Circular Design Collective celebrates impact with an Open Day and series of short films documenting its legacy
The Circular Design Collective, led by FB IDEAs, in collaboration with Gamuda Land Australia, has quietly become one of Melbourne’s most inspiring experiments in creative collaboration and urban renewal.
As the one year site activation on Munro Street South Melbourne draws to a close this December, its impact is unmistakable. It has built connections, sparked collaborations, and proven that sustainability and creativity can powerfully co-exist — not just as a vision for the future, but as a lived reality right here in Fishermans Bend.
Since opening in January this year, the Collective has supported a diverse group of innovators in residence including After, Dodgy Paper, Lousy Ink, No Bull Cause, Precious Plastics Melbourne, [RE]Maker Project, Quiet RIOT’s Power Move, The Arts Bus, and Pianos Recycled each reimagining what’s possible when creativity meets circular thinking.
What’s emerged in this Fishermans Bend warehouse, once an empty space behind Gamuda Land’s The Canopy display suite, is more than a pilot. It’s a prototype for a new kind of creative economy, one powered by connection, collaboration and care for the world we make and remake together.
Amplifying impact
Alongside its innovators, the Collective has hosted workshops, exhibitions and community events, welcoming locals and industry partners into the space to experience creativity in action. In May, After invited emerging designers and students from Collarts and Mac Robertson Girls High School to reimagine textile waste into art, fashion and functional objects that were showcased in their ‘From Trash to Treasure’ exhibition.
In July and September, Precious Plastic Melbourne hosted a series of school holiday programs encouraging the next generation of changemakers to take action against plastic waste. In July, we also hosted the third ‘Weaving Three Stories’ workshops, exploring circular design in context to Caring for Country and ways to create an urban environment with Indigenous generational perspectives.
In August, the team behind Lousy Ink and Dodgy paper launched ‘The Leftovers’ exhibition, showcasing the work of local artists using artist inks made with recycled ink cartridge ink and jumbo sized recycled paper sheets.
And over the year, the Circular Design Collective have taken their work and circular design impact beyond Fishermans Bend. Felix Toohey was part of the Zero Waste Festival in August, and in October the PowerMOVE dancefloor that developed at the Circular Design Collective made it’s way to Fed Square to be part of Melbourne Fringe Festival.
In November, a partnership with Port Phillip Secondary College will connect students directly with innovators working in their community, as we host their annual PortAL event and students participate in the design challenge using waste from the local CBCo Brewing, inspired by the No Bull Cause think tank series.
“It’s been incredible to see this space evolve from individual projects into a genuine creative community,” says Kate Spencer, General Manager of FB IDEAs. “They’ve shown what’s possible when you bring together people who care deeply about the planet, design, and each other.”
Filming the journey
The stories behind the Circular Design Collective have been beautifully captured in a series of short films by No Bull Cause founder Felix Toohey, offering intimate portraits of the makers and innovators behind the Collective. Equal parts doco and love letter, these films reveal the ideas, experiments and friendships that have defined the space.
Celebrate National Recycling Week with us!
Join us for the Circular Design Open Day on Saturday 16 November, during National Recycling Week, for a free community event featuring live demos, pop-up retail, hands-on exhibits, and music, BBQ and coffee from 12pm - 3pm.
