbourhoods. 

Learn about how different housing types can play a role in delivering better housing outcomes and understand the challenges that exist in bringing these to market. How can we support the emergence of effective community advocates for better housing and look to identify the pathways rather than the barriers?

Anna Gorman has worked with award-winning studios in Brisbane and established Anna O’Gorman Architects in 2016 to collaborate closely with clients. She is recognised for her client-first approach and possessing an empathetic understanding of the relationship between people and place. Her work has won several national and state awards and been exhibited at the Museum of Brisbane.

This event is free and all are welcome.
Includes a light lunch.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Limited to 30 participants and registration is essential.

Register now.

A workshop facilitated by Sasha Mainsbridge.

Raising houses above likely future flood levels preserves buildings and minimises disruption to the lives of people that live in them. Join one of our workshops to learn more about house raising and what you need to think about before you start your project.

These workshops are designed to assist anyone considering raising their home – old or new – to protect themselves from future floods. Whether you’ve qualified for government assistance, or you’re just taking the initiative, our goal is to help you think through the critical issues in order to make your project truly successful. Which, in our book, means both lifting your home to a safer level and carefully considering the challenges and opportunities this creates. 

Sasha Mainsbridge has worked extensively in corporate insurance and conservation and land management. She founded non-profit Mullum Cares, in 2015, and continues to work with local residents encouraging them to reconsider their consumer choices, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and global resource depletion. After her home flooded in early 2022, she recognised the urgency of adapting our homes to mitigate climate change impacts.

This event is free and all are welcome.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Places are limited and registration is essential.

Register now.