Abbotsford Convent

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A living place for curiosity and collaboration, meeting and meaning. The heart of a creative community. A precinct of art, culture and learning.
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Just four kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD and spread over 16 acres, Abbotsford Convent is Australia’s largest multi-arts precinct—a place of art, culture and learning. Renowned for its rich history, its striking built and natural landscapes, and the remarkable community-led campaign to preserve it from commercial development, the site was enshrined on Australia’s National Heritage List in 2017. Today, this nationally and internationally unique precinct is managed by the Abbotsford Convent Foundation, a not-for-profit, social enterprise. The Convent is home to a vibrant creative community, wellbeing practitioners, galleries, cafes, a radio station, a school, and an abundance of green open space. We are passionate about working collaboratively with artists and partnering with arts and cultural organisations to present contemporary, thought-provoking and enriching experiences for all to enjoy. And every year we curate and also welcome over 2,000 art projects, rehearsals, workshops, exhibitions, private and corporate events, markets and festivals. At the Convent we celebrate creativity, inclusivity, wellbeing and community enrichment—both onsite and online. We look forward to welcoming you to our special place!

23/10/2026

EVENT UPDATE — CONVENT SOUNDS 25/10/26.

There are few things more iconically Melbourne than a concert on the lawns
at the Convent.

Except, perhaps, a rainy weather forecast.

Sadly, it looks like Melbourne is leaning into its reputation a little too enthusiastically this time.

With rain forecast throughout the weekend, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel this month’s Convent Sounds. The December session will go ahead as planned.

As much as we were looking forward to the event, the safety and comfort of the musicians and our audience must come first. We also need to look after our beautiful Heritage Lawn.

Ticket holders, please check your emails for next steps.

We’ll see you in the gardens soon. x

22/10/2026

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝗗𝗪 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁. 💫

Applications for Melbourne Design Week are now open via the NGV, closing 13 November (find out more at designweek.melbourne)

The Convent is set to return as a key venue for next year’s festival, and we’re inviting designers and creative collectives to bring their ideas to the precinct.

Think gardens, courtyards and outdoor spaces. Big ideas, small interventions and everything in between.

Work that brings people together, explores our relationship with the natural world, or inspires us to see this familiar place in new ways.

Sound like you?

Feel free to get in touch with [email protected] to explore what’s possible before submitting your application.

We’re excited to see what you can imagine.

21/10/2026

Meet the Convent Quilters 🪡🩶

Every week at the Convent, a group of women gather with fabric, thread and unfinished projects. Some have been quilting together for 18 years.

Since finding a home at the Convent in 2008, the quilters have become part of its living cultural history. Around the table, knowledge is shared, problems are solved, recipes are shared and quilts are made for loved ones, and sometimes secretly for each other.

“Quilting has brought us all together,” says Andrea. “Because I don’t think we would have met each other otherwise.”

Over the years, they’ve created a community built on creativity, tradition, and the joy of coming together.

🔗 Read the full story.

20/10/2026

Join us in the gardens this weekend for the premiere of Convent Sounds 💫

Bring a picnic, gather your favourite people and settle in for an afternoon of exceptional live music. Convent Sounds opens with an 11-piece brass ensemble featuring musicians from the and .

Whether classical music is a familiar pleasure or a new discovery, this relaxed daytime concert is an invitation to enjoy it together.

Sunday 25 October
Gates from 3pm
Performance from 3.30pm
Heritage Garden

🔗 Book now: https://events.humanitix.com/convent-sounds-october

19/10/2026

𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘔𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺. 𝘋𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳.
𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩 shares the stories of Ariadne, Arachne, Athena, Philomela, and Procne; women who used weaving to find agency within their fates.

Three dancers and three musicians move through these stories and through the performance space itself, blending in and out of character to draw a thread between myth and today — highlighting these women's tales as more than a footnote in someone else's odyssey.

Whether you know these myths inside out or are meeting these women for the first time, you're invited along on this special interactive journey.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿: +
𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿:
𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿: Caroline Ellis
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻: Lore Burns
𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁: Sarah Saxon, Rhiana Katz, Rosie Breedt, , and Lore Burns.

4 — 7 November
The Store

🔗 Discover more via link in bio

Image by Hayley Roe.

16/10/2026

Grab a taste of spring in the gardens for Convent Sounds 🍓🧺

Enjoy the ultimate relaxed Sunday session next weekend by adding a picnic box to your Convent Sounds order. Prepared by , these beautiful boxes are portioned for four and perfect for sharing, and will be ready to collect on the day for maximum ease.

Orders must be placed by midday, Thursday 22 October — so get in quick!

🔗 Book now: https://abbotsfordconvent.com.au/event/convent-sounds/

14/10/2026

Meet Eric Avery — acclaimed violinist, vocalist, dancer and composer, and one of the incredible artists working here at the Convent.

Swipe to learn more. 💫

12/10/2026

This week, live cello and resonating strings interweave in a web of shimmering vibration through 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘳.

The work is a new multi-disciplinary performance by cellist and composer Freya Schack-Arnott in collaboration with Trá Mi Dinh (dancer/choreographer) and Tilman Robinson (sound artist/engineer), informed by stories of weaving, binding and restricting; exploring and reshaping our relationship to the cello, the body and to sound.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿/𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: Freya Schack-Arnott
𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿/𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿: Trá Mi Dinh
𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿: Tilman Robinso
𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿: Alex Nguyen
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿: Shiv Geaney
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿: Michaela Coventry (Sage Arts Australia)

Presented as part of Melbourne Fringe at the Convent.

