By Ewen McRae
New Year’s resolutions may still be a few months away, but the time to learn a new skill is this week as the Melton Lifelong Learning Festival hits town.
The annual festival kicks off this Friday, and will feature more than 200 free events designed to spark the imagination and help residents pick up some new skills.
Cheesemaking, woodworking, 3D printing, coding, and self-defence are just some of the classes on offer until the festival closes on October 27.
One of the more popular classes is sure to be cheesemaking, with Werribee’s Craig Castree delivering a fromage class.
Melton council said the festival is a celebration of continuous learning at all ages and promotes the benefits of learning new life skill.
Deputy mayor Lara Carli said it was a great way to discover new interests.
“The festival takes learning out of the classroom and into dance studios, gardens, swimming pools and community hubs. It’s a fun, fulfilling and hands-on approach to learning that everyone can enjoy,” Cr Carli said.
“This is your chance to try something that’s always interested you, or challenge yourself by discovering something you may never have considered before.
“The best part is many of the activities will continue beyond the festival, opening up new possibilities for ongoing learning, building friendships and maybe even a hobby for life.”
The festival will be launched at 10.30am on October 18, on the lawn outside the Melton Library and Learning Hub.
Some activities require bookings. Classes can be found at meltonlearning.com.au/festival
