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From December, Melbourne’s home of free events, Fed Square, comes alive with ‘Open Air’ – an eclectic program of free music, outdoor cinema, festivals and immersive art, inviting crowds to enjoy a superb summer of sun, sound, food and film in the heart of the city. With over 56 free events and activities, as well as an array of buzzing restaurants, galleries and bars, Fed Square is the place to enjoy Melbourne’s warm days and balmy evenings.

As the sun sets, Fed Square’s Main Stage will light up with an electrifying lineup of live music. On Saturday 1 March, don’t miss the first of two major all-ages gigs featuring trailblazers in cosmic-jazz, Sun Ra Arkestra, psychedelic-jazz group Mildlife and Melbourne favourite DJs Wax’o Paradiso. Wax’o Paradiso will set the tone for a smooth, velvety night and get the crowd dancing! Then, the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra will transport jazz and funk lovers to new, cosmic heights, before Mildlife closes the epic evening, under the stars, with their unique blend of jazz, dance and psychedelic music.

The second free gig, presented by Fed Square, on Sunday 9 March features a lineup of indie, dance and bubblegum pop sensations including Peach PRC, Carla Wehbe, and George Alice. Taking to the stage on the public holiday eve, pop-princess Peach PRC will headline the all-female show with her shimmery style of funny, sweet and powerful pop.

On Saturday 15 February, presented by Fed Square in partnership with Stick Mareebo Productions, international Soca superstars Kevin Lyttle and Alison Hinds, and UK based Solo Banton headline the Afro-Caribbean Carnival, bringing heavy weight sound systems and carnival spirit to Fed Square for its second year. Get ready to dance alongside hundreds of people decked out in vibrant carnival costumes!

After a five-year hiatus, Asia TOPA, Australia’s major triennial of Asia-Pacific performance, returns to leading arts venues across the city. Fed Square will host live music events and installations including Asia TOPA’s Opening Concert on 21 February with a lineup of major local and international acts, Nongkrong – Sarapan on 23 February, a day festival celebrating Indonesian-Australian identity, gamalan, dance music and food and Shadows in Twin Cities from 20 February to 10 March which brings together children from Jeonju, Korea and Melbourne through large-scale video installations.

Commissioned in partnership between Asia TOPA and Fed Square, Fed Square’s amphitheatre will also act as the backdrop for Bread, Circuses and Home – a free and vibrant installation and mini festival running from 28 February to 10 March of Punjabi folk music, radio programming and interactive game plays by innovative Delhi–based duo Jiten Thukral (Jalandhar, Punjab) and Sumir Tagra (New Delhi).

Returning with a curated program of major films, Melburnians can embrace open air cinema in the Square from 15 January to 8 February. The free outdoor film program celebrates many beloved genres – from Westerns to martial arts to rom coms and sci fi – and offers the perfect date night, movie club or impromptu cinema experience in the city. Celebrate Hans Zimmer’s iconic scores in blockbuster films directed by Christoper Nolan by catching Inception, Interstellar or The Dark Knight, or revel in the icon that is Dolly Parton on her 79th birthday in both 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias.

Returning for its third consecutive year, Silent Cinema with Live Scores will enchant audiences from 25 to 27 February. Experience rare silent films like Baburao Painter’s Sati Savitri (1927) and other kathas by India’s most prolific silent film directors, accompanied by live performances from composer Hari Sivanesan and his collaborators. Plus, screenings of The Lost World (1925), with a live score by Butchulla songman Fred Leone, and Sherlock Jr. (1924), with music by Blue Grassy Knoll who returns to Fed Square after last year’s stellar performance.

Fed Square’s prime location makes it the go-to community space for Victoria’s leading arts and culture festivals. As well as Asia TOPA, Midsumma Festival returns to Fed Square across January and February featuring public performance in celebration of queer POC Elders, participatory experiences and chat circles hosted by LGBTQIA+ young people and a screening of The Wiz on the closing night of Midsumma Movies, in partnership with Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

Quote attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks

“Fed Square is more than just a popular gathering place, it’s a vibrant creative hub in the heart of our city and a place to experience and enjoy diverse events, day and night. From live music to tennis on the big screen, family fun, art installations, festival fun and much more – it’s free, it’s fun and it’s open to all.”

Quotes attributable to Katrina Sedgwick, Director & CEO, Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co)

“The ‘Open Air’ program has something for absolutely everyone and you can experience it all for free – live concerts, headliner gigs, community and cultural performances, dance, art and film. Bring the family, meet friends and spend the day in Fed Square’s lively art galleries, museums or restaurants, before catching a free gig, film or performance in the evening!”

Don’t miss a beat this summer at Fed Square!

REKOSPECTIVE: The Art of Reko Rennie (Now open until 27 January) – REKOSPECTIVE presents more than 100 works charting the entirety of Rennie’s more than two-decade long career, inviting audiences to explore his powerful responses to specific histories, cultures and materials. REKOSPECTIVE is the artist’s largest presentation of work to date and his first-ever retrospective exhibition – including recent acquisitions and a new, never-before-seen work.

Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition (Now open until 16 February) – Enter a world of comedy, chaos and calamity in Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition, a world premiere, free ACMI exhibition that dives into the making of global-hit videogame Untitled Goose Game. Discover design material, sketches, concept art and playable versions of the locally made game from its early development, exhibited publicly for the first time.

Koorie Art Show 12 (7 December – 23 February) – The Koorie Art Show at Koorie Heritage Trust is dedicated to showcasing the work of Koorie and Victorian-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through a statewide call for entries. These artists generously share their stories, culture, and connection to Country.

ALWAYS LIVE Yerambooee (7 December) – Wurundjeri, Woi-Wurrung and Yolngu from North East Arnhem Land present a gathering of song, ceremony and dance on an enormous sand circle in Fed Square, open and free to the public. Presented by ALWAYS LIVE, Skinnyfish Music and Fed Square.

ALWAYS LIVE Garage Band (8 December) – In collaboration with JOF and Fed Square, ALWAYS LIVE have selected 20 of the best emerging artists from all around the state to perform at a huge multi-stage event in the Main Square.

NGV Kids Summer Festival Launch (11 January) – To kick off NGV’s Kids Summer Festival and celebrate the Cats & Dogs exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, check outa live dog show in the Main Square, jump into a kids workshop or enjoy yummy free ice cream! Top off your day with free entry to the exhibition, as well as a screening of Christopher Guests’ classic Best in Show (2000) at Fed Square’s outdoor cinema.

Outdoor Cinema (15 January to 8 February) – The free summer outdoor cinema program celebrates many beloved genres – from Westerns to martial arts to Dolly Parton favourites – and offers the perfect date night, movie club or impromptu cinema experience in the city. Grab takeaway, a deck chair and gather a group together for a balmy movie night of blockbusters or classics, under the stars. Visit fedsquare.com to explore the full program of outdoor cinema, as well as session times.

Australian Open on the Big Screen (25 – 26 January) – Catch the thrilling Australian Open finals on the Big Screen, surrounded by fellow tennis fans at Fed Square.

HONŌUR (31 January) – Presented by Midsumma Festival, BEAT ENTERTAINMENT, in association with Fed Square, and produced by Performing Lines, HONŌUR elevates and celebrates the true royalty of Queer POC Elders.

Midsumma Matters (1 February) – Presented by Midsumma Festival, Fed Square and House of Muchness, Midsumma Matters is a day series of creative participatory experiences and chat circles hosted by LGBTQIA+ young people.

BMW Opera for All (1 February) – BMW Opera for All, presented by Opera Australia and Fed Square, is a global concert series that returns to Australia for its third year in 2025, exclusive to Melbourne.

Midsumma Movies Closing Night (2 February) – Presented by Midsumma Festival in partnership with Melbourne Queer Film Festival, the landmark 1978 film The Wiz will be shown as part of Fed Square’s series of outdoor summer cinema.

Soli by Candlelight (4 February) – emerging Melbourne-based Ethiopian songstress Soli will perform gospel-inspired R&B originals surrounded by thousands of twinkling candles, in the first of three stunning Candlelight Concerts at Fed Square.

Ross Wilson and The Peaceniks by Candlelight (5 February) – Australian music pioneer, founder and songwriter for Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock, Ross Wilson, together with his band The Peaceniks, will bring classic rock hits to the Square, in a live performance under the stars.

Teeks by Candlelight (6 February) – to celebrate Waitangi Day, Maori artist Teeks will perform by Candlelight, sharing their soulful tunes.

Lunar New Year (9 February) – Fed Square is celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Snake with a range of exciting performances and activities! Come see the dragon dancers in action or join in a Tai Chi or Gentle Chinese Dance class.

Afro-Caribbean Carnival (15 February) – Melbourne will come alive with the energy of the Afro-Caribbean Carnival, featuring two international superstars, heavyweight DIY sound systems and hundreds of carnival lovers decked out in vibrant costumes.

The Future & Beyond (15 – 16 February) – a weekend of insightful talks, performances, and screenings inspired by ACMI’s world premiere exhibition The Future & Other Fictions. Packed with free and ticketed events, The Future & Beyond includes an immersive choose-your-own-adventure game that sees you craft your own sci-fi movie masterpiece.

Shadows in Twin Cities (20 February – 10 March) – Presented by ArtPlay, Asia TOPA, Fed Square and the Jeonju Cultural Foundation, Shadows in Twin Cities brings together children from Jeonju, Korea and Melbourne, enabling them to converse through live video and art. The activity takes place in three parts: “Meet Me”, “Watch Me Fly” and “Find My Shadow”.

Bread, Circuses and Home (28 February – 10 March) – a free public installation and mini-festival at Fed Square by innovative Delhi–based duo Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra. A vibrant display of Punjabi folk music, radio programming and interactive game plays, Bread, Circuses and Home is a celebration of the unique ways that cultures adapt, survive and transform in the wake of international migration. Bread, Circuses and Home is a collaboration between Asia TOPA, Fed Square, the artists and Melbourne’s diverse Punjabi communities.

Asia TOPA Opening Concert (21 February) – Asia TOPA’s Opening Concert will turn the Square into an open-air haven of eclectic beats, celebrating Asian-Pacific performance. Japanese born and Melbourne-based Shio will open the night, before Tokyo-based experimental pop band Tam Tam hits the stage. A soon to be announced major music act will headline the unforgettable evening.