𝟭𝟱 — 𝟭𝟳 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿
𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝘆

🔗 Book now: https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/nornir

07/10/2026

This weekend, Convent Kids is popping up alongside the Regional Farmers Market for a morning of making and creating. 🌟

Inspired by the much-loved Smörgåsbord series, little ones have the chance to jump into two workshops led by talented on-site creatives — making and publishing an 8-page book with Kids' Own Publishing, or giving old shoes new life with This is Not a Shoe.

Kids are welcome to try their hand at one or both workshops, and stay for as long as they like. Plus, make a day of it with all your usual Farmers Market goodies, and the brand new Bar Familiar right across the courtyard! ☕️

Saturday 10 October
10am–1pm
Salon

$10 tickets — available at the door only.

🔗 Discover more: https://bit.ly/470jH2N

06/10/2026

This month, we welcome the incredible Mindy Gill () to the Convent as the final Writer in Residence for 2026.

Mindy is an award-winning poet, editor, and critic, and Australian Book Review’s fifth Rising Star. Her poetry and criticism have appeared in The Penguin Book of Indian Poets, the Saturday Paper, Griffith Review, Australian Book Review, and elsewhere. She currently serves as the Poetry Editor of Meanjin.

Mindy will use her Residency to finalise her debut poetry collection, 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, a five-part transnational work which explores themes of identity and belonging, love and its dissolution, illness and recovery. 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 will be published with University of Queensland Press in 2027.

Welcome, Mindy!
💜

Images: AFTER HOURS at the Convent by .io

05/10/2026

Picnics on the lawn are about to get even better 🧺

Get ready to pull up a rug and experience Convent Sounds — where exceptional live music meets the ease and pleasure of an afternoon in the gardens. This month, dive into some brilliant brass, courtesy of (MSO) and — and then return in December for festive fun.

With free tickets for people under 18, we invite you to pack a picnic and bring the whole family, or pre-order a snack box while booking for the ultimate relaxed Sunday session.

𝟮𝟱 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 & 𝟲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻

🔗 Discover more and book: https://bit.ly/4yhnrcg

04/10/2026

Meet Paul — the man who unlocks the gates 🔑

This year marks Paul’s 15th anniversary at the Convent — and we’re taking a moment to celebrate the wealth of knowledge he carries, the many stories he holds, and the lovely friendships that he’s built along the way. 🫶

02/10/2026

𝙁𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙇 𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙆𝙀𝙉𝘿 — 𝘽𝙊𝙍𝙉 𝙍𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙉𝙏𝙄𝘾 ❤️‍🔥

BORN ROMANTIC is the debut solo exhibition of Gumbaynggirr artist Aretha Brown.

Rejecting the assumption that Aboriginal art must be purely educational and political, this show delivers a dissection of her heart, a deeply personal insight into the experience of being a young, q***r, Blak girl.

‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘨𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯… 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘢 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤.’

Open 10am – 6pm until Sunday 4 Oct
Magdalen Laundry

Tickets available online or at the door.

🔗 Discover more: https://events.humanitix.com/born-romantic

01/10/2026

Distillation has arrived at the Convent 🍃

This weekend, take an olfactory journey to the Irish Midlands Bog with multidisciplinary artist and performer, Luke Casserly, learning a little more about the peat harvesting industry in his home town of Longford, Ireland.

Nominated for a Best of Sydney Fringe award last week, Distillation is a must-see performance as part of Melbourne Fringe at the Convent.

🔗 Book now: https://bit.ly/4yBi3R2

𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥

30/09/2026

ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇɪʟ ɢʀᴏᴡꜱ ᴛʜɪɴ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏʀᴛᴀʟ ᴏᴘᴇɴꜱ.

Next weekend, discover the third iteration of -TOPIA by .club as they transform the Convent into a living canvas of sound, performance, art and play.

Dive headfirst into an exploration of the inbetween, the liminal, and the imagined.

🔗 Discover more and book.

29/09/2026

Today marks a very special day at the Convent, as we celebrate the 100th birthday of our beloved Tempietto.

Completed on this day in 1926, this structure, whose name translates to "little temple", was built to enclose the Convent Courtyard, and was used as a space for quiet contemplation for more than 300 religious women and girls that lived here.

Today, the Tempietto has a new life. Depending on the moment you happen to walk past, it might be a hidey-spot for a child, a meeting point for friends, or somewhere to find a moment of respite.

This little structure is a reminder of just how much history is contained within the Convent precinct, and how lucky we are to preserve and care for these things, to share their stories, and to make sure they continue to have a life in the community for generations to come.

Happy birthday, Tempietto 🫶

27/09/2026

This October, Convent Kids is popping up at the Regional Farmers Market, offering creative workshops by Kids' Own Publishing and This is Not a Shoe 🫶

Families will be able to drop in throughout the day, making it the perfect way to spend spring at the Convent.

Swipe for more info! 👉

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝘼𝙢𝙨𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

24/09/2026

Take a trip to the Irish Midlands bog through this multi-sensory experience, curated and performed by Luke Casserly as part of Melbourne Fringe.

Luke Casserly collaborated with renowned perfumer Joan Woods to create a unique essence of the Midlands bog - the place where he grew up - as the starting point for an olfactory encounter exploring our relationship to place.

Created in direct response to the closure of Ireland’s peat harvesting industry, Distillation is dedicated to the future of our broken landscapes — in the hope that by listening to them, we might be able to better understand them.

1 — 4 October
Industrial School

🔗 Book now: https://bit.ly/4xt7Tkz

Address

1 Street Heliers St Abbotsford
Melbourne, VIC
3067

Website

http://abbotsfordconvent.com.au/

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