Ben Wrigley is no stranger to The Phatt and he brought along his new collaborator, Jarryd Eriksson to talk about their new men's wellbeing initiative ManAre.Space. This initiative is all about calling for courageous men, who are ready for adventure, to join their quest, willing to journey to the interior and  who are ready to play, to feel into the depth and breadth of being a male today.

They are going to do this through listening to the magic of myth and legend, folk lore, stories of epic trials: Odysseus, Blue Beard, Iron John, legend of Kings and queens and battles and through the practice of creative expression with art materials we will explore what it might be to be male here now.

What a fascinating initiative, and what a great conversation they had with Brett and Keith. 

Ben Wrigley is no stranger to The Phatt and he brought along his new collaborator, Jarryd Eriksson to talk about their new men's wellbeing initiative ManAre.Space. This initiative is all about&nbsp;calling for courageous men, who are ready for adventure, to join their quest, willing to journey to the interior and&nbsp;&nbsp;who are ready to play, to feel into the depth and breadth of being a male today.
They are going to do this through listening to the magic of myth and legend, folk lore, stories of epic trials:&nbsp;Odysseus, Blue Beard, Iron John, legend of Kings and queens and battles and through the practice of creative expression with art materials we will explore what it might be to be male here now.
What a fascinating initiative, and what a great conversation they had with Brett and Keith.&nbsp;

The Phatt Community Conversations are interviews with local community organisations during The Phatt on community radio station 106.7 Phoenix FM Bendigo, Australia. The Phatt is on Wednesdays 7am-9am with Keith and Brett, follow us for more more in-depth chats with community organisations.

The Phatt Community Conversations are interviews with local community organisations during The Phatt on community radio station 106.7 Phoenix FM Bendigo, Australia. The Phatt is on Wednesdays 7am-9am with Keith and Brett, follow us for more more in-depth chats with community organisations.

The Phatt Community Conversations

Ben Wrigley & Jarryd Eriksson, ManAre.Space - 28th January 2026

As part of the ongoing Community Conversation chats on The Phatt with councillors from the City of Greater Bendigo, Brett and Keith sat down with Cr. Damien Hurrell of Ravenswood ward to chat through all things council and to get to know the human side of being a councillor.
Damien talked about the challenges of finding balance between his commitment to community and his family and work life - not an easy thing to achieve. Damien also talked about what goes into decision making at council meetings, the many hours of reparation and discussions that inform the outcomes that impact our community. He spoke directly about recent decisions in regards to the Hargreaves Mall and the local public holiday.
Damien also feels strongly about our commitment to reconciliation and chose the Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody classic "From Little Things Big Things Grow" as his Australian music play, albeit running with the updated version by Ziggy Ramo and Paul Kelly.
A very insightful chat that helped Brett and Keith with their understanding and admiration for those who give so much to our community through serving on council.

As part of the ongoing Community Conversation chats on The Phatt with councillors from the City of Greater Bendigo, Brett and Keith sat down with Cr. Damien Hurrell of Ravenswood ward to chat through all things council and to get to know the human side of being a councillor. Damien talked about the challenges of finding balance between his commitment to community and his family and work life - not an easy thing to achieve. Damien also talked about what goes into decision making at council meetings, the many hours of reparation and discussions that inform the outcomes that impact our community. He spoke directly about recent decisions in regards to the Hargreaves Mall and the local public holiday. Damien also feels strongly about our commitment to reconciliation and chose the Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody classic "From Little Things Big Things Grow" as his Australian music play, albeit running with the updated version by Ziggy Ramo and Paul Kelly. A very insightful chat that helped Brett and Keith with their understanding and admiration for those who give so much to our community through serving on council.

Cr. Damien Hurrell of the City of Greater Bendigo - 23rd September 2026

In their Community Conversation on 16th of September 2026, Brett and Keith had a good chat with Supt. Paul Gardiner from Victoria Police. Initially talking about National Police Remembrance Day on 30th September, where we get to pay our respects to those officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of communities across Australia, they also chatted about how communities play an important role in modern policing, how things are travelling in Bendigo and Central Victoria (we're doing pretty well), and their upcoming focus on the Bendigo CBD.
You can keep up with what's happening across Bendigo via their community Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/eyewatchbendigo

 

In their Community Conversation on 16th of September 2026, Brett and Keith had a good chat with Supt. Paul Gardiner from Victoria Police. Initially talking about National Police Remembrance Day on 30th September, where we get to pay our respects to those officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of communities across Australia, they also chatted about how communities play an important role in modern policing, how things are travelling in Bendigo and Central Victoria (we're doing pretty well), and their upcoming focus on the Bendigo CBD. You can keep up with what's happening across Bendigo via their community Facebook page - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/eyewatchbendigo">https://www.facebook.com/eyewatchbendigo</a>
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Supt. Paul Gardiner from Victoria Police - 16th September 2026

In the Community Conversation on the 9th of September 2026, Brett and Keith had a great chat with Kerry Turpie from Forge Youth Theatre about what they are doing to allow more young people to access all aspects of theatre roles, from being on stage to those who may be backstage but are just as vital to the successful delivery of a stage event. Kerry told them how being involved in theatre productions helps build skills, confidence and self-esteem in young people, and how well networked the world of community theatre is in Bendigo, with the many (way more than we knew about!) theatre companies supported each other and kept our local calendar full of home grown productions.
To find out more, you can go to;
https://www.forgeyouththeatre.com.au/
Or follow them on socials;
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580151403290

In the Community Conversation on the 9th of September 2026, Brett and Keith had a great chat with Kerry Turpie from Forge Youth Theatre about what they are doing to allow more young people to access all aspects of theatre roles, from being on stage to those who may be backstage but are just as vital to the successful delivery of a stage event. Kerry told them how being involved in theatre productions helps build skills, confidence and self-esteem in young people, and how well networked the world of community theatre is in Bendigo, with the many (way more than we knew about!) theatre companies supported each other and kept our local calendar full of home grown productions. To find out more, you can go to; <a href="https://www.forgeyouththeatre.com.au/">https://www.forgeyouththeatre.com.au/</a> Or follow them on socials; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580151403290

Ben Wrigley & Jarryd Eriksson, ManAre.Space - 28th January 2026

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