Nongkrong – Sarapan (23 February) – Presented by Asia TOPA, Art Centre Melbourne and Fed Square, the Square will be transformed into a space to nongkrong or ‘hang out’, with food, performances, music and activities that explore Indonesian-Australian culture and identity.

Silent Cinema with Live Scores (25 – 27 February) – A mini film and live music festival over three days, featuring classics of silent cinema, presented with live original scores performed by some of Australia’s most exciting composers.

Summer Gig (1 March) – Starting at sunset, Wax’o Paradiso sets the mood with their smooth, trippy grooves, followed by the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra, taking jazz to cosmic heights. Mildlife wraps up the evening with hypnotic jazz-funk that’ll leave you floating. It’s free, all-ages, and an epic summer live music experience not to be missed!

Summer Gig (9 March) – Carla Wehbe’s soulful R&B will kickstart the night. Then we dive into George Alice’s edgy indie-pop, and, after the Moomba fireworks light up the summer sky, get ready for Peach PRC’s unapologetic, bubblegum-punk energy. It’s free and for everyone.

To download images to represent each event, click here.

From 29 November to 31 December, Fed Square, will become Melbourne’s hub of festive fun and celebration with 34 free events and experiences for everyone, of all faiths and backgrounds, to come together and enjoy.

As part of the City of Melbourne’s free, city-wide Christmas Festival, the Main Square will again be transformed into the magical Christmas Square. Melburnians can continue their annual tradition of family pics by magnificent decorations such as light-up bell swings and the spectacular 17.5m Christmas tree to bring twinkling lights, songs and joy to the city.

For the first time The Australian Ballet’s beautiful Christmas classic The Nutcracker will be live streamed straight to the Fed Square big screen from the stage of the Sydney Opera House on December 12.

Presented by the Koorie Heritage Trust, Koorie Krismas returns on December 14. Families can spend a fun-filled day with free live music, DJs, dance performances and a special appearance by Koorie Klaus. There will also be a First Peoples market from artists and creators who will have options aplenty for your Krismas buying needs.

From 16 to 23 December, visitors are invited to grab takeaway from one of Fed Square’s restaurants, nab a deckchair and settle back to enjoy free films on the big screen. In partnership with United Airlines, Fed Square presents Christmas classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life, Meet Me in St Louis, The Polar Express, The Santa Clause and Elf. Bringing a touch of the north pole to Fed Square, from 16 to 18 December, a life size snow globe will pop up for visitors to explore and capture keepsake photos, thanks to United Airlines.

United Airlines, in partnership with Los Angeles Tourism, are also offering an epic prize for the festive season, valued at $18,500, for a family of four to holiday in sunny Los Angeles. Including return flights to LA, four nights’ accommodation, dining, tours and local experiences, this trip will be an unforgettable Christmas gift for one lucky family. The competition opens Wednesday 27 November, and terms and conditions can be found at fedsquare.com.

As Camp as Christmas is back again on December 20 – presented by Fed Square and curated by The Huxleys, this joyful queer celebration of Christmas includes dazzling performances from The Huxleys, 2Joocee, Cerulean, Tanzer, Nefertiti LaNegra, Scotty So, and more.

Throughout December, Fed Square is a go-to destination for creative gift shopping with unique products by First Nations, local and global designers available from the ACMI Shop, shopKHT, the NGV design store and First Nations pop-up shop, Murran Melbourne. For the first time, Fed Square will stay open for two Late Night Shopping events on Thursday 12 and 19 December, featuring exceptional shopping, visits by Santa and complimentary, decorative gift wrapping.

Getting to Fed Square this festive season couldn’t be simpler, with the city’s major public transport options on the doorstep as well as parking conveniently located at Fed Square’s car park. Grab family and friends and enjoy everything that the silly season has to offer – dining, shopping, culture, entertainment and holiday cheer – all at Fed Square.

Quotes attributable to Director and CEO of Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co), Katrina Sedgwick.

“Across December, Fed Square will once again transform into a vibrant celebration of lights, music, and community spirit with a packed program of experiences and events for all the family – and all of it is FREE. Fed Square is also the best place for your Christmas shopping with fabulous gift ideas stocked in the brilliant stores run by ACMI, KHT and NGV, including late-night shopping for the first time. Who knew that Christmas shopping could be so much fun!”

To explore the full program of fabulous events and activities to do at Fed Square over the holidays, visit this page.

This spring, Melbourne’s iconic Fed Square welcomes back RESET – a month-long festival, focusing on environmental sustainability, connecting with nature, and promoting easy, enjoyable and useful ways to reduce our impact on the world.

RESET is a free series of family-friendly interactive events and workshops designed to make sustainable living both fun and practical for families and individuals. Learn about waste minimisation, sustainable home solutions, conservation and backyard ecology, and the art of reducing, reusing and recycling through a range of immersive experiences, supported by Major Partner, Bupa.

Director & CEO of Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co), Katrina Sedgwick OAM, highlighted the significance of RESET in fostering community-driven positive change and sparking the imagination of all ages.

“Following last year’s success, the free RESET festival is back throughout September and October, including the school holidays, with a rich program for all the family, spanning art, culture, science, and learning.”

“RESET is all about environmental sustainability – supporting people of all ages, right across our community, to make positive and impactful change in their daily lives,” she said.

Bupa APAC Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Roger Sharp said events like RESET play an important role in provoking conversations about the environment while educating people on how to take practical actions for nature that benefits their health.

“We are extremely proud to be supporting RESET for the third year running as part of our mission to help create healthier cities,” Roger said.

Running from 1 September to 6 October, RESET will feature a range of markets, artworks, film screenings, talks and participatory installations – free and catering to all ages – across Fed Square.

Highlights include:

• The vegan market, Plant Based Paradise, returns to the Atrium at Fed Square on 7 September with a selection of plant-based food, drink, and vegan-friendly fashion, beauty products, and other goods.
• The much loved Zero Waste Festival also returns the following Saturday, 14 September, with talks, panel discussions and hands on activities for valuable tips and tricks from experts to lead a waste-free lifestyle. Fed Square’s resident beekeepers Rooftop Bees will be giving guided tours of the beehives, high on top of Fed Square.
• Local theatre ensemble Rawcus and the FAST FASHUN Collective team up to create a fascinating live installation, All The Rage, that spotlights the impact of the fast fashion industry on our environment and challenges conventional notions of beauty. Over two days, 11 and 13 September, performers with diverse abilities will transform old sets and costumes into high fashion outfits and participate in a fashion photo shoot. The final garments and photos will be exhibited in the Fracture Gallery in the Atrium from 15 September.

Fed Square will be the ideal place to captivate kids over the school holidays (23 September – 6 October), with several imaginative and free RESET events:

• The Atrium will be transformed with a large-scale artwork by local artists The Slow Art Collective, Takenoko Weave House, crafted from bamboo and recycled fabric. Visitors of all ages will be invited to help build the artwork, weave yarn into the bamboo and make music.
• Designed for kids and adults to enjoy together, The Plants by local interactive arts company Playable Streets will be on the Swanston Street Forecourt from 23 to 26 September. This participatory plant-based live music installation for all ages encourages participants to learn about environmental sustainability.
• Experience a gamified cycling challenge promoting active travel and environmental health at Bupa’s Take Action for Nature bike event (24 September).
• Participate in Seek & Find presented by Bupa, a scavenger hunt around the Melbourne Arts Precinct (1 September – 6 October).
• The inaugural Fed Square Big Toy Swap comes to The Edge on 2 October inviting kids to swap gently used toys, games, or books to give them another life.

We welcome you to RESET this spring at Fed Square to refresh your ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and repair. For more information visit RESET.

RESET Program

• 1 September – 6 October: Bupa Seek & Find
• 7 September: Plant Based Paradise
• 11 – 22 September: All the Rage by RAWCUS
• 13 September: Greenline Project Walking Tour
• 14 September: Zero Waste Festival • 14 September: Rooftop Beehive Tours
• 17, 18, 19 September: Our Environment film program (Koyaanisqatsi – 17 September, Ponyo – 18 September, River – 19 September)
• 20 September: Clean Up Australia and Bupa on World Clean Up Day
• 22 September: Our Birrarung: Past. Present. Future. World Rivers Day
• 23 September – 6 October: RESET school holidays programo
  • 23 September – 6 October: Slow Art Collectiveo
  • 23 – 26 September: The Plants by Playable Streetso
  • 24 September: Bupa’s Take Action for Nature bike evento
  • 2 October: Big Toy Swap + Young Earth Protectors

What else is on this Spring at Fed Square

• 14 September: Mexican Festival
• 18 September: Living Cities Forum in partnership with Naomi Milgrom
• 21 – 22 September: Chinese Festival
• 29 September: Live Broadcast of AFL Grand Final
• 3 October: Games Education Summit: Careers and New Frontiers
• 6 October: Seniors Festival
• 7 – 11 October: Melbourne International Games Week
  • 10 October: Big Games Night Out
• 23 October: Melbourne Conversations: Dopamine Dressers
• 26 – 27 October: Diwali Festival
• 2 November: Day of the Dead
• 9 – 10 November: Polish Festival
• 15 – 17 November: African Music and Cultural Festival
• 20 November: Melbourne Conversations: Solving Loneliness
• 23 November: Lankan Festival

Pillars of Light is a seven-day festival celebrating Chanukah running in the Main Square of Fed Square from 7 to 14 December (except 9 December). This annual event has been run in Fed Square since 2019. The 2023 festival was booked in February this year.

As an important cultural and civic place, and in accordance with the Federation Square Civic and Cultural Charter, Fed Square welcomes all community groups to gather in the Square to commemorate, celebrate, or reflect.

Read more about the Pillars of Light program here.

This Summer, Fed Square is your home of live music and outdoor cinema. All through February, Fed Square presents a curated program of film and music, inviting crowds to enjoy a superb summer of sun, sound and cinema.

Summer at the Square will turn up the volume throughout the week with silent films with live-scores on Tuesdays, outdoor cinema on Wednesdays, live music by candlelight on Thursdays and live music on Saturdays. The program promises epic performances from local and international talent in the iconic sandstone square – open to all ages and completely free. From candlelight cabaret to Afro-Carribean beats, some of Australia’s most exciting original artists and global sensations alike will take to Fed Square’s Main Stage in February.

