FUSE festival returns to Darebin’s streets, parks, venues, theatres, galleries and public spaces next month for its FUSE Autumn 2022 edition.
City of Darebin’s FUSE festival runs every autumn and spring, and FUSE Autumn 2022 will run from March 11-27, transforming Darebin into Melbourne’s hub of arts and culture in a festival that’s spearheaded by local creatives.
The artist-driven festivities will begin with celebrated Australian broadcaster, podcaster and author Yumi Stynes, who will present the Molly Hadfield Social Justice Oration to celebrate International Women’s Day.
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The oration will form part of the FUSE Opening Party on 11 March at Darebin Arts Centre, which will be curated by MC Queen Acknowledgements AKA Nartarsha Bamblett, a proud Yorta Yorta, Gunai Kurnai, Walpiri and Wiradjuri woman. The Opening Party will feature surprise guests and DJs from the local community, in a celebration of healing and connection within the community.
Finally, after a huge variety of performances, the free, outdoor FUSE closing party Out of the Park Picnic takes place on 27 March at Edwardes Lake Park. Boasting top local musicians and talent including Kylie Auldist and a wide variety of dancing and drumming ensembles. Co-presented with MAV and curated by local artist and storyteller Neda Rahmani, it will also be a celebration of 100 years of recreation at Edwardes Lake Park.
FUSE program highlights
Art
Running the duration of the festival, the exhibition Made in Rezza will display 15 artworks in 15 Reservoir shopfronts by 15 local artists, with a special artistic focus on Reservoir.
Music
Hi REZ will provide the beats between March 18 and 27, with 20-40 young and emerging musicians, rappers, spoken word artists and singers taking to the stage in pop-up performances around Reservoir Station on Edwardes Street and Broadway.
On 20 March at Northcote Social Club, Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung artist Neil Morris presents We Are Song, We Are Dreaming, We Are Country, a compelling blend of music performance, story and conversation featuring a powerful line up of First Nations song people.
I Liked It, But…I Didn’t Know What The F#!K It Was About will be a pub trivia and music show held on March 15 and 16 at Northcote Social Club by acclaimed dancer and performer Joel Bray.
Theatre
Anything You Can Do – a stage show by experimental theatre company Pony Cam – has enlisted some of the community’s most outlandish baby boomers for a show about time, grief, sex and regret that will happen at Northcote Chalice on March 11 and 13.
An Uncertain Time, by Dr Sarah Austin and Co, is a sensory theatre performance for babies and their carers, taking place from 23-27 March at Northcote Town Hall.
FUSE Autumn 2022 takes place from 11-27 March. For more information, visit the website here.
