Melbourne Knowledge Week 2014

Overview

Melbourne prides itself on being the thinking person's city. We don't have Brisbane's sun or surf and we certainly don't have the picturesque views of Sydney. With weather that fluctuates between the howling gales of Siberia and the scorching highs of the Sahara, we're pretty much forced to sit inside all day and read books. Now we're taking full advantage of all those smarts: from October 27 - November 2 the City of Melbourne is hosting Melbourne Knowledge Week.

Featuring 90 events, this mini-festival scattered across the CBD spans the fields of science and medicine, design and urban planning, business, art, culture and technology. Featuring talks, panels, workshops, walking tours and performances, Melbourne Knowledge Week is all about ongoing discussion, interrogation and learning.

The highlight of the arts program will undoubtedly be The Crack Up at Malthouse Theatre. A "transmedia dance performance", this work will incorporate live dance and virtual performers against a high-resolution 3D backdrop. The cutting-edge work will then be followed with a panel entitled 'Performance and Technology: where to from here?’.

If your smarts come from books rather than the stage, you might instead be interested in 'Stop Apologising for Your Arts Degree' — a forum on the versatility and use of humanities, and a guaranteed pick-me-up to your post-university slump. Alternatively, you can explore the uses of virtual reality technology or debate the pros and cons of making Melbourne a 24-hour city.

There's really no need to choose at all. With most events offered free of charge, you may as well hit up as many as possible. Your education shouldn't stop with your final VCE exam.

Check out the full program here.