Live music Saturdays

Spanning four Saturdays in February, Fed Square will showcase a huge bill of free live music performances for all ages, featuring local and international artists on our Main Stage.

BMW’s Opera For All (3 February) returns to Melbourne, exclusive to Fed Square. This one-hour open air concert in partnership with Opera Australia features popular traditional and contemporary opera performed by some of Australia’s most talented opera singers and Opera Victoria musicians sure to take your breath away, whether you’re an opera aficionado or new to the genre.

Fed Square and Triple R present Sounds of Aotearoa (10 February) – a choice all-Kiwi line-up of big talent from across the ditch in celebration of Waitangi Day, with chart-topping NZ sensation SIX60 headlining alongside famed exports Muroki, Ladi6 and Riiki Reid set to bring fans in droves to the Main Square.

The inaugural Afro Caribbean Carnival (17 February) run in partnership with Stick Mareebo Productions is a larger-than-life music, food and cultural celebration not to be missed. In true Carnivale spirit, the festival will encourage fans to adorn vibrant costumes and join in partying to soundtrack led by legendary reggae sound system Saxon Sound System (UK) and UK Hip Hop and Drum and Bass pioneer Spikey Tee (Jamaica), plus four local Melbourne DIY sound systems, (El Gran Mono, D.I.Y.HiFi, Housewife’s Choice and Heartical Hi Powa). Expect big sounds, energetic crowds and a whole lot of fun.

On Saturday 24 February, Fed Square with support from Yo CiTY presents an all-ages Afro HipHop, AfroBeats, Afro-House, Afro-pop night featuring talented artists before the acclaimed headliner Sampa the Great brings her powerhouse performance of dynamic vocals, poetic rap, multi-layered instrumental grooves and RnB beats to the Main Stage.

Silent films with live scores Tuesdays

Thanks to a partnership with ACMI and InsiteArts, Silent films with live scores returns for its third consecutive year with a program of classic silent films set to bespoke live scores performed by some of Australia’s most exciting electronic, jazz and breakthrough composers and musicians. Enjoy slow, Summer sunsets and a night of free entertainment as you experience the magic of outdoor cinema.

Highlights include the enchanting 1918 Australian romantic classic The Sentimental Bloke accompanied by a live score by Paul Mac (13 February), a quartet screening of Experimental Shorts with a cross cultural contemporary jazz score by Peter Knight and Dũng Nguyễn taking audiences on a cinematic and sonic journey (20 February), and the timeless 1923 American film Our Hospitality with an original live score by 5-piece ensemble Blue Grassy Knoll (27 February).

Outdoor Cinema Wednesdays

Every Wednesday night, Fed Square will transform into a free outdoor cinema, screening modern classics on the Big Screen that’ll make your heart sing. Pack a Valentine’s Day picnic for a romantic screening of six category Oscar award-winning musical, La La Land (14 February) harp back to 1969 Harlem with Oscar award-winning music documentary Summer of Soul (21 February) and shimmy the night away with AACTA award-winning Australian musical The Sapphires (28 February).

Live music by candlelight Thursdays

Back by popular demand, Thursday evenings during February will bring live music by candlelight, an intimate and illuminating way to see some of Australia’s most exciting original artists. This year returns with an impressive lineup including ARIA award-winning, Coodjinburra artist Budjerah (15 February); the King of Cabaret, Rueben Kaye (22 February) and Triple J Unearthed High winner, JACOTÉNE (29 February).

Taylor Sheesh

Renowned Filipino drag queen and viral internet sensation, Taylor Sheesh will take centre stage at Fed Square on 16 February. This free performance provides a rare opportunity for Sheesh fans and Melbourne Swifties to experience the captivating blend of glamour, humour and artistry that has earned Sheesh a global following.

Don’t miss a beat this summer at Fed Square. To explore the full Summer program and for details of each event, visit Fed Square’s website: fedsquare.com/events/summer-at-the-square

Fed Square lights up its festive calendar from 24 November to 31 December with a program of free activities featuring gift wrapping, choirs, live performances and installations.

Events celebrating First Nations culture, LGBTQIA+ communities, Chanukah and Christmas – along with plenty of options for shopping, dining and entertainment – means Fed Square has something for all who wish to celebrate.

Once again, Fed square will be home to City of Melbourne’s Christmas Square, adorned with larger-than-life decorations and twinkling lights. The iconic 16.5 metre LED Christmas tree will be back and better than ever, with festive soundscapes and nightly light shows making for a magical visit. Marking the start of the festive season, Christmas Square will launch on 24 November with giant candy canes, choir performances, DJs and plenty of jolly entertainment.

Annual family celebration Koorie Krismas (2 December), presented in partnership with the Koorie Heritage Trust, will welcome Koorie Klaus back to the Square and a range of free hands-on workshops for kids and performances from First Nations musicians, comedians and dancers, hosted by Kimmie Lovegrove. The Koorie Krismas Market will showcase art, jewellery, craft, clothes and design from the Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Celebrating Chanukah, Pillars of Light (7 – 15 December) is a multicultural celebration. Presented in partnership with Fed Square and supported by City of Melbourne, Gandel Foundation and ARK centre, the event spans six special days of live performances, talks and ceremonial lighting of the 12ft high Menorah.

Presented by Fed Square and curated by iconic creative duo The Huxleys, As Camp As Christmas (16 December) returns to Fed Square in a maximalist fashion featuring live cabaret, comedy, choir and dance performances topped with a free screening of the Australian classic film, Strictly Ballroom.

Sing-song enthusiasts will find joy in the Fed Square Christmas Choir program (1 to 24 December), featuring a diverse array of local choirs. From Divine Divas Show Choir to Rainbow Voices Community Choir, Melbourne Mass Gospel Choir, and Glee Club Singing, these performances offer a medley of musical styles to enjoy all throughout December.

In the countdown to Christmas catch free screenings of your favourite Christmas films (20 to 24 December) from a deckchair or picnic rug in front of the big screen. The Christmas films program ranges from the classic, nostalgic and comedic that will entertain all ages.

Melbourne-based artist Beci Orpin’s heart-warming animated Christmas film, A Christmas Tale – commissioned by Fed Square and first screened in 2018 – also returns to the big screen every evening from 1 to 24 December. The animated short film capturing the essence of an Australian Christmas through native flora and fauna will be accompanied by a live choir on evenings from 24 to 26 November.

Fed Square shops, restaurants, and galleries extend our visitors’ festive experience, offering special activities and attractive offers, gift shopping and dining. Discover high-quality, unique gift ideas at KHT, ACMI, NGV, and Mabu Mabu, ranging from jewelry and ceramics to art books, clothing, games, and stationery.

And for the first time, Fed Square is offering a free gift-wrapping service, using beautiful wrapping techniques inspired by Japanese methods and Australian made, responsibly sourced materials. Gifts purchased at any of the Fed Square organisations can use the express lane for extra-speedy service. The free gift-wrapping service will run every Saturday and Sunday from 25 November to 24 December between 1pm – 6pm.

Then come to Fed square to share the arrival of the New Year amongst the thousands of people who come together annually in Fed Square to celebrate with friends and family.

To explore the full program of memorable events and activities to do at Fed Square over the holidays, visit Fed Square’s website: Festive Season at Fed Square – Fed Square, Melbourne Australia

Quotes attributable to Director and CEO of Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co), Katrina Sedgwick

“Across the festive season of December, Fed Square will be alive with sparkles, song, and celebration – pop in for your gift shopping, your gatherings with friends, and enjoy the joyful free programming in the heart of Melbourne.”

On Monday 6 November, Zionism Victoria will display seven Israeli flags on Fed Square’s Swanston St flagpoles to commemorate 30 days since the deaths of 1400+ Israelis as a result of attacks in Israel, and to raise awareness about the people taken hostage by Hamas.

Fed Square is hired and used by diverse Victorian community groups for events, including cultural celebrations and festivals, and solemn occasions of reflection and commemoration. This includes displaying national flags on our Swanston St flagpoles on national days and other days of ceremonial importance in collaboration with participating representatives of foreign nations.

Fed Square has historically displayed many countries’ national flags for official national days, or in some instances other days of cultural significance, including the National flags of Israel (2016), Albania (2018), Ukraine (2009), Pakistan (2017), Switzerland (2018), Bangladesh (2018), Greece (2021), Nepal (2021), Bhutan (2019) and Haiti (2022).

An annual Palestine National Day festival and flag raising event – held at Fed Square since 2018 – was scheduled to be held at Fed Square on Friday 27 October. The event was organised by the Australian Palestinian Advocacy Network (APAN) and was booked 12 months prior (including the booking for the flags). In light of the current situation in Gaza, the organisers changed the event to a vigil to commemorate those affected by the conflict. The event was attended by 1500 people. Palestinian flags were on display on the Swanston St flagpoles for the event.What has unfolded in Israel and Gaza is deeply distressing for many in Victoria and it is important that we maintain respect for each other, reaffirming that Victoria stands together, with all communities and all Victorians who are impacted by this conflict.

As an important cultural and civic place, and in accordance with the Federation Square Civic and Cultural Charter, Fed Square welcomes all community groups to gather in the Square to commemorate, celebrate, or reflect. Requests for further information about the event can be directed to Zionism Victoria.

On Wednesday 1 November, Zionism Victoria will hold an event at Fed Square to raise awareness of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023. The event is called Balloons of Hope and will run from 11am – 3pm.

Fed Square is hired and used by diverse Victorian community groups for events, including cultural celebrations and festivals, and solemn occasions of reflection and commemoration, such as today’s event and installation.

What has unfolded in Palestine and Israel is deeply distressing for many in Victoria and it is important that we maintain respect for each other, reaffirming that Victoria stands together, with all communities and all Victorians who are impacted by this conflict.

As an important cultural and civic place, and in accordance with the Federation Square Civic and Cultural Charter, Fed Square welcomes all community groups to gather in the Square to commemorate, celebrate, or reflect.

Requests for further information about the event can be directed to Zionism Victoria.

The Annual Palestine National Day festival and flag raising, which was scheduled to be held at Fed Square today, will be replaced by a vigil to commemorate those affected by the current conflict in Gaza. The event is organised by the Australian Palestinian Advocacy Network (APAN).The Palestinian flags were raised this morning and will be present for the vigil running from 7pm – 9pm. They will be removed by 9.15pm.

