Melbourne has a well-earned reputation as Australia's creative capital. The city has a long-standing culture of independent thinking, with a dense network of studios, galleries, design agencies and maker spaces spread across neighbourhoods like Fitzroy, Collingwood and Brunswick.
What makes it genuinely easy to connect here is that the community is proud of what it's built, and most people are happy to welcome new faces into it.
Whether you're a designer, illustrator, filmmaker, or working in any creative field, this guide will help you find your people in the city. From casual meetups to vibrant community events,
Melbourne
offers countless opportunities to connect, collaborate, and get inspired.
Creative Lunch Club is a global community for people working in the creative industries. Whether you are a graphic designer, a photographer, a marketer, or a filmmaker, the Creative Lunch Club gives you the chance to regularly meet other creatives in your city for lunch.
The Design Kids is a global community for emerging designers, with city meetups, interviews, jobs, and practical resources to help you build your folio and grow your career.
Melbourne Design Week is an annual festival featuring an 11‑day program of talks, tours, exhibitions, launches, installations and workshops, along with awards celebrating contemporary design.
Running a service-based creative business is a lonely journey. Since joining Creative Lunch Club, I've developed meaningful connections with amazing creatives across photography, UX, marketing and more. Bonding with others in the creative industry has been incredibly insightful, not only for inspiration and ideas, but also reminding me why I love being a creative storyteller.
I love Creative Lunch Club because it harnesses the most human way of connecting, sharing a meal. It's an effortless way for creatives to build diverse connections and friendships across various fields and meet people they wouldn't otherwise.
So I’ve just moved back to my home town after living overseas for 3 years and I’ve always had trouble meeting creative people that are my vibe. I figured Brisbane just didn’t have many creatives. I signed up for creative lunch club and boy did they pull through. I met two people my age and in the exact same position as me, just moved here and looking for creative friends. We all clicked immediately and started making all the plans before going for a drive together and extending out hang out. So excited for the next meetup! Couldn’t recommend this more, it’s such a great concept.
