Month: February 2014

Brunswick community space

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Recently, a section of a short dead-end road opposite Barkly Square in Brunswick was transformed into a community space. I stumbled across an event here one day, where people were dancing in the street and painting the road with beautiful colours. You’ll also find some lovely street art here, including yarn bombs and gorgeous poster art. There are some large umbrellas and recycled crates to sit on if you feel like relaxing on Sydney Road. These community spaces only work if the community gets involved, so if you’re a Brunswick local why not check it out? Update: The Brunswick Community Art Space no longer exists.  

Classical concerts and White Nights

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No excuses to stay in this Saturday night, folks, with two great free events happening over the weekend. The Sidney Myer Music Bowl will showcase the last of three free summer concerts performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on Saturday 22 Feburary (the second of these will take place tonight). Take a picnic blanket and some nibbles and stretch out under the stars — this is one of my favourite events of the summer. Both tonight’s and Saturday’s concerts begin at 7pm, but it’s best to arrive early to stake out a decent spot on the grass. Also kicking off this Saturday evening is White Night Melbourne, an event that will see Melbourne’s CBD transformed with light installations, street performances, film screenings, music, food, fashion and much more from 7pm until 7am on Sunday. There will be over 100 free events happening over the 12 hours, with many of Melbourne’s major cultural institutions taking part. Last year’s inaugural White Night event attracted over 300,000 visitors, so this year will surely be a busy one. To …

Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival 2014

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Australia’s Indigenous cultures are the oldest continuing cultures in the world, stretching back at least 50,000 years. Unfortunately, we in the big cities are rarely treated to the these cultures as most Indigenous people live in rural areas — but for the next ten days all that will change. The Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival, which kicked off on the 5th, showcases the work of Indigenous musicians, dancers, actors, writers, visual artists and many more. This weekend, Federation Square and Birrarung Marr will be packed with free events, including performances by well-known Indigenous singers Archie Roach and Jessica Mauboy, dance performances, a Koorioboree, and the Koorie Night Market. For more details on these events and many more, check out the full online MIAF programme.   Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival 2014 Dates: 5–16 February, 2014 Times: 10am–late Where: Federation Square and Birrarung Marr, Melbourne  

Melbourne Literary Salon

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One of the occupational hazards of being a writer is loneliness. It is not, unfortunately, the most social of activities, so I’m sure the writers of Melbourne are thanking their stars for the good folk at Melbourne Literary Salon, who have set up a monthly meet-and-mingle event for Melbourne’s literary crowd. The Salon is open to all storyteller types — producers, animators, journalists, illustrators, editors, novelists. Held in Loop Bar in the CBD, the event is designed to be a casual affair, with established professionals mingling with literary fledglings. For more info about the Salon and what to expect, check out the MLS blog. The very first Melbourne Literary Salon of 2014 will be held tonight, starting at 6pm. If you can’t make this evening’s event, the next Salon will be held on the first Tuesday of next month. To keep up to date with the MLS happenings, ‘like’ their Facebook page here.   Melbourne Literary Salon When: First Tuesday of every month Time: 6pm Venue: Loop Bar Address: 23 Meyers Place, Melbourne