Examples of previous vigils at Fed Square include a remembrance lives lost to family violence (2018), acknowledgement of victims of the war in Ukraine (2022) and to grieve the number of lives lost during the pandemic in India led by Melbourne’s Indian community (2021).

On Monday 9 October MAP Co lit up blue in support of the victims of the conflict in Israel and those in the community who have been impacted. Major cities landmarks including the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Town Hall also lit up on this date.

As an important cultural and civic place, and in accordance with the Federation Square Civic and Cultural Charter, Fed Square welcomes all community groups to gather in the Square to commemorate, celebrate, or reflect. Many cultural festivals and celebrations are held at Fed Square, some upcoming events include Diwali, Polish festival, African Cultural and Music Festival, and Pillars of Light.

This September, Melbourne’s iconic Fed Square is home to RESET – a month-long festival focussing on biodiversity, connecting with nature, and promoting easy and practical ways to live more sustainably.

RESET is a free series of family-friendly interactive events and workshops designed to make sustainable living both fun and practical for families and individuals. Learn about waste minimisation, sustainable home solutions, conservation and backyard ecology, and the art of reducing, reusing and recycling through a range of immersive experiences.

Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation Director & CEO, Katrina Sedgwick OAM, said RESET was designed to inspire positive change in the community while sparking the imagination of young and old.

“The festival blends art, culture, science and learning together in a family-friendly celebration of looking after our planet.”

“We’re thrilled to host an event which can help people to start or strengthen their sustainability journey. Life gets busy – this program spotlights accessible ways people can make positive changes in their day-to-day lives, with a focus on helping families empower the next generation to care for our planet,” she said.

Running from 2 – 27 September, RESET will feature a range of much-loved activations returning to Fed Square.

Gain valuable tips and tricks from experts to lead a waste-free lifestyle in a series of live panel discussions, talks, and activities at the Zero Waste Festival (2 September).

Sample delicious food, shop cruelty-free fashion and learn all about what it’s like to be plant-based, at the Vegan Market (9 September).

Visit Ree-bee Our Community (10 September) for a close-up look at the lives of bees and learn about their integral contribution to biodiversity and ecology. Join in Refresh and Reinvent (10 September) – hands-on workshops run delivered by local environmental champions CERES.

Explore the magical world of insects through The Butterfly House by Born in a Taxi (19 – 21 September) – where puppetry, performance and interactive visual art converge in a playful experience.

Pedal Power Pictures (19 – 22 September) will install a bike at the Edge for crowds to generate enough power to screen environmental documentaries and Studio Ghibli films for audiences.

Laugh and learn at child-friendly sketch comedy show Trash Puppets Live! or join in their workshop to transform your own rubbish into puppets (26 – 27 September).

Communicate with plants in artist A Million Thing’s Numinous Bloom (22 – 24 September), an interactive mechanical garden for all ages featuring triggered animatronics, sound and light.

We welcome you to RESET this September at Fed Square to refresh your ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and repair. For more information visit fedsquare.com/events/reset

About RESET

• 2nd September: Zero Waste Festival

• 9th September: Vegan Market

• 10th September: Ree-bee Our Community

• 10th September: Refresh and Reinvent: skills for life

• 19th – 21st September: The Butterfly House

• 19th – 22nd September: Pedal Power Pictures

• 22nd – 24th September: Numinous Bloom by artist A Million Things (presented by Born in a Taxi)

• 26th and 27th September: Trash Puppets Live! Trash with a Porpoise & Create your own Trash Puppets workshops

What else is on this Spring at Fed Square

• 30th September: Live Broadcast of AFL Grand Final

• 5th and 6th October: Melbourne International Games Week

• 6th October: King of Kart Tournament (Melbourne International Games Week)

• 5th – 22nd October: VOLO Dreams of Flight (Melbourne Fringe)

• 14th October: Garage Band (ALWAYS LIVE)

• 18th – 22nd October: In Common by One Fell Swoop (Melbourne Fringe)

• 20th and 21st October: Melbourne International Jazz Festival

• 4th November: Diwali: Festival of Lights

• 12th November: Polish Festival

• 17th – 19th November: African Music and Cultural Festival

SPARK by Daan Roosegaarde will illuminate the centre of Melbourne at Fed Square for RISING

This evening, Melbourne’s iconic Fed Square will host Dutch artist and innovator, Daan Roosegaarde, for the Australian premiere of Studio Roosegaarde’s ground-breaking and awe-inspiring light show SPARK – a hero event of RISING 2023.

Inspired by fireflies, stars and other magical lights in nature, SPARK will illuminate Fed Square each evening from tonight to 10th June 2023, with thousands of biodegradable sparks floating through the air in a poetic performance. Once released each evening, the sparks form ever-shifting clouds of light that behave like atmospheric bioluminescence, catching the wind and painting the sky with mesmerising patterns.

Presented by Fed Square in partnership with RISING, SPARK Melbourne is a sensory experience combining art, technology, and innovation. Purposefully silent, SPARK will be a beautiful and immersive spectacle in Fed Square’s outdoor, open-air plaza inspiring quiet contemplation, wonder and coming together as a community.

SPARK Melbourne is set to be the biggest showcase of SPARK globally, following hugely popular events in London, Bilbao, and Auckland. Thousands of art enthusiasts, festivalgoers and families are expected to wander through Fed Square each evening to witness the sustainable light show dance in the winter night’s sky.

Artist Daan Roosegaarde shared his excitement about showcasing SPARK to Australia within the unique space and architecture of Fed Square.

“SPARK Melbourne modernises the tradition of celebrating together. As an alternative to traditional fireworks or confetti, it is exciting to share SPARK in the creative district of Melbourne city.”

Katrina Sedgwick OAM, Director & CEO of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co) said.

“It was an ambition of the curators at Fed Square to see SPARK by Daan Roosegaarde come to Melbourne, and we’re proud to be partnering with RISING and Studio Roosegaarde to ensure that Australians can experience the work’s magic for the first time this winter.”

“Environmental sustainability is also central to Fed Square. SPARK can deliver an extraordinary immersive light experience in this iconic space through an innovative biodegradable artwork that will create a truly unforgettable Melbourne experience.”

Hannah Fox, Co-Artistic Director of RISING said.

“RISING is the time in Melbourne’s event calendar that invites the public into the heart of the city to take part in the art, and Daan Roosegaarde‘s SPARK is a perfect example of a large-scale art event that brings the audience into the centre of the experience.”

“It’s a very beautiful display of light and movement that mimics the patterns of bird murmuration, a cloud of fireflies and weather patterns and offers a visionary alternative to some of the more destructive remnants of celebration. We are proud to be partnering with the iconic Fed Square to bring it to Melbourne.”

MAP Co is partnering with RISING on several events at Fed Square during this year’s festival. Running continuously from 6:30pm to 10:30pm each evening between 7th to 10th June at Fed Square, SPARK will be a must-see, free experience to be enjoyed by anyone who takes the time to look up.

To learn more about the artist, his inspiration and the process of creating the award-winning artwork, Daan Roosegaarde will join Katrina Sedgwick OAM, Director & CEO of MAP Co and Hannah Fox, Co-Artistic Director of RISING for an ‘In Conversation’ on Thursday 8 June at The Edge, Fed Square. Another free event, bookings are required via fedsquare.com/events/in-conversation-with-daan-roosegaarde

Festivalgoers are also invited to join thousands of others to play a kazoo at 10,000 kazoos, check-out otherworldly creatures by artists Tin & Ed hanging from Fed Square’s Atrium ceiling or don a pair of skates at RISING’s new ice-skating experience along Birrarung Marr.

Home to leading restaurants, cafes and bars including Mabu Mabu, Hero, Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters and Transport, Fed Square is the ideal place to meet friends or grab a bite before enjoying the best that RISING has to offer.

For more information on how to experience RISING at Fed Square, visit fedsquare.com/events/rising

The Little Food Festival is chockfull of activities for kids

These school holidays are about to get tastier with the return of the Little Food Festival to Fed Square – Australia’s only food festival created especially for kids. Over two days, Wednesday 19th April and Thursday 20th April, young foodies will be treated to a jam-packed program of fun-filled and free activities, workshops and performances in the heart of the city.

Presented by the Sandro Demaio Foundation, Fed Square and Monash University and with Event Partner City of Melbourne, the Little Food Festival translates big ideas about food, the food system, health and protecting the environment into digestible, bite-sized activities for kids.

Fed Square will again be split into six activity zones for the festival, with fun things to do in each zone themed around an element of the food system: from growing food, to moving it, buying it, cooking it, eating, and disposing or reusing it sustainably.

MCed by Thanh Truong aka the ‘Fruit Nerd’, families can expect high energy performances by Junkyard Beats using ordinary kitchen objects to make music, a fast-paced Recycling Relay Race by Veolia, a chance to blend your own smoothie with Bike n’ Blend and interactive, live demonstrations on healthy cooking, lunchbox hacks, seasonal planting and composting.

For those seeking something slower-paced, families can get involved in food-themed yoga, catch a film on the big screen, enjoy a sustainability-themed book reading in the City of Melbourne’s library for kids, plant a seedling with Bunnings or learn how to pickle in-season foods at Monash University’s STEM Food Lab.

Founder of the Little Food Festival, Dr. Sandro Demaio shared his excitement for the event’s return in 2023, and the opportunity to engage and empower more kids to understand food.

“The festival had its biggest year yet in 2022, and we’re thrilled to be doing it all again at Fed Square with the hope of reaching even more kids and families. Little Food Festival is such a unique festival where kids have fun, learn and fill up on delicious food for two special days in the school holidays,” said Demaio.

“We feel privileged to be able to create an event that can be open to everyone, caters to our little ones and has the ability to create the next generation of super foodies,” continued Demaio.

The Little Food Festival is open from 10am to 4pm on Wednesday 19th April and Thursday 20th April at Fed Square and is free to attend. For further information on the Little Food Festival including the daily program, visit fedsquare.com/events/little-food-festival

The Little Food Festival is an all-weather, outdoor event and attendees are recommended to dress accordingly. The Little Food Festival also encourages the use of public transport, and for visitors to bring reusable water bottles, coffee cups and food containers.

Fed Live returns to Fed Square with its biggest line-up yet

The Melbourne Arts Precinct today announces the line-up for its popular free music festival, Fed Live, kicking off on Saturday 21 January in Melbourne’s iconic city square, Fed Square. Aussie music legends Vera Blue and Masked Wolf will join a stellar line-up of local musos including Gretta Ray, King Stingray and Big Twisty & The Funknasty for a series of unforgettable free gigs in Fed Square, set against the stunning skyline of Melbourne’s city.

