February Community Newsletter: Lunar New Year Events

February: Lunar New Year Events!

Hello!

I hope the Year of the Snake brings you much growth, transformation, and some much-needed Yin energy after the intense Dragon year we’ve just navigated together.

I’m excited to share with you the very first edition of our community events calendar! From local cultural festivals to movies to art exhibitions to specific community meet-ups, there’s something here to help you connect, create, and celebrate the Asian diaspora.

We created this calendar because community is essential for mental health and wellbeing. By joining events that celebrate our cultural identities, we can meet others, reduce loneliness, and spark our creativity—all while learning something new.

We’ll be sharing this calendar at the start of each month, and we’d love to see you at one of these events soon.

❤️Asami

P.S. Have an event to share? Reply to this email with “I have an event,” and we’ll be in touch!

🦉Interesting events relating to mental health and Asian diaspora identity:

👻 February 1/8: Step into the world of Japanese Horror at ACMI's Spotlight on Japanese Horror program this month. 

🧧 February 2: Take part in festive Lunar New Years celebrations this year at the NGV, whilst immersing yourself in art and live DJ sets. 

🐍 February 2: Ring in the Year of the Snake at Congee Club's Queer Lunar New Year Celebration! Come along to hang out with friends old and new, to celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year together.

👨‍🎨 February 7/14/21/28: Enjoy Yayoi Kusama's biggest Australian exhibition at NGV this month during their annual summer Friday night events, including a show on the 28th which features our very own technical producer Yeo!

🎥 February 12: Melbourne-based Asian Cinema Club will be showcasing a special 4K screening of Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love, alongside a special post-screening event. 

🎤 February 20: The City of Melbourne is launching a brand new podcast series called, "Making it in Melbourne: Conversations with migrant entrepreneurs" at the State Library of Victoria, featuring our very own founder Asami, alongside four other incredible migrant founders.

🎎  February 20 - March 10:  AsiaTOPA will be presenting an unforgettable city-wide adventure of art, exhibitions and performances from the Asia-Pacific. 

🎉 February 20: Celebrate the opening of Asia TOPA and Club 8 with a delectable lineup curated by AsiaTOPA and Big Bao. 

🎤 February 22: Join legendary Asian rock band Mayday 五月天 for an epic performance at Sydney's Accor stadium as they become the first Mandarin band to headline this 50,000+ capacity venue. 

Looking ahead...

🎸 March 21/23/24: Having collaborated with indie icons such as Omar Apollo, Asian American multi-instrumentalist and producer Ginger Root is set to perform his first Australian tour this March. Tickets on sale now on Live Nation. 

🎵 April 6/9/12: K-rock group DAY6 (데이식스) will bring their highly anticipated WORLD TOUR <FOREVER YOUNG>  to Australia & New Zealand in April 2025. Tickets on sale now on Live Nation. 

🔎 Searching for a therapist?

Connect with our new practitioners below, or share this page with someone who may need this 

🎤 Therapist spotlight.

Get to know clinical psychologist, Daniel He via our interview 

"I understand that you have faced some hard times. Your feelings, wants, opinions and needs are important. You do not have to do it all, you are good enough as you are"

✨Thank you for reading up to this point!

We rely heavily on your generous support to provide ongoing and free mental health resources to Asian communities in Australia.

Support Shapes and Sounds HERE.

🐌 And last but not least:

Recently in social media land,

We shared the snippet from Season 2 of the Asian Mental Health Podcast where Marcus shares how he takes care of his mental health during the summer months. Explore our instagram to check out some more content, and make sure to check out Season 2 here!