So many of Melbourne’s good bits – the people, food, arts and culture – come from those who have travelled here and contributed something from home.
Over the past 40 years, Multicultural Arts Victoria has become one of Australia’s key organisations for promoting and developing culturally and linguistically diverse contemporary art and heritage expression. Its programs engage more than one million participants, and include long-term initiatives for creative development for more than 2000 artists from 500 different cultural communities.
The third edition of Mapping Melbourne starts tomorrow. The festival will host exhibitions, theatre, music, dance, multi-media, workshops and live art. There is a spread of established and emerging artists from across Australia, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor, Singapore, Philippines and Vietnam. Some of the works and activities to look forward to this week:
Flyway Print Exchange
The Flyway Print Exchange is an ongoing international art project inspired by the migration of birds from Australia to Asia on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Twenty artists living in different countries along this flyway have created a series of prints that will be on show and available to buy. Proceeds will go to BirdLife Australia for the research and conservation of shorebirds. There may even be a Christmas present or two to be found. Visitors to the exhibition are also invited to add a message to the Par Avian postcard installation.
Tuesday December 1 to Sunday February 28, 2016
Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne
$14 Adults, Free for Concession
Be My Baby
The Barberettes from South Korea will perform at the Queen Victoria Wednesday Night Market. Shinae An Wheeler, Grace Kim and Sohee Park will harmonise their way through old American favourites from the ’50s and ’60s and contemporary Korean pop. The chance to see some K-Pop fused with classic doo-wop live in Melbourne is unlikely to come around very often – especially combined with a vintage red lip and victory roll.
Wednesday December 2, 5pm–10pm
Queen Victoria Market
Free
Alter Egos
This one’s for the creative, crafty people who love interesting new workshops. Yogjakarta artist Mulyana (The Mogus) is here from Indonesia to teach Melburnians how to design, crochet and knit your own little handmade plush toy or Alter Ego. Perhaps even another Christmas gift.
Friday December 4, 11am–3pm and Saturday December 5, 11am–3pm
The Meat Market Stables, Wreckyn Street & Courtney Street, North Melbourne
$30, bookings online
Novalaya
The lead singer of Bombay Royale, Parvyn Kaur Singh, combines her Punjab heritage with influences from Western jazz and folk. She is performing with musical innovators Josh Bennett, Tunji Beier and Linsey Pollak, and each of their cultural heritages and musical styles from across Asia and Europe will be blended together.
Thursday December 3, 8pm–10.30pm
Wonderland Spiegeltent, 120 Pearl River Road, Docklands
$15–$20, bookings online
Closing Block Party
To mark the end of the festival, there will be a block party on the edge of Chinatown between Section 8 and Belleville. The party will feature audio and visuals by Australia-East Timor arts collective, Animatism. Other artists featured include the “Son of Shanghai techno” Ma Haiping, Producer DJ Mangohig (Sietta and Damn Moroda) and multi-instrumentalist/electronic artist, Benji Miu. It’s free, it’s a Saturday and it’s a party.
Saturday December 5, 8pm–1am
Belleville, Globe Alley, Melbourne
Free
For more information, see multiculturalarts.com.au/event/mm2015.
