Events at the old church in the bush
To enquire about using our space for an upcoming event or performance please go to our performers page.
What Lies Beneath- Trio Lyra – Flute, Viola and Harp
Sunday, August 10th, 2025
Time: 5.00pm
Where: Yandoit Cultural- the old church in the bush, Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit.
Description:
Tryo Lyra brings together Katia Mestrovic on harp, Alyse Faith on flute, and Sandra Ionescu on viola. This concert explores depth, emotion and underwater worlds through works by Debussy, Miguel del Águila, and two Australian composers with personal significance to the ensemble. The program is deeply inspired by Impressionism, journeys from del Águila’s response to Alfonsina Storni’s poem Me at the Bottom of the Sea, which blends Latin American influences with impressionistic textures; to Debussy’s Syrinx, based on the Ancient Greek myth, and his Sonata, one of the most well-known works for this combination of instruments. Works from closer to home by Katia Mestrovic and Julia Potter each evoke a harmonic world of their own through soundscapes, textures, moods and colours.
PROGRAM:
Miguel de ÁGUILA (2013) Submerged
Claude DEBUSSY (1913) Syrinx
Katia MESTROVIC (2024) Entwine-Unravel-Renew
Julia POTTER (2024) What Lies Beneath for flute, viola & tape
Claude DEBUSSY (1915) Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp
Cost: Pay As You Like Ticketing. Suggested $30/20- cash at the door. Ticket donations go to Yandoit Cultural and the musicians.
Alyse Faith is a casual musician with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Opera Australia Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic. She was a member of the MSO Academy in 2023. Alyse holds a Master of Arts in Performance degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London. Alyse was Commended in the Royal Academy of Music J & J Brough Flute Prize 2019-20. (https://alysefaithflute.com/)
Katia Mestrovic is an eclectic modern-classical harpist-composer based in Melbourne. Her goal in performing and composing is to show audiences the versatility of the harp – its extended techniques, capacity for resonance, moods and colours. She graduated from The Sydney Conservatorium of Music with High Distinction (2022). She competed as a semi-finalist in The World Harp Competition (2024), and won third place in the BASEL International Harp Competition (2023 and she has composed commissions. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcWNaHdgOGw)
Sandra Ionescu is a distinguished violist who began her musical journey in Romania and later advanced her studies at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, earning both a Bachelor Degree in Music Performance, and a Masters Degree in Performance Teaching. Since relocating to Australia, she has become an integral part of the classical music community. Sandra is an active and versatile chamber musician, regularly performing professionally across Australia. Sandra has participated in numerous chamber music festivals. She is active in performing new music including premiering contemporary works by composers such as Stuart Greenbaum, Julia Potter, and Elena Kats-Chernin. Sandra has received numerous awards, including the Corinna D’Hage Mayer String Scholarship, Monash-Pratt Musician Performance Scholarship, first prize in several Romanian National Competitions, and was a winner of The Richard Bonynge Orchestral Fellowship with Orchestra Victoria.
Yandoit cinemateque
Every second Thurday evening. Next screening - La Chimera- Thursday July 24th
Time: 7.30pm
Doors open at 6.30pm.
Where: Yandoit Cultural- the old church in the bush, Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit.
Description:
Welcome to the first season of the Yandoit Cinematheque presented through Yandoit Cultural, fortnightly on Thursday evenings. Fifth Screening – 24th July – La Chimera (2023) Dir . Alice Rohrwacher Selected for main competition at Cannes by awarding Italian director Alice Rohrwacher who won Best Screenplay at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for her previous feature, Happy as Lazzaro and the Cannes Jury Prize forThe Wonders (2014) La Chimea is set in 1980s rural Italy, when English archaeologist Arthur aids a ragtag group of local graverobbers to find ancient tombs filled with valuable artefacts. But Arthur, who mourns the loss of his love, Beniamina, uses the digs to search for the door to the afterlife, where he imagines reuniting with her Yandoit Cinémathèque. The films selected will be expansive, from classics from Europe and Hollywood to overlooked Australian Gems to vital Queer Cinema. We will explore films from various National Cinemas, parallel Independent Cinema, Indigenous Cinema and documentaries along the way. Contemporary classics will also feature, some overlooked, difficult to find and which deserve to be seen on the big screen. Follow us on Instagram. The final film in this first series is: Embrace of the Serpent (2016) Ciro Guerra, screened on Thursday August 3rd– Doors 6.00pm – Film – 7.15pm The Second Season will be announced on Friday 18th July, 2024 on our Instagram. The films selected are expansive, from classics from Europe and Hollywood to overlooked Australian Gems to vital Queer Cinema. We will explore films from various National Cinemas, parallel Independent Cinema, Indigenous Cinema and documentaries along the way. Contemporary classics will also feature, some overlooked, difficult to find and which deserve to be seen on the big screen. Follow us on Instagram. A three week\three film pass – $24 -Tickets at Humanitix and at the door. Doors 6.30 – Film – 7.30 There will be tea and coffee available and you are most welcome to bring some wine, beer, a hot thermos of tea or cacao to enjoy during the film. Winter here, bring a pillow to sit on and a blanket for comfort. For more information: Contact Vance 0432613784 |
Yandoit Sacred
Friday July 11th, 2025
Time: 5.30pm Where: Yandoit Uniting Church , Uniting Church Rd, off High St
Description:
Our next Yandoit Sacred gathering will be outside around the fire.
We’ll start with a meditation, led by Karina, a way to ‘clear the space’, to encourage deep focus, to pay attention to what’s arising in each of us.
There will be music and poetry around the fire and contemplations on beauty.
All welcome. To receive email updates subscribe to Yandoit Sacred: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/1140063/1403961343538
About Yandoit Cultural
Yandoit Cultural is located at Yandoit’s historic Uniting Church - Uniting Church Rd (off High St), Yandoit, 3461, Central Victoria. This old church in the bush is an intimate space seating approximately 100, with excellent acoustics.
Yandoit Cultural provides an arts and cultural space for the communities of Yandoit, Clydesdale and Franklinford, as well as surrounding townships in central Victoria. We encourage local, acoustic, quality and innovative performances with a diverse, inclusive program of music, story, song, poetry, film, visual arts and local history. In addition, Yandoit Cultural is available for wedding hire, musical recordings and more.
Yandoit Cultural celebrates the retention of our community’s much-loved and historical Uniting (ex-Methodist) church. Over the years many churches across central Victoria, and throughout Australia, have been decommissioned and subsequently sold. Once vital community hubs and commons, these buildings shift from public to private. The communities of Yandoit, Clydesdale and Franklinford are committed to retaining our precious church in community hands and to exploring ways the church can continue as a community gathering place, as local cultural centre, and as a venue for an emerging faith community.
Yandoit Cultural is committed to arts and culture being accessible to everyone. In most instances entry is by donation. We offer country hospitality with afternoon tea/supper provided at each event. Yandoit Cultural is a project of the Yandoit Clydesdale and Franklinford Community Planning Group.
If you’re interested in performing at Yandoit Cultural complete our expression of interest form.