On Saturday 21 January, ARIA award-winners King Stingray will headline the first of three free gigs, bringing their unique style of indigenous melodies paired with surf, indie and funk sounds to Melbourne. After taking out the 2022 ARIA Breakthrough Artist Award and getting a crowd of over 18,000 people grooving at Falls Festival, it will be an unmissable opportunity to catch these rising stars on a barmy summer’s night in the city – completely free. Supporting King Stingray is surf-pop band The Moving Stills, alt-country singer-songwriter Babitha and Andrew Gurruwiwi Band – a high-energy, 7-piece funk and reggae band from Arnhem Land.

Electro pop powerhouse Vera Blue will take to Fed Square’s main stage on Saturday 18 February, serving up her electrifying, hypnotic hits. A global star with over 1.2m Spotify listeners each month, Vera Blue is one of Australia’s most exciting talents. After a series of sold-out shows, fans will have the chance to catch her in a free, all-ages show in Fed Square’s unique, open-air plaza supported by indie-pop songstress Gretta Ray, multi-instrumentalist hitmaker Vetta Borne and rising pop/R&B artist PRICIE.

After shooting to TikTok fame with his track “Astronaut In The Ocean”, Sydney rapper Masked Wolf has amassed 2.9 billion streams and counting. Now, he is bringing his powerful hip hop force to the streets of Melbourne on Friday 24 March, joined by funk and hip hop artists Big Twisty & The Funknasty, Agung Mango, Pookie and Kootsie Don at Fed Square. This will be a one night only, special event of Australian hip hop strength.

Melbourne Arts Precinct’s CEO and Director Katrina Sedgwick OAM expressed the organisation’s pride in bringing live music to the heart of the city.

“We’re thrilled to present a line-up of gigs of some of Australia’s most sought-after artists, completely free and for everyone to enjoy. The Fed Live festival brings live music back to the streets of Melbourne and invigorates our Square. Bring your friends, family and join music lovers at Fed Square for a perfect summer’s night dancing to your favourite local acts,” said Katrina Sedgwick.

To explore the Fed Live line-up and for details of each gig, visit Fed Square’s website: fedsquare.com

Fed Square is turning into Melbourne’s headquarters for free festive fun this holiday season with a program of uplifting events, live performances and choirs, family photo moments and festivities to celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, New Year’s Eve and more.

From 25 November – 25 December, Fed Square is proudly home to City of Melbourne’s Christmas Square – a Christmas Festival event presented by City of Melbourne and with support from the Victorian Government and Fed Square. Christmas Square is a magical place in the heart of the city to enjoy larger-than-life festive decorations, twinkling lights and a visit with Santa at Santa’s Workshop. The iconic 16.5 metre LED Christmas tree will be back and better than ever, with new lights and sounds to make it even more spectacular.

Celebrate the holiday season in Koorie style with the return of Koorie Krismas on 10 December at Fed Square, presented by Koorie Heritage Trust and supported by City of Melbourne. A free event for everyone, there will workshops, performances by First Nations musicians and dancers and a visit by Koorie Klaus himself. Get all your Christmas shopping sorted at the Koorie Krismas Market featuring art, craft and design from the Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

On 16 December, witches, wizards and Muggles are invited to celebrate Christmas in the Wizarding World – a day of festivities, presented in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, that includes Wizarding World trivia, costume competitions, a virtual wand workshop and a free film screening of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. On this magical day, there will also be giveaways of official Harry Potter treats and the opportunity to build and take home a LEGO Build your Own Hogwarts™ Castle.

Another highlight of the season at Fed Square is the Pillars of Light Festival from 18 – 23 December, supported by City of Melbourne, Gandel Foundation and ARK Centre. Over six uplifting days, people can experience live performances, talks and the ceremonial lighting of the 12ft high Menorah to commemorate Chanukah.

The heart of Melbourne will come alive to ring in the New Year! Thousands of people will come together in Fed Square to countdown the beginning of a new year, dance to live DJs, and enjoy an art and sound show programmed by students from the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. To add to the celebration, Fed Square’s buildings will be awash with mesmerising colours thanks to new lighting which has recently been installed across the façade. Fed Square’s restaurants and bars are also open for NYE bookings, to enjoy special meals with family or friends and spectacular views of the city.

To explore the full program of memorable events and activities to do at Fed Square over the holidays, visit the Festive HQ page.

Melbourne’s central civic place and home to leading cultural institutions including ACMI, The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia and Koorie Heritage Trust, as well as diverse dining options such as Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters, Hero, Big Esso by Mabu Mabu and Taxi Kitchen, Fed Square is the destination for a kaleidoscope of experiences.

Not-So-Silent Cinema returns to Fed Square’s Main Stage on 2 – 4 December 2022, with a free program of silent films accompanied by live performances of newly composed and restaged live scores by local and international musicians.

Produced by Insite Arts and presented by ACMI and Fed Square, with the support of the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund through the Victorian Government and City of Melbourne, this season the return of Australia’s only silent film festival is right in the heart of Melbourne.

On Friday 2 December, three ground-breaking short films from the silent era – from 1902, Georges Méliès’ pioneering visual effects-laden science-fiction film Le voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon), Buster Keaton’s Cops (1922, 18 minutes) and Milt Gross’ He Done Her Wrong (1930, 20 minutes) will be accompanied by live scores performed by American born jazz saxophonist and composer Phillip Johnston and his Quartet.

On Saturday 3 December, Carl Theodor Dreyer’s haunting foray into horror, Vampyr (1932), will be paired with an unsettling score by Melbourne-based DJ and composer Chiara Kickdrum.

On Sunday 4 December, Teinosuke Kinugasa’s experimental masterpiece A Page of Madness (1926) will be presented with a new electronic score performed by Marcus Whale and Jacques Emery.

Victorian Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos said: “Whether you’re a film buff, a music lover or just enjoy a summer’s evening in Melbourne, Not-So-Silent Cinema will give you something to shout about.”

“We’re proud to support this wonderful program that will showcase incredibly talented musicians and encourage more people to enjoy a night out at Fed Square, right in the heart of our world-class city.”

City of Melbourne, Lord Mayor Sally Capp, said: “Melbourne’s thriving music scene is globally renowned, and we can’t wait to see some of our best local and international musicians flock to the city as part of Not-So-Silent Cinema at Fed Square. Free events like this draw thousands into Melbourne’s CBD, which has direct economic benefits for our traders who can offer unparalleled retail, hospitality and entertainment experiences to visitors.”

ACMI Director & CEO, Seb Chan, said: “We’re proud to partner again with Fed Square to deliver free, fun and accessible cinema and live music experiences with some exciting Australian talent, curated by the ACMI team. Not-So-Silent Cinema is the perfect opportunity to enjoy ACMI’s onsite restaurant Hero before heading out into Fed Square for an evening of film and music under the stars.”

Melbourne Arts Precinct Director & CEO, Katrina Sedgwick, said: “Not-So-Silent Cinema 2022 sees the return of Australia’s only free festival of silent classics accompanied by stunning live scores. It’s a wonderful experience to watch these films at Fed Square on a summer’s evening, as the sun goes down behind the big screen and the city lights begin to come to life around you. BYO picnic, grab a deckchair or sit in one of the fabulous restaurants that surround the Square with a drink and snack as you enjoy these rare and special screenings from the history of film.

Deckchairs and free ice cream from Cups n Cones available at each screening, until stocks last.

Not-So-Silent Cinema has been supported through the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a partnership between the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne.

Not-So-Silent Cinema runs 2 to 4 December 2022 with free screenings and performances in Fed Square, Melbourne. For more info visit fedsquare.com/events/not-so-silent-cinema

Tomorrow, Wednesday 26 October, Fed Square, ACMI and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, turn twenty.

Since their opening in 2002, and joined by the Koorie Heritage Trust in 2015, these unique cultural institutions have changed the way the people of Victoria and visitors experience our city, deepened Melbourne’s identity as the cultural capital of Australia and created a central gathering place for the community.

To celebrate 20 years, Fed Square is proud to announce that the NGV is presenting a major work from its collection, Rings of Jupiter by Inge King to be temporarily displayed in Fed Square. At almost two metres high, Rings of Jupiter is an engaging sculpture by one of Australia’s most prolific artists that balances the heavy materiality of steel with the infinite theoretical possibilities of geometry. Exhibited in Fed Square from today, Tuesday 25 October, it extends the rich array of free artworks on offer across the Melbourne Arts Precinct, connecting iconic works including Vault by Ron Robertson-Swann at ACCA, Forward Surge, also by Inge King, at Arts Centre Melbourne, Dervish by Clement Meadmore in Southbank and Nearamnew by Paul Carter in the stone of Fed Square’s plaza.

As Fed Square turns twenty, the dynamic space enters a new chapter of artistic brilliance. Honouring the architectural genius of Fed Square, as well as the nationally significant art institutions that call Fed Square home, it’s only fitting that Fed Square takes its place as the vibrant gateway to the newly expanded Melbourne Arts Precinct. As the gateway, Fed Square is the first stop in a trip to the city, where visitors are immersed in art and culture, including now Rings of Jupiter, that promotes Australian artists and encourages discovery throughout Melbourne’s renowned arts corridor.

Commissioned especially for the 20th anniversary date, Fed Square has also launched spectacular new lighting that bathes its buildings in mesmerising colour. Funded by the Victorian Government, designed by ARUP and programmed by Bluebottle, the new dynamic and programmable strip and spot lights illuminate the iconic façade and its geometric shapes and fractures with beautiful light shows that will further enhance an evening visit to the Square and the city. The upgrades to the lighting have been made as part of a $20 million investment by the Victorian Government in Capital Works.

“It’s hard to imagine Melbourne without Fed Square – in just two decades it has become an important place where Victorians and visitors from across the globe can connect with community and cultures,” said Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos.

“Fed Square is a magnificent piece of architecture in the heart of Melbourne that should be celebrated on its 20th anniversary, and always. To mark the milestone, we’re proud to be adding a piece of significant Australian art to Fed Square, presented by NGV, to continue to create a unique, cultural experience for visitors. A day of culture starts at Fed Square, and takes you on a journey to discover the incredible institutions, talent and dynamic art across the Melbourne Arts Precinct,” said Katrina Sedgwick OAM, Director & CEO, Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co).

