The Festival of Para-Academia (FOPA) is an experiment in collective equipment for an emerging cultural sphere.

A series of talks, panels, exhibitions + more will occur in Naarm between Nov 21 – 24.

FOPA is a gathering of entities responding creatively to the decay in the Australian university sector.

This event is for anyone who thinks ‘education’ ought to be done better.

MORNING SESSION | 12:30pm to 1pm

Pell Mell Studio

The Work of Collective Equipment

Matt Keyter

FOPA will be introduced as a whole. Some background will be given. Additionally, it will be articulated how FOPA relates to a broader project of Collective Equipment for the para-academic sphere. This will introduce our communities to existing as well as upcoming projects.

EARLY ARVO SESSION | 1:30pm to 2:30pm

Public Pedagogies Institute

The Knowledge Project

Associate Professor Karen Charman will introduce the work of the Public Pedagogies Institute. The intent of the Institute is a focus on learning and teaching outside of formal institutions. Initially a response to the commodification of education the Institute has morphed into a place where there is an exchange of ideas amongst contributors such as artists, community educators and academics. The signature project of the Institute is the Knowledge Project an intervention into deficit readings of communities.

LATE ARVO SESSION | 3:30pm to 5:30pm

The Existentialist Society

John Noack will be presenting a lecture entitled Can Existentialism be both Atheistic and Religious? This will be followed by a Q&A as well as discussion.

EVENING SESSION | 7pm until late

Radical Journalism

Jonathon Dunk (Overland), Dan Lopez (Jacobin Australia) and Sally Olds (Paris End) will be having an up-to-the-minute discussion of the contemporary situation. This will be structured around the idea of radical journalism.