Dinner and a Show

Dinner and a show invites participants into a vibrant, hands-on, creative cultural experience. They will collaboratively create a themed pop-up restaurant from the ground up. Incorporating design and planning, marketing, mixed media documentation, through connection art and play. — from table cloths and ceramic tableware to homemade condiments and food preparation to experiential atmospheric details. Over 5 weeks, participants explore a dynamic range of art forms and techniques while cultivating imagination, confidence, and teamwork through practical ways of creative collaboration

The program culminates in a magical community dinner, where friends, families, and neighbors are invited to enjoy this immersive, community-shared dining experience.

Program Schedule

Week 1: Textile Design – Setting the Table

Date: July 31  Time: 4 pm – 6 pm

Participants will design a 1 m × 1 m linen tablecloth using colour, sewing, and personal symbols that reflect the program’s theme.

Key Themes

• Textile surface design

• Expression through symbols, shared ideas, and motivation

Result:
Each participant will contribute to the dining space with their custom-designed tablecloth, which they will take home after Week 5.

Week 2: Ceramics – Ramekins, Bowls, Cups, or Candle Holders

Date: August 6  Time: 4 pm – 6 pm

Participants hand‑build functional ceramic pieces, learning pinch‑pot and coil techniques.

Key Skills

• Pinch‑pot and coil building

• Creating texture with natural materials

• Underglaze decoration

Result:
Professionally glazed and fired ceramics, ready for collection at Week 5.

Week 3: Ceramic Glazing & Ambience Workshop

Date: August 13  Time: 4 pm – 6 pm

Participants glaze their ceramics and design the restaurant’s ambience through light, music, and documentation.

Activities Include

• Glazing and decorating ceramics

• Creating DIY mood lighting

• Curating a collaborative Spotify playlist

• Filming and audio documentation

Result:
Glazed pieces ready for firing, plus playlist and lighting plan for Week 5.

Week 4: Food Lab – Menu, Condiments & Flavour Design

Date: August 20  Time: 4 pm – 6 pm

Participants create condiments and design menus for the final event.

Activities Include

• Menu and label design

• Tasting and exploring spices, herbs, oils, and vinegars

• Preparing simple ferments or sauces

Result:
Handmade condiments and labelled jars for Week 5, plus recipe cards to take home.

Week 5: Pop‑Up Restaurant Launch Night

Date: August 27  Time: 4 pm – 7 pm

Children transform the venue into their pop‑up restaurant, setting tables with their handmade linens and ceramics, styling lighting and sound, and presenting the food they created.

Includes

• Decorated tables featuring all participant‑made items

• Buffet‑style display of dishes and condiments

• Curated playlist and optional performances

• Photo and video highlights of the creative journey

Result:
The program culminates in a joyful, co-created community event where friends, families, and neighbours are warmly invited to join from 6 pm to 7 pm for an immersive, one-night-only dining experience. Guests will be welcomed into a transformed space brought to life by the young participants, complete with handmade ceramics, custom-designed tablecloths, mood lighting, soundscapes, and a collaborative menu of house-made condiments and simple bites.

This final celebration is both a shared meal and a living art installation — a chance to honour the creativity, collaboration, and care that have shaped the program. Participants will take home their artworks, including their glazed ceramics and textile pieces, as a lasting reminder of their collective creation.

Notes

• This program is inclusive and open to all ages.

• Parents and guardians are welcome to assist or supervise their child during Weeks 1–4; however, a valid Working With Children Check is required.

• If your child has dietary requirements or health considerations, please contact us via email before the program begins. Where necessary, please include an action plan to support your child’s needs.

• Casual (one-off) class bookings may be available if the program has not reached capacity. Please email us to enquire about availability.

• In the event your child is unwell and unable to attend a class, we are unable to provide a full refund. However, we can offer a partial refund of 50% ($23) for the missed session.
  
  Facilitator Bios

  Melissa Murphy
  Melissa Murphy is a 43-year-old Melbourne-based creative, cook, and community facilitator with a strong background in inclusive engagement. Her work centres on safety, accessibility, and collaboration. Since 2020, she has founded and run community-led initiatives such as Murph’s Food Co-op and Suntop Plaza, both of which reflect her passion for building meaningful, people-powered spaces.

  From catering large-scale events to preparing nutrition-focused meals for families in their homes, Melissa brings warmth and structure to every project. She has developed and delivered engagement programs for participants of all ages — from toddlers to adults — always with an emphasis on hands-on creativity and shared experience.

  In addition to her community work, Melissa is a practicing painter, currently exploring playful, abstracted figures and bold colour as part of her artistic practice.

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  Lily Rigg
  Lily Rigg is a Melbourne-based ceramic artist and educator whose practice draws on ancient ceramic forms reimagined through a contemporary lens. Her work explores surface design with a strong emphasis on glaze, texture, and the aesthetics of erosion, decay, and transformation.

  Lily teaches both wheel-throwing and hand-building ceramics to children and adults, combining technical skill with a strong emphasis on creative exploration. Her workshops are playful, accessible, and rooted in a love of material processes.

  Lily’s background in community arts, education, and collaborative programming informs her approach to facilitation, creating inclusive spaces where students are encouraged to experiment, take creative risks, and develop confidence in their ideas.