After a stellar 2021 digital festival, FUSE are already calling out to Reservoir artists for work to show in Autumn 2022.
FUSE Digital pivoted to an online program in September with great success, with events like Ganbu Gulin, Spaced, FLOW Festival and Market Record highlighting the elastic potential for innovative digital arts programs in the future.
The festival delivered on its First Nations First ideal with a moving Welcome to Country ceremony featuring the sensational Pirritu, and the Ganbu Gulin: One Mob documentary. It then moved headlong into a diverse program that featured everything from an interactive Preston Market walkthrough to FLOW, Australia’s only Deaf Arts festival.
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FUSE Digital thanked all their performers for the incredible versatility they showed to stage the entire festival under difficult conditions.
“The team at FUSE Digital would like to thank all the amazing artists who produced work for our online lockdown festival,” they said in a statement.
“While the festival was a success, we recognise that audiences, performers and artists thrive on IRL interaction. So, a big shout-out to anyone who couldn’t present projects or events as planned for the cancelled, real-life version of FUSE. Months of work had to be scrapped or postponed. We hope everyone’s looking after themselves during this time and with any luck these projects will be presented in all their glory in the post-lockdown future.”
Now, however, FUSE’s attention is shifting towards their next program, to be held in Autumn 2022, which is likely to be a celebration of the return of live events in the City of Darebin.
The festival has announced the appointment of new Curator-in-Residence for the closing event in Autumn, the artist, composer, director, storyteller, facilitator, mentor, media commentator and all-round raconteur, Neda Rahmani.
Rahmani has established herself as a cultural leader whose practice embodies inclusion, equity and justice. Whether it is through her directorial experiences bringing to life critical performances and events, her investment in capacity building with diverse young people to build the next generation of culture makers or her skilled facilitation of intercultural dialogue, Rahmani’s work is the nexus of transformation.
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She’s set to bring her passion for body art, body extension, audience interaction, fashion and costume design to FUSE, and will now headline a campaign to find FUSE’s next Curator-in-Residence for the closing night of Autumn 2022.
Darebin-based creatives that work with diverse audiences will be able to register their interest shortly, so keep an eye on the website and socials, or email FUSE and they’ll get in touch directly.
FUSE – along with the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR) – are also planning to deliver a series of creative projects and activations across Reservoir as part of FUSE Autumn 2022.
It will create a number of paid opportunities for Reservoir-based artists and creatives. If that’s you and you want to be considered for these opportunities, email FUSE with an artist bio and any website/socials links.
Finally, FUSE have chosen the latest recipients of their FUSE Fund awards. FUSE Fund is a limited funding round to support the presentation of arts and cultural projects and events from Darebin-based artists and community organisations.
Keep an eye out on the FUSE website and socials for details of the successful projects and artists.
