5 SARGOOD STREET ALTONA

What's On

LJAC Events and programs

Gather & Grow Community Pantry

Tuesdays & Fridays - 10am to 2pm

Our community pantry supports community members to access pantry staples, bread and fresh produce on a weekly basis.

Pantry is open to residents of Hobsons Bay.

No appointment - come in during pantry open hours.

Please bring along your own bags and proof of residence.

Gather & Grow Community Pantry is supported by the Department of Families Fairness and Housing's Community Food Security Program - Local Grants.

Spring 2026 Program

A complete overview of our current and upcoming exhibitions, one-off events, ongoing programs, workshops/classes newly introduced all tailored to our community, plus a personal note from our centre manager.

Image from Nature is a Home public program (June 2025), curated by Jasmeet Kaur Sahi. Photo credit Jonabelle Cogan.

Ceramic Studio

Multiple workshops available Altona Artisans @ LJAC

Experience the Joy of Play
Step into the world of clay and mosaic. Multiple programs designed for for all levels, whether you’re a first-timer or an experienced creator.
Come and enjoy the therapeutic process of moulding and shaping clay into something meaningful, be it a functional piece, a decorative object, or simply an expression of your creativity!

Day of the Dead Workshop

Saturday 31 October 1 – 3pm

The Goodbye Project presents Day of the Dead Celebration & Shrine-making Workshop, presented by artist, performer and broadcaster, Vanessa Renee Gatica Diaz.

Dress in your brightest colours, bring along a photo or two of a loved one who has died and spend time learning about a significant cultural event that centers on death. Vanessa will be in full cultural dress and can place a symbol in make-up on your face if you wish, before she talks to us about this important custom from her cultural heritage. Following the presentation there will be a hands on workshop to create a colourful shrine to honour your dead.

All materials supplied, including light refreshments. $10

The Goodbye Project - exploring the art of death and dying is supported by Hobsons Bay City Council, Make it Happen Grant.

HBCAC Annual General Meeting 2026

Hobsons Bay Community Advancement Co-Operative (HBCAC), which runs Louis Joel Arts & Community, invites members to attend the 2026 Annual General Meeting on Monday 19 October, 6pm to 9pm.

Visual Arts & Crafts

School Holiday Crafting with Amanda

Tuesday 29 September 12.30pm - 2.30pm

Join us for a fun and hands-on supervised art group these school holidays, facilitated by Amanda — the talented mosaic artist who runs the mosaic classes at Altona Artisans Studios. Participants will design and build a 3D animal sculpturexplore sculpture using a range of exciting materials and techniques in a supportive and engaging environment..

Tuesday 29 September All materials are supplied. Participants should bring a smock or wear clothes that can get messy.

In Between Worlds as part of FRINGE Festival 2026

One night only performance event! Saturday 3 October 2026 6:00pm – 8:00pm This one-night-only contemporary arts program, In Between Worlds, will transform the Louis Joel Arts & Community precinct — including the Queen Street building — into an immersive, multi-site Melbourne Fringe Festival experience. Featuring commissioned artists working across live art, theatre, dance, spoken word, sound and site-responsive practice, audiences will be guided through a curated MC-led program of performances and artistic interventions staged throughout the gallery, project spaces, studio spaces and outdoor areas. Featured Artists: Dramawerkz Theatre, Jonathan Sinatra, Gennivieve Collier, and Nicholas Collins.

Outfit Out Loud: Fashion Upcycling Workshop

Saturday 14 & Sunday 22 November 1pm - 5pm Outfit Out Loud is a vibrant exhibition of wearable artworks created through an upcycled fashion project celebrating LGBTQIA+ identity, creativity and self-expression. The wearable works will be created through a series of workshops in November held at Louis Joel Arts & Community at a low cost and with the opportunity to exhibit the work, reducing financial barriers to creative participation. The exhibition will be held at Louis Joel Arts & Community Arts in 2027 and is proudly supported by Hobsons Bay City Councils Make It Happen Grants. Anna from Aa is for Art, will lead participants in the transformation of pre-loved clothing donated by Green Collect, using stitching, painting, airbrushing, patches, embellishments and imaginative alterations. The resulting works will be bold, personal and expressive—each piece reimagining fashion as a canvas for identity, storytelling and pride, inviting audiences to experience the colour, confidence and queerness of upcycled self-expression. Book here https://weteachme.com/l/JxhGqicr

Wellbeing & Connection

B.O.B Club
(Boys Own Barbeque)

Fortnightly, Mondays, 12pm - 1pm

Join the boys and help cook a barbeque lunch with this friendly and inclusive group. All men welcome; no booking necessary.
$6 per session

Kings of the Kitchen

Weekly, Wednesdays 10am - 12pm

A cooking program for men of all ages, where you can learn, experiment, play, taste, and take home what you cook.
$12 per session. Contact 9398 2511 to book

Chair Yoga

Weekly, Wednesdays, 3pm - 4pm

Want all the benefits of Yoga but getting up or down from the mat is a challenge? Then come try Chair Yoga.
$5 per drop-in session

Tai Chi - Spring 2026

Weekly on Thursdays
10am - Intermediate Class
11:15am - Beginners Class
Join us for a calming and rejuvenating morning session of Tai Chi led by the experienced instructor Siew. Class runs in Logan Reserve when the weather is fine; indoors at Louis Joel when the weather is not so fine!

