FUSE Festival Autumn 2023

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Sat 11 Mar 2023 - Sun 26 Mar 2023

Contemporary, multi-arts festival FUSE returns this autumn. The aim of FUSE is to create a platform for local artists and performers to highlight their creative and rich, artistic talents. Running from 11 – 26 March, the City of Darebin's streets, parks, venues, theatres, galleries and other public spaces will be transformed into 'locally unexpected' zones of art, culture and creativity.



In this year's program , festival-goers can expect large community celebrations through to intimate new experiences. The driving philosophy for FUSE is that art is for everyone. The aim is to encourage the community to discover the surprising and unexpected in their local neighbourhood with a bold and diverse program.



Launching the FUSE lineup this year is Out of the Park Picnic on Sunday 12 March, hosted by Queen Acknowledgements, aka proud indigenous woman Nartarsha Bamblett. This free afternoon event at Edwardes Lake Park in Reservoir will feature interactive activities with shared culture, local artists, food, site art, music, family activities and a strong community voice. Performing artists will include Emma Donovan, DJ Jumps, and Dorsal Fins. There will also be the All-inclusive Interactive Drum and Movement Activity, presented by African Star Dance, a group of performers and musicians who are committed to bringing the community together through African culture and tradition. Everyone is invited to rehearse with the band prior to their performance or join in on the day.

In celebration of International Women's Week, the Molly Hadfield Social Justice Oration has been held annually by Darebin City Council for over ten years. This year, guest speaker Namila Benson, radio broadcaster, podcaster and television presenter, will provide a thought-provoking dialogue on racism and anti-racism. The event is a tribute to Molly Hadfield OAM, an inspiring local who worked tirelessly for social justice. The Oration will be held at 6.30pm on Wednesday 15 March at Preston City Hall. Entry is free, but registration is required. Click here for more information and to register.



The autumn program also features a FUSE first - an Artist Keynote, with musician Mat Watson. Titled REGIONAL ECHOES: From yabbies to freeform synthesis , the Keynote will be a compelling discussion on Mat's journey from growing up in rural Victoria to discovering a life in music, modular synthesisers and experimental sound. This free event will take place at 7pm on Thursday 16 March at Darebin Arts Centre, Preston. Registrations are essential.

Meet the Makers celebrates some of the best of Darebin's local winemakers. Visitors will get to sample homemade wine, chat with the makers, listen to live music by Pirritu, browse artisan food and wine stalls, and view demonstrations. The day is MC-ed by Darebin local, Elise Pulbrook, from MasterChef 2021. Meet the Makers takes place from 12.30 - 4.30pm on Sunday 19 March at Preston City Hall. Free entry.



Darebin locals have the opportunity to contribute to a body of work created by artist Delia Poon in Exquisite Bias . The exhibition of audio-visual portraits, which will run over two weeks, was commissioned by the City of Darebin through the FUSE Fund . It explores unconscious racial bias and cultural identity in contemporary Australia. The project invites Darebin locals to have their photograph taken and record their answers to the question, 'Where do you come from?'. The exhibition is free and available to view at Preston Library from 11 - 26 March. You'll find the Library's opening hours here .

Seven visionary musicians from diverse musical and cultural backgrounds explore new possibilities for traditional and invented instruments in Time Distance Music . Local musician and instrument inventor Colin Offord will lead the way in this uplifting, continuous music performance. Audiences are free to come and go as they please. Performances will take place from 5-10pm on 25 March, and 1-6pm on 26 March, at the Northcote Uniting Church - Chalice. Tickets are $25/$18. Click here for more information and ticketing.



The FUSE closing party features distance-music/ The Last Dance by All The Queens Men . Inspired by the LGBTIQ Elders Dance Club, All The Queens Men present an all-out afternoon soiree featuring Motown and disco classics performed by some of Melbourne's most prolific vocalists including Wendy Stapleton, Sarah Ward, Nefertiti LaNegra and more. This event, which celebrates the LGBTIQ and allied community, will take place at 2-5pm on Saturday 25 March at Northcote Theatre. It is a free but ticketed event.



This is just a small sample of the extensive and diverse range of events taking place during FUSE's Autumn Festival. Please check out the full program here , and watch the official trailer to whet your appetite.



#art
#community_events
#family_attractions
#festivals
#free
#inner_north_melbourne
#music
#northcote
#preston
#reservoir
#things_to_see
#thornbury
#march
!date 11/03/2023 -- 26/03/2023
%wnmelbourne