COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Western suburbs

Cosmic Forest

A Footscray alleyway will be brought to life with an array of fantastic creatures this Saturday.

British artist Tasha Whittle will populate the wall of the old Colour Box Studio alleyway at the bottom of Nicholson Street with beings from her Cosmic Forest.

“The Cosmic Forest is a world parallel with ours, filled with weird and wonderful characters, landscapes and adventures.”

Whittle is an artist and illustrator from Manchester whose warped and wonderful illustrations stretch onto the walls of massive buildings and shrink onto minuscule bird-mobiles.

For a gold coin donation between noon and 4pm she will paint your own Cosmic Forest character portrait, all to the live sounds of jazz pianist Victor Dilks.

The event is part of the Footscray Art Crawl, one of Maribyrnong council’s ‘Westside Discovery Tours’, starting at noon on Saturday at Trocadero Art Space, Level 1/119 Hopkins Street, Footscray.

Tour bookings: www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

Drums, dance and dining

Enjoy an evening of West African and Sri Lankan drumming and dancing in Yarraville this Saturday. Following last year’s sellout, the Afro-Lankan concert is back from 7pm at Bar of Bengal. Featured will be master drummers Kanchana and Indika, East African songs and guitar from David Marama, and Afro-Lankan drummers and dancers. Tickets: $30 including dinner, $10 for children.

Bookings essential: www.kindredstudios.com.au

Capture the moment

Work with award-winning photographer Barat Ali Batoor and learn how he captures the moment in intense and sensitive situations. Participants need to bring their own camera and have a basic understanding of its use. Workshops will be held over the next two Sundays at Footscray Community Arts Centre. Cost: $70.

www.footscrayarts.com

Monkey around

Let the kids monkey around at Newport’s Substation on Wednesday, July 9, with music, magic, a kazoo workshop and face-painting. The Mudcakes will host Monkey Magic, a 10am music concert, and there’ll be an 11.30am kazoo workshop. Children who head along dressed up as a monkey will take home a free DVD. Cost: $15 (concert) or $25 (concert and workshop). Adults free.

www.thesubstation.org.au

Sing it loud

Join the next soiree of With One Voice Footscray (formerly Footscray Sings) in the Basement Theatre at Footscray Community Arts Centre, 45 Moreland Street, Footscray, from 6.30pm on Thursday.

RSVP to macpoets@hotmail.com

Business links

Hobsons Bay businesses are invited to connect with a new LinkedIn group for locals. Hobsons Bay Works is an online forum where professionals and businesses can share contact details and build relationships.

www.LinkedIn.com and search for Hobsons Bay Works – Business Networking Group

Managing anger

Laverton Community Centre and Neighbourhood House is running anger management, self-esteem and assertion courses for women from August 12. Courses are also provided in meditation

and for people struggling with mental health. The centre is in the Laverton Community Hub on the corner of Railway Avenue and Crown Street.

■ 8368 0177 or reception@lcis.org.au