About
We’ve never been so divided
Conflict, climate change, and political unrest have inflamed hatred, destroyed culture and driven many from their homes. The gap between rich and poor has expanded. The firehose of social media and rapid news cycles force content upon us without time to think.
The time to stand back and admire the problem is over
Now, it’s time to re-connect, to interrogate ideas and have the hard conversations. It’s time to bring together knowledge from different schools of thought.
This is our mission, and our invitation, to you, our new humanity makers.
Let's spark imagination, start conversations, find meaning, create empathy, and rekindle hope.
We’re raising humanity, together.
To do this we’re creating spaces for connection and conversation by:
- Programming open, accessible, and unique experiences for the public
- Supporting brave thinkers and connecting them to audiences
- Creating a hub for stories and ideas, accessible anytime, anywhere, by anyone
- Collaborating with partners from around the world, and around the corner, to create new opportunities for connection
- Developing programs that foster creativity, communication, reason and critical thinking
- Investing in research that will help us build the future we’ve imagined, together.
Our people
Frequent asked questions
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At the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, we view the Humanities as any discipline that considers and studies what it means to be human?
This includes disciplines such as History, Philosophy, literature, and the visual and performing arts, as well as social sciences such as sociology, anthropology or criminology, just to name a few. We also consider linguistics, and the study of different religions and cultures more broadly to fall under our umbrella.
It’s a wide umbrella, but at their core, all of these disciplines offer an opportunity to connect, and consider new ideas, and different human experiences.
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Each, and every one of these disciplines offers a new perspective, and a new voice to be considered in the increasingly complex conversations that the modern era demands of us.
The humanities help us to become comfortable with uncertainty, to understand that there isn’t always an easy, clear-cut answer. They help us think in complex ways, and to consider how we might find interdisciplinary solutions to complex problems, drawing on not only the humanities, but considering how we might work together with scientific and technical disciplines.
The humanities bring us joy. They allow us to embrace the things that make life beautiful, such as art, literature, and music, adding depth, perspective and empathy to our experience as humans.
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The MPHI is for everyone. We welcome any and all who are eager to join our community, to explore new ideas, and engage in the conversation. Whether you’re a student, alum, academic, or have never set foot on a university campus, all we ask is that you come curious.
We consider accessibility in all of our programming, and take steps to make sure that wherever possible we can cater for and accommodate all participants.
Accessibility information is always available on our event pages.
We’re also eager to connect with community groups, partner organisations and schools. If you’d like to find out more, visit the partner with us section below.
Partner with us
The Faculty of Arts works with some of Melbourne’s key public institutions and community organisations. These include Bell Shakespeare, Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne Writers Festival, National Gallery of Victoria, Schwartz Media, State Library Victoria and The Wheeler Centre.
The Faculty of Arts also draws on cross-disciplinary and cross-University expertise from the Australian Centre, Centre for Advancing Journalism, Contemplative Studies Centre, Grimwade Centre, Initiative for Peacebuilding, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, and University of Melbourne Arts and Culture (UMAC).
Support us
The Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative was generously launched with the support of donations from Jeanne Pratt AC and Peter Jopling AM KC. The Melbourne Humanities Foundation is also backing the Initiative and seeks further donations that match its commitment to student support and development, public value and partnership, the creation of broad learning platforms and investment in research and training.
For more information about the role philanthropy plays in public humanities contact: public-humanities@unimelb.edu.au
Find out more about scholarships and prizes that keep the humanities accessible.