Dinners with a Difference is a facilitated discussion over a meal that dips beneath the surface of everyday conversations.

Come solo or bring a friend that you'd like to get to know better.

This month's topic is COMMUNITY.

Community is a group of people who come together around shared characteristics such as purpose, place, or ideals. We belong to many communities, whether by choice or circumstance. Even when we don’t feel connected to a community, it still exists. Sometimes it takes a dramatic event, like a natural disaster, to make us aware of the community around us, but often it’s the consistent, quiet habit of connecting that sustains a community over time.

Building and maintaining a community beyond our family of origin and workplace is an essential part of creating a fulfilling and well-rounded life. These connections provide opportunities to expand our perspectives, foster a sense of belonging, and develop meaningful relationships with people who share our values, interests, or aspirations.

While families and colleagues often form the foundation of our support networks, engaging with broader communities allows us to explore our identity, contribute to shared goals, and experience the richness of diverse interactions. In a world that can sometimes feel isolating, cultivating community can be a powerful antidote, offering both personal growth and collective resilience.

This dinner warmly invites anyone curious about the role of community in their life. Together, we’ll delve into the meaning, power, and challenges of belonging to and building community.

What does community mean to you?
How do communities shape our identities?
What makes a community thrive?
What are the challenges of sustaining community?
What does inclusion look like, and how can we foster belonging within diverse groups?

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Your ticket includes a selection of entrees and mains, with dietary needs thoughtfully catered for. Drinks will be available for purchase on the night, ensuring a well rounded dining experience. To enrich the conversation, a prerequisite questionnaire will be emailed to attendees the week before the event. We kindly ask that you complete the short form prior to attending.

With the entire restaurant exclusively reserved for our dinner, we'll have the freedom to express ourselves authentically and engage in vibrant dialogue without hesitation.

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Feedback from previous participants

"Dive in and give it a go. So worthwhile, stimulating and full of insightful conversation."

"A great night where you get to eat delicious food with a diverse array of interesting people all open to deep conversations. As well as the deep thoughtful conversations, there are always loads of laughs."

"It’s an opportunity to drop your guard - the normalities of day to day, and any roles/responsibilities. It’s quite liberating to discuss meaningful topics as a (relatively) anonymous person and speak truthfully without a filter. How bloody refreshing!"

"Chatting with random strangers was really fun."

"As a young Aussie guy, most of the conversations I have are surface level, sports-based, or just entirely sledging, which I love, but I don't really have the opportunity to philosophically explore topics or share meaningful (and related) anecdotes in a respectful forum where I could be challenged, encouraged and introspective, just for the sake of good conversation.
Finding good chats as an adult gets harder and harder, but this took me back to being freshly 18 and enjoying that good old Aussie tradition of a drunk 'DnM' (Deep and Meaningful). Happy to be philosophical and vulnerable - cracked open emotionally and intellectually - only now a little less drunk and much more comfortable."

"Gretel creates a safe and inclusive space where people can be seen and heard amongst a group of complete strangers! Conversation is gently guided with good humour with a nod to complexity and nuance. Dialogue is liberated and reinvented in a fun and casual atmosphere."

"So, those questions you have about the way the world is right now, and your place in it, and how you would like people you can share that with, and how you are feeling about all that? Bring all of it. That's what Dinners with a Difference is for."