Enquire with Siew direct for 11:15am session. Ph 9398 2511 for details

Hobsons Bay Carer Peer Support Group

Thursdays 1pm- 3pm

24 September, 22 October & 26 November


Are you feeling isolated and alone in your caring role?

Are you a parent, grandparent or sibling providing 24/7 care within the home to a teenager or adult?

Does the person you care for have challenging behaviors, is combative, violent, aggressive or physically and emotionally abusive?

Hobsons Bay Carer Peer Support Group provides a safe non-judgmental space where you will be heard and validated in your caring experience. Gently facilitated by carers who tick all of the above, our aim is be an inclusive space for those who’s caring role is challenging and demanding.

If you would like further information please email: hobsonsbaycarersupport@gmail.com

New Moon Flow & Yin Yoga

Tuesdays 6.30pm - 7.45pm
A luxurious Slow Flow & Yin Yoga experience every new moon. Each session explores a different theme through breath work, mediation, slow flow that descends into yin shapes that melt us further into presence, relaxation and spaciousness.

Suitable for all levels, perfect for those with busy lives wanting to slow down. The 75 minute sessions are on the Tuesdays closest to the new moon each month.

Culture & Learning

Death Cafe

Last Sunday bi-monthly
2 - 4pm
June, August & November

Join in a conversation with people who are also interested in talking about death. While death is inevitable, it's often a topic that is avoided or spoken about in hushed tones. The monthly Death Cafe will be facilitated in a safe and supported setting, however Death Cafe is not a grief support or counselling session.
FREE, no bookings required, donations appreciated.

Dramawerkz

Theatre Classes
Multiple programs available for different age groups


Alongside programs that train young people in performing arts and public speaking skills, we offer numerous activities to promote wellbeing and community connection for young people in the area: through camps, workshops, leadership opportunities and mentorship.

To find out more about their workshops click the link below.

Pier Poetry Group

Fortnightly, Wednesdays 7pm - 8:30pm

An opportunity for people who love poetry (including song lyrics) to come together and share some poems or lyrics outlining why they enjoy a particular piece, how it makes them feel or think and a brief background on the poet or songwriter.
Group convener is our Poet-In-Residence, Peter Roberts.
FREE to attend. Email ljacpoetry@gmail.com for your interest.

Sustainable Living​

Repair Café Altona

Saturdays, 12pm - 3pm
2026 dates: 7 March, 11 April, 2 May, 13 June, 4 July, 1 August, 5 September, 3 October, 7 November


Have household items and treasures in need of repairs? Book in to see our clever volunteer 'fixers' and save waste to landfill. Why chuck it when you can fix it? FREE, donations appreciated.
Sponsored by Hobsons Bay Community Fund
Email culture@ljac.com.au to book

LJAC Community Garden


Our community garden is managed by volunteers with produce grown distributed to community members experiencing food insecurity.

New garden volunteers welcome. Open to all experience levels.

Email culture@ljac.com.au find out more.

Whispers from the Grasslands: A Talk by Megan O’Shea (Iramoo)

Come along and spend an afternoon learning about native grasslands that once flourished on the volcanic plains of western Victoria and how using these incredible native grasses in your own garden will support increased habitat for birds and insects.

Presented by Dr Megan O’Shea.

Megan has a background in ecological research working on the Striped Legless Lizards and Spiny Rice-flower. Megan currently leads The GREEN Lab @Iramoo which is a nexus between community, education and practice for the conservation, management and love of remnant native grasslands.

Sunday 18 October, 1pm to 3pm

This program is supported by Hobsons Bay City Council, Make it Happen Grant.

Louis Joel Gallery

A Riot of Colour

Hobsons Bay Arts Society’s Annual Members’ Showcase

29 August to 17 September

Launch: Friday 28 August at 7pm

Online

Louis Joel Poetry Podcast

Discussing all things poetry with your hosts Peter Roberts (Poet-in-Residence at LJAC), David Tredinnick (actor, playwright, raconteur, audio buff, archivist) & Colleen Murphy (writer, diversity champion, another raconteur). Each podcast will have interviews with poets, with people who convene poetry appreciation groups, with editors or producers of poetry magazines and with members of the community outlining some of their favourite (or least favourite) poems or song lyrics, and why.

In Conversation With

Our latest artist talk with Varga Hosseini now available online!

We enjoy hosting our exhibiting artists for talks, performances, workshops, or demonstrations. Watch our latest interviews with exhibiting artists such as Dovey Dee, Stu Thomas & Ceardai Demelza, on our Youtube Channel at the link below.

Image from 'In Conversation with': Varga Hosseini during his collaborative exhibition with Fari Hosseini 'Light Touch'.

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Image supplied by Scarlett Rose of exhibition 'Flesh & Clothes' with artworks by Jesse Symon & Lin Tobias