“Thanks to funding from the Victorian Government, we have also launched stunning new dynamic lighting at Fed Square, designed by ARUP. The brilliance of the lighting accentuates the iconic architecture of Fed Square – it’s fractals, unconventional shapes and geometry – and can be expertly programmed by Bluebottle to create drama, art and celebration,” Sedgwick continued.

Fed Square, ACMI, Koorie Heritage Trust and NGV have delivered a rich program of free experiences for the 20th anniversary throughout October. Art, music and immersive experiences continue with A Score for Fed Square by Mia Salsjö – a work specially commissioned by Fed Square and NGV that is set to be performed live by musicians of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Fed Square on October 26, We Will Slam You With Our Wings – Joanna Dudley’s operatic video installation, presented in partnership with ACMI, in arrangement with Arts Projects Australia and supported by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, Sun Songs – a Fed Square commissioned sound and light bath by Geoffrey Nees and J. David Franzke and A Rainbow of Tomorrows – a multidisciplinary exhibition of queer First Nations artists’ work at Koorie Heritage Trust. Details on events can be found via Fed Square’s website, fedsquare.com/events/20th-anniversary

ACMI, Australia’s national museum of screen culture, is celebrating 20 years since opening its doors in Melbourne’s iconic Fed Square, with exclusive birthday offers on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October. Across this weekend, visitors can access special offers including half-price entry to the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition Light: Works from Tate’s Collection and all cinema sessions, plus free choc tops and cookies until stocks last.

Melbourne’s central civic place and home to leading cultural institutions including ACMI, The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia and Koorie Heritage Trust, as well as diverse dining options such as Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters, Hero, Big Esso by Mabu Mabu and Taxi Kitchen, Fed Square has been the destination for a kaleidoscope of experiences for twenty years.

Federation Square means so much to so many – a place to meet, to share meals and stories, to protest, an architectural masterpiece, a stage, cinema, museum, gallery, landmark, icon and town square in the heart of Melbourne. Opened on October 26, 2002, with an ambitious vision to transform Melbourne’s city centre, Fed Square has changed the way the people of Victoria and visitors experience our city and created a central gathering place for the community. As it launched, so did two new cultural icons – The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia and ACMI, and now the Koorie Heritage Trust. This October, we celebrate with a month-long program of music, film, food, art, conversation and experiences as the beloved city landmark turns twenty.

The banks of the Birrarung (Yarra) where Fed Square proudly sits has long been a gathering place for its traditional owners, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people and visiting Kulin Nations. Steeped in First Nations tradition and culture, the land holds meaning of ‘coming together’ for Australia’s First Peoples – a meaning that is expressed through the sacred ceremony of Tanderrum and shared with all of Melbourne’s people.

Designed by LAB Architecture Studio, in association with Bates Smart Architects, Fed Square’s design heralded a new contemporary vision for Melbourne that reimagined the part of town once home to train yards, a morgue and a fish market into the focal point of the city. Unlike the city grid, Fed Square’s design embraced flowing form, unconventional angles and connectivity, with puzzle pieces of cohesive, multi-purpose buildings linked around a central civic plaza. This unorthodox and brilliant take on city architecture, accented by cascading fractals of glass, zinc and sandstone, awarded Fed Square the public’s affection as well as heritage listing in 2019. The only 21st century building to be heritage listed, Fed Square’s innovative, maximalist architecture will forever be lovingly preserved and celebrated for the sense of place and connection it creates between the city, the land and the riverside.

Affectionately coined ‘The People’s Square’, Fed Square is where Melburnians choose to come together as their place to celebrate, shed a tear, cheer and mark the most memorable moments. Fed Square has been home to moments that have defined the state of Victoria, and Australia – from the National Apology to major Australian sporting triumphs to the official visit of TV royalty, Oprah. These collective experiences at Fed Square have shaped the identity of Melburnians and reinforced a shared responsibility to one another.

As Fed Square turns twenty, the dynamic space enters a new chapter of artistic brilliance. Honouring the architectural genius of Fed Square, as well as the nationally significant art institutions that call Fed Square home, it’s only fitting that Fed Square takes its place as the vibrant gateway to the newly expanded Melbourne Arts Precinct. As the gateway, Fed Square is the first stop in a trip to the city, where visitors are immersed in art and culture that inspires, educates, promotes Victoria’s many talents and encourages discovery throughout Melbourne’s renowned arts corridor – Arts Centre Melbourne, NGV International, the soon to be built The Fox: NGV Contemporary and many more iconic cultural institutions including ACCA, Malthouse, Chunky Move, MTC, Melbourne Recital Centre, the ABC Southbank, Melbourne University’s Southbank Campus including VCA and the Conservatorium of Music.

“It’s hard to imagine our city without Fed Square – a unique civic, cultural, and distinctly Melbourne space. Fed Square has become a site of spontaneous gathering for so many celebrations, commemorations, and historic moments over the past two decades,” said Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos.

“With our $1.7 billion transformation of the Melbourne Arts Precinct underway, Fed Square is set to become an even more significant cultural gateway and a vital link between our arts and sporting districts, and the CBD. This

20th birthday program is a chance for everyone to be part of a vibrant and creative celebration of the ‘peoples square’.”

This next step in Fed Square’s story gives the precinct a bright future direction and realises its purpose as a civic and cultural mecca for Melbourne.

“There is no doubt that Federation Square has had a profound effect on the way our city lives and breathes over its 20 years. Now becoming an official part of the cultural ecosystem that is the Melbourne Arts Precinct, it has a purpose that will be clear and consistent for the community and elevates it as a destination to start your creative journey in the city,” said Katrina Sedgwick OAM, Director & CEO, Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co).

“The transformation of the Melbourne Arts Precinct is the biggest investment in cultural infrastructure in Australian history, and positioning Fed Square as the welcoming point to the new arts neighbourhood honours its standing and contribution to the creative sector in its short and rich history,” continued Sedgwick.

“Conceived and designed to demonstrate the very spirit of federation, the architecture and urban design of Fed Square embodies respect and support of differences, within a coherent and welcoming precinct. Melbourne is a city of experiences and Fed Square has encouraged active participation in civic and cultural life for twenty years, with a 21st C architecture that gives a home to diverse and transformative events, exhibitions, and encounters,” said Donald Bates, Director, Lab Architecture Studio.

To mark twenty years of Fed Square, MAP Co, in partnership with its precinct partners ACMI, Koorie Heritage Trust and NGV, will deliver a rich program of free experiences to enjoy at Fed Square throughout October. Art, music and conversation will takeover Fed Square including a special performance by musicians of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra of a new multi-disciplinary art project created by Australian artist and composer Mia Salsjö and Garage Band, a major block party by ALWAYS LIVE featuring 30 garage bands. Details on events and experiences for Fed Square’s anniversary can be found below and via Fed Square’s website, fedsquare.com/events/20th-anniversary

Melbourne’s central civic place and home to leading cultural institutions including ACMI, The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia and Koorie Heritage Trust, as well as diverse dining options such as Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters, Hero, Big Esso by Mabu Mabu and Taxi Kitchen, Fed Square has been the destination for a kaleidoscope of experiences for nearly twenty years.

This October, Fed Square marks 20 years as Australia’s most celebrated and debated public square. As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, Fed Square is partnering with the Experience Consortium to launch The Experience Lab – inviting Victorian practitioners to participate in a unique incubator program that will reimagine what’s possible in the iconic space by developing concepts for both physical and virtual experiences.

The extraordinary, heritage listed architecture of Fed Square in the heart of Melbourne features a myriad of intertwining outdoor and indoor spaces, unexpected vistas, nooks and meeting places. Experience-makers will have the rare opportunity to activate Fed Square’s design in never-before-seen ways.

Three individuals or groups will be selected by an expert panel to participate in the three month program, each receiving $10,000, industry mentoring by the Experience Consortium and support by Fed Square’s team to form a site-specific experience concept, business plan and final pitch that could see their idea turned into reality.

Leading experience designers, Peter Tullin (Co-Founder REMIX Summits), Tamasein Holyman (Co-Founder Immersive Cinema) and James Boyce (Founder Grumpy Sailor) have founded the Experience Consortium, a collective formed to inspire the storytellers and experience-designers of tomorrow. They bring extensive experience in new forms of audience engagement, creative entrepreneurship and developing immersive and interactive experiences, and are responsible for some of Australia’s most ground-breaking experiences including Immersive Cinema’s recent production of Dirty Dancing, seen by more than 20,000 people.

“The Experience Lab sees Fed Square invest in our creative industry’s development and takes the opportunity of the 20th anniversary to explore how we can reimagine its distinctive spaces for our audiences. As we look to our future as a destination within the newly formed Melbourne Arts Precinct, we’re excited to imagine unexpected experiences that have the potential to activate and connect the cultural corridor,” said Katrina Sedgwick OAM, Director & CEO Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation.

“The possibilities of this program are endless and only limited by our imagination. Fed Square offers a canvas like no other and the Experience Lab will kickstart collaborations with the creative community that will open up new possibilities and drive growth of industries such as immersive entertainment,” said Peter Tullin, Co-Founder REMIX Summits.

“As it enters its third decade, the Experience Lab program is an exciting new way for Fed Square to create one-of-a-kind experiences for visitors while investing in local talent and ideas. I encourage experience-makers and creative visionaries to apply to be part of the Lab and create something remarkable for this iconic Melbourne site,” said Steve Dimopoulos MP, Minister for Creative Industries.

People and groups with compelling ideas are encouraged to apply, and the expression of interest, application criteria and further information can be found at fedsquare.com. Applications close Sunday 7 August 2022.

Fed Square will brighten up Melbourne’s wintery days with a dedicated program of showstopping free art, heartwarming dining experiences, spectacular winter masterpieces, dystopian dance parties and much, much more.

Fed Square’s winter program, Anything But Square: Under Surveillance, will run for five weeks (1 July – 7 August) and be accented by an eccentric art installation called The Eyes. Playing with the idea of how we gaze on each other through channels like social media, in a tongue in cheek way, The Eyes is a 10m tall inflatable head featuring hyper colourful, abstract eyes darting in every direction of Fed Square.

The Eyes is created by artists Cool Shit who are known for making giant, playful and immersive pop culture installations. The UK-based, Australian art collective has found great success internationally, having works showcased at major festivals and art fairs like Coachella and Art Basel. As well as ogling at The Eyes, visitors to Fed Square will be able to plug back in by sharing a video or snap of themselves wearing “The Eyes Fed Square” filter of googly, animated eyes.

Themes of gazing will ooze into other extraordinary things to do at Fed Square during Anything But Square including the outdoor ‘Surveillance Film Festival’, broadcast free on Fed Square’s big screen throughout July, an ‘Eye Spy Mission’ for kids to spot objects in the precinct and crafty eye-themed workshops where you can make, sew, sip and catch-up with friends.

The fun won’t stop at Fed Square once winter nights set in, as some of Melbourne’s leading DJs hit the decks to bring free dance parties to the heart of the city. The ‘Fed Live Dance Dystopia’ series will see the likes of YO! MAFIA and DJ John Course take to the iconic Fed Square live stage each Friday night, dropping high-energy, dance and disco tunes for all to enjoy.

“Winter is an exciting time at Fed Square. The precinct is buzzing with experiences for all types of people, and it’s also a time to invite curiosity into the Square. This year’s program will spark curiosity and encourage the community to explore Fed Square’s kaleidoscope of experiences. We’ll see Australian-first experiences that reimagine what you expect to see at Fed Square,” said Suzana Bishop, Fed Square Chief Experience Officer.

Outside of Fed Square’s Anything But Square program will be thrilling community, dining, sport and art experiences at Fed Square throughout winter including the inaugural RISING festival, the highly anticipated opening of new restaurant Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters and ACMI’s Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition Light: Work’s from Tate’s Collection.

Home to leading cultural institutions including The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Koorie Heritage Trust and ACMI, as well as diverse dining options such as Hero, Big Esso by Mabu Mabu and Taxi Kitchen, Fed Square is the destination for a kaleidoscope of experiences.

Nebula, who deliver industry leading home projector technology, is the proud Major Partner of the Anything But Square 2022 program.

Fed Square is excited to announce legendary rapper and song writer Briggs will headline a major Fed Live show on Friday 13th May at Fed Square. In this epic free event, Briggs will be supported by a stellar cast of First Nations artists including soulful songstress Kee’ahn, psychedelic DJ Soju Gang and neo-soul supergroup Izy.

Briggs is a pioneer of the Australian hip hop scene and an award-winning artist. A proud Yorta Yorta man, Briggs has put Australian hip hop on the international stage, having performed with artists such as 50 Cent, Ice Cube and Ice-T, and worked alongside Australian music icons such as The Hilltop Hoods, Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly.

Bringing his signature rhymes and impassioned lyrics to Fed Square’s Main Stage, he’ll get crowds on their feet and remembering why Melbourne is the epicentre of live music.

Set to be a big night for hip hop fans, the show will also celebrate other home-grown artists who are making major waves across Australia and internationally with their progressive beats and stunning vocals. Kee’ahn, at just 23 years’ old, has an already impressive number of performance credits and awards to her name, while Soju Gang has made a reputation for herself as Melbourne’s premier party DJ, spinning nothing but good vibes. And we can’t forget about supergroup Izy who are proving groovy soulful tunes can come out of Queensland’s Far North.

“Ranging from neo-soul, to disco, to pop and hip hop, there will be something for everyone at our Fed Live show in May. Fed Live is Fed Square’s yearly program of live and free gigs that sees Victoria’s greatest artists jump on the main stage and bring live music back to Melbourne’s CBD,” said Suzana Bishop, Fed Square Chief Experience Officer.

Briggs’ headliner show joins an inspiring program of arts and cultural experiences at Fed Square across May including an exhibition of Josh Muir’s works, a one-day family-friendly festival of First Nations music and a powerful art installation by Barkindji artist Kent Morris.

WHAT’S ON AT FED SQUARE

What: Fed Live featuring headliner Briggs
When: Friday 13 May, 4.30pm – 8pm
Where: Fed Square Main Stage
Ticketing: Free

A free outdoor performance by epic home-grown artists on Fed Square’s Main Stage including headliner Briggs, soulful songstress Kee’ahn, psychedelic DJ Soju Gang and neo-soul supergroup Izy.

What: Art After Dark
When: May 13 & 14, 6pm – 1am
Where: Fed Square
Ticketing: Free

Inspired by Europe’s Night of Museums, Melbourne’s leading galleries, museums and cultural organisations including Fed Square will remain open late for a dynamic weekend of free and paid experiences. Fed Square will be lit up by an expansive, Australian-first installation by French artist Joanie Leterrier named Constellations. Constellations plays with 3D light projected onto water in the centre of Fed Square to replicate and explore concepts of deep space. Paired with an electronic soundscape, the experience is set to be out-of-this-world. Visitors to Fed Square will also be able to enjoy ACMI and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia after dark.

What: Josh Muir – The Place
When: May 6 – May 27, 11am – 6pm (extended hours on May 13 & 14 for Art After Dark)
Where: & Gallery Pop-Up, Fed Square’s Atrium
Ticketing: Free

In February 2022, the art world lost a shining light when Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara artist Josh Muir passed away. With the blessing of Josh Muir’s family, & Gallery Australia and Fed Square present an exhibition of his final projects and artworks that have never been exhibited. Josh’s artworks echo his culture and use bright colours and bold lines to draw together historical events with current narratives in a distinctive graphic style.

What: Unvanished
When: May 27 – June 5
Where: Fed Square
Ticketing: Free

Unvanished is a powerful art installation by Barkindji artist Kent Morris, James Henry and Studio John Fish that will take pride of place in Fed Square from May 27 to June 5, in line with Reconciliation Week. This multi-sensory sculpture, commissioned by Fed Square, explores the artist’s cultural identity and connection to land, water and sky. It aims to highlight that First Peoples’ stories have not vanished from country.

What: It’s a Mob Thing
When: Sunday 1 May, 12pm – 5pm
Where: Fed Square
Ticketing: Free

A free music and health festival for First Nations community, featuring performances by Philly, Benny Walker, Djirri Djirri, Kiwat Kennell, Ridzy Ray, The Merendas and Pet$. Opening with a Welcome To Country, the family-friendly event will feature kids’ activities, music acts, foods stalls and more.

What: Melbourne International Student Week
When: May 7 – May 13, 12pm – 8pm
Where: Fed Square
Ticketing: Free

The inaugural Melbourne International Student Week will bring together all students studying in Melbourne – both local and from abroad – by showcasing the culture and services that Melbourne has to offer.

For media enquiries, contact:
Kathryn McLean – Fed Square PR Manager
Kathryn.mclean@fedsquare.com
+61 423 507 385

The heart of Melbourne’s CBD will become a kids’ wonderland to dig, dance and discover this school holidays with a bumper program of family-friendly activities at Fed Square.

Beloved characters like Dora the Explorer and PJ Masks will bring music and laughter to Fed Square through energetic live performances, alongside a series of creative workshops for kids to learn everything from coding to how to make unicorn bath bombs.

For the explorers at heart, Fed Square will be home to a special expedition, in partnership with Melbourne Museum, where digging is rewarded and dino fossils can be unearthed. The Little Food Festival will also return to Fed Square bringing two days of entertainment and education on the food we eat, suitable for little ones.

Melbourne Museum’s Triceratops Dino Dig
April 11-17, Opens 10am
Free
Fed Square’s River Terrace

Children of all ages are invited to Fed Square to dig, discover and uncover Triceratops bones. The Melbourne Museum Triceratops Dino Dig will be a not-to-be-missed hands-on experience that will bring out the paleontologist in everyone. Prizes are up for grabs, and families will be able to remember the day out with a dino-themed snap. Plus, why not make a day of it and complete your dino expedition by visiting Melbourne Museum’s Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs exhibition to see Horridus, the world’s most complete Triceratops; open daily, included with Museum entry.

Little Food Festival
Presented by Fed Square, Sandro Demaio Foundation and Monash University
April 20-21, 10am – 3pm
Free
Fed Square’s Main Square

The Little Food Festival makes food fun! Over two jam-packed days of hands-on workshops, performances and demonstrations, kids will be invited to listen, question, taste and explore the food we eat and its power to positively influence our health, environment and communities.

PJ Masks ‘Meet the Heroes’
April 16, 10:30am
Free, booking required via Eventbrite
Fed Square’s The Edge

In this thrilling live performance, sing, dance and perform special moves with PJ Masks’ Catboy, Owlette and Gekko to discover the true meaning of being a hero.

Dora’s Dance Party
April 23, 10:30am
Free, booking required via Eventbrite
Fed Square’s The Edge

Come to Fed Square for the Dora the Explorer stage show, Dora’s Dance Party! Nick Jr. invites kindergarteners to play along and learn with Dora as she embarks on a dance-filled adventure.

Fed Kidz Workshops
April 11-22, Varying dates and times
Booking required via Eventbrite. Tickets $5 (Ticket price donated to the Royal Children’s Hospital)
Fed Square’s The Edge

Hands on workshops, led by Fizz Kidz and DreamCity, that are designed to keep kids entertained and engaged this school holidays. Workshops range from everything from learning how to make your own lava lamp or unicorn bath bomb, to block coding like a pro.

Inventi Ensemble
April 11 and 13, 10:30am
Free, booking required via Eventbrite
Fed Square’s The Edge

Join the award-winning Inventi musicians for a fun-filled family event! Kids will have the opportunity to enjoy an intimate classical music concert, get up close and personal with the instruments, explore exciting musical ideas and meet the musicians.

Fed Kidz Films
April 11-23, 2pm or 4pm
Free
Fed Square’s Big Screen

Special program of kid-friendly films broadcast for free on Fed Square’s big screen for all to enjoy including Babe, Matilda, Minions and Clifford the Big Red Dog.

For media enquiries, contact:
Kathryn McLean – Fed Square PR Manager
Kathryn.mclean@fedsquare.com
+61 423 507 385

The big screen at Fed Square has been turned into an interactive beachball game for anyone to play, as a part of Fed Square’s new digital channel called Seagull TV.

Seagull TV is a suite of innovative, seagull-themed digital content created in partnership with experiential agency Spatial Sauce to enhance programming across Fed Square’s digital façade and virtual assets. Seagull TV broadcasts Seagull Sessions, video clips of songs performed by seagulls, Live Reflections, a portal that lets people experience life as a seagull lounging by a pool and Beachball Bonanza, a challenge where players in Fed Square need to keep virtual beachballs from touching the ground by moving or jumping.

“What’s different about Seagull TV is that it’s 100% live and contextual. It changes and reacts to what’s happening in Fed Square, such as what people are doing, time of day, weather conditions and current events. It’s a living and breathing virtual world that’s as exciting and diverse as Fed Square,” said Deniz Nalbantoglu, Spatial Sauce Managing Director & ECD.

As part of Fed Square’s strategic imperatives for 2022, the business is prioritising unique programming to curate the visitor experience at Fed Square, entertain and captivate audiences to spend more time in Melbourne’s CBD. Since launching on Fed Square’s big screen in January 2022, Seagull TV has captured the attention of visitors and added a touch of joy, music and movement to the city. Over 30 people are stopping and playing each game of Beachball Bonanza by working together, jumping and having fun to keep virtual beachballs in the air.

“We program a ‘TV guide’ full of entertaining, educational and meaningful content to build upon Fed Square’s reputation as a destination for screening major sporting events. During the height of the pandemic, we knew we wanted to take it one step further and introduce games to Fed Square to create lighthearted activities that the community could do together,” said Suzana Bishop, Fed Square Chief Experience Officer.

“The seagull theme is inspired by Fed Square’s mascots who are two seagulls, Fred and Fifi. Celebrating the urban wildlife that call Fed Square home in our brand and creative content is another way we consider ourselves anything but Square,” mentioned Bishop.

Continuing to creatively evolve the content and its reach, Fed Square’s seagull boy-band GULL5 have today launched their hit song “Relationchip” to YouTube. “Relationchip” is a K-pop inspired love song from GULL5 to the seagulls they adore but also to Melbourne, the city that has made their romance take flight.

Wingo Starr, the lead seagull of GULL5, encouraged fans to check out the new single online or at Fed Square.

“We wrote this song for all the lovers out there enjoying a bucket of chips together. Treat your crush to a flapping good time at Fed Square, check out GULL5 on the big screen, tune into “Relationchip” and you’ll both be flying high over the city,” squawked Wingo Starr.

For further information on Seagull TV: /events/seagull-tv

To watch the “Relationchip” video clip, visit YouTube.

For media enquiries, contact:
Kathryn McLean – Fed Square PR Manager
Kathryn.mclean@fedsquare.com
+61 423 507 385

The celebrated Futurefoodsystem self-sustaining home project at Fed Square, led by eco-innovator Joost Bakker, will reopen for dinners throughout February 2022.

Dinner bookings at Futurefoodsystem are back by popular demand and will offer food lovers the opportunity to discover high quality, zero waste cuisine. Experimental cook Adam James of Rough Rice will bring his obsession with fermentation and flavour-making to Fed Square in a limited, four week residency at Futurefoodsystem. Every Friday and Saturday evening throughout February, dinner guests can expect an innovative, modern menu that draws on ancient methods of fermentation.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Adam to create a new communal dining experience for the public at Futurefoodsystem that embraces the potential fermentation has to dramatically reduce our environmental impact,” said Futurefoodsystem creator Joost Bakker.

“Adam’s knowledge of fermentation is unparalleled, and the way he takes inspiration from ancient cultures to create dishes that are both delicious and innovative is inspiring. I look forward to experimenting with Adam at the house and trialing his fermentation techniques with our homegrown ingredients,” continued Bakker.

Sunday lunches are also back on the agenda at Futurefoodsystem. Each Sunday a pioneering local chef will take over the self-sustaining, zero waste kitchen alongside the people who inspire them – their parents. The family meals, seating 14 guests, will be brought to life by Tom Sarafian, his mum and granddad (Sunday 13 February), Helly Raichura and her mum (Sunday 20 February), Mahmood Fazal and his mum (Sunday 27 February) and Thi Le and her mum (Sunday 6 March).

“We’re proud to again be opening the doors of Futurefoodsystem to have more Australians experience the delicious food that can come out of a zero waste and self-sustaining kitchen in the heart of the city. Futurefoodsystem has been an impressive and successful experiment in urban farming that proves we have everything we need on our doorsteps to change the way we live,” said Fed Square CEO Caroline Ralphsmith.

Bookings for the February dinners and lunches can be made via Eventbrite. To book a tour of Futurefoodsystem, visit futurefoodsystem.com/tours

Futurefoodsystem lives at Fed Square until April 2022. Its mission is to demonstrate that a building can be productive, and people can create zero waste ecosystems to grow delicious, nourishing foods in their homes.

Fed Square is a COVID-19 safe place. Fed Square adheres to current guidelines, has highly trained staff and upholds high levels of cleanliness. Please ensure to abide by Victorian Government COVID-19 restrictions when attending Fed Square.

For media enquiries, contact:
Kathryn McLean – Fed Square PR Manager
Kathryn.mclean@fedsquare.com
+61 423 507 385

Fed Square brings the energy back to Melbourne this Summer

From 14 January 2022, a kaleidoscope of free experiences and events will take over Fed Square as the iconic destination welcomes Melburnians back, joining a blockbuster summer of creative activities across the city. Spanning live music, public art, interactive installations, films, exhibitions and workshops, the diverse program will see Fed Square become the Kaleidosquare.

As the city reclaims its appetite for things to see and do, visitors to the Square will experience a larger-than-life, inflatable Koi fish fountain, a series of live gigs, a silo art trail in the heart of the CBD, a mesmerising candlelight concert series, a powerful photography exhibition and so much more.

CUPID’s Koi Garden by ENESS
Between 21 January – 6 February, Fed Square will be transformed with a new outdoor, interactive playground inhabited by an enormous and impressively colourful Koi fish fountain by ENESS. On a mission to spread love and joy, see the world’s first inflatable five-metre-high fountain of fantastical fish surrounding the character Cupid who cheekily squirts water.

Fed Live
Free gigs will return to Fed Square’s Main Stage in 2022, featuring performances by Grammy-nominated, Australian jazz and funk band Hiatus Kaiyote, alt-pop artist Dylan J, songstress Bumpy, soul-pop artist AKOSIA, and Melbourne rock trio The Grogans, across the summer. A special tribute to French electro house legends Daft Punk will see DJ Andy Murphy and Daft Punk Discovery light up the stage on Saturday 15 January.

Fed Summer Films
Running between 15 – 26 January, there will be a rotating program of classic films on the big screen for a balmy outdoor summer cinema experience, screening classics including Jaws, Jurassic Park, Muriel’s Wedding, Strictly Ballroom, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and more old school favourites.

Candlelight Concert Series with Fever
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, be wowed by a free open-air concert series illuminating Fed Square by candlelight. Having graced intimate and undiscovered venues across the globe, this special series is making its way to Fed Square on February 14, 18 and 26, with classical musicians performing everything from Bach to The Beatles.

Fed Oasis
Your summertime oasis will undergo a colourful makeover this year with artist takeovers. The Fed Square deck chairs will be redesigned to feature bespoke, evocative works by three prominent graffiti artists including Sofles. New and fun rotational chairs by architectural designer Thomas Heatherwick will also be introduced to the Square so you can take relaxation to the next level with a literal ‘spin’.

While you’re there, see the giant Fed Square letters transformed by First Nations artist Robert Michael Young who will reimagine the iconic letters for summer. And keep an eye out for free ice cream, impromptu performances, specials giveaways and more!

Urban Silo Trail
Bringing Victoria’s iconic silo artworks to our doorstep, you can embark on a mini silo art trail in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD between 21 Jan – 31 March. Curated by Juddy Roller, witness this innovative art project come to life at Fed Square that will see renowned street artists Adnate, Kitt Bennett and Jimmy Dvate transform miniature wheat silos into impressive works of art.

Reconstruct (the) Normative by Soraya Zaman
From 28 January – 10 February, a large-scale bridge installation will be displayed in The Atrium featuring a raw and powerful photography exhibition. Titled Reconstruct (the) Normative, this thought-provoking exhibit explores the notions of gender and sexuality; a snapshot of the journeys across the transmasculine spectrum through the lens of Australian-born photographer, Soraya Zaman.

Connecting Worlds with Words
A grassroots event on 19 February featuring live spoken word performances from three locations – Fed Square, Bunjil Place in the City of Casey and Aotea Square in Auckland. 12 poets will explore the theme of connection through spoken word, in a simultaneously livestreamed event bringing together Australia and New Zealand.

The Summer of Sport will also return to Fed Square’s big screen showcasing major sporting events including the Australian Open, Super Bowl, AFLW, Winter Olympics and more.

Home to leading cultural institutions including The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Koorie Heritage Trust and ACMI, as well as diverse dining options such as Hero, Big Esso and Atiyah, Fed Square is the place to be this Summer.

Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson said, “The city is going to be alive with events and activities, with something for everyone this summer. Whether it’s live music, movies, sport or art, there’s something at Fed Square for everyone – come in and enjoy the fun.”

Fed Square CEO Caroline Ralphsmith said, “Summer is going to be bigger and better than ever in the city this year. There’s a real buzz around Fed Square’s restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas and galleries that’s enticing people to rediscover the best of Melbourne. As well as quality food and drinks, Fed Square is putting on over 160 free events including impressive art installations, film screenings, major live performances and thought-provoking exhibitions this summer. We are bringing iconic, colourful scenes from around Victoria to our doorstep to celebrate Victorian creativity and to continue to reenergise the heart of the city.”

All events during Summer at Fed Square are free, unless otherwise specified. For the full program of entertainment and events, please visit fedsquare.com/kaleidosquare.

Tango Energy is proudly a major partner of Summer at Fed Square.

Fed Square is a COVID-19 safe place. Fed Square adheres to current guidelines, has highly trained staff and upholds high levels of cleanliness. Please ensure to abide by Victorian Government COVID-19 restrictions when attending Fed Square.

For media enquiries, contact:

Kathryn McLean – Fed Square PR Manager
E: kathryn.mclean@fedsquare.com
M: +61 423 507 385

OR

Jess Fornito – Kreate Account Director
E: jessica.fornito@kreate.com.au
M: +61 432 298 244

The star cast of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child join Santa, Koorie Klaus and wizards at Fed Square this festive season

Fed Square has come alive for the festive season with an exceptional line-up of joyful events, special appearances, free live performances and colourful celebrations to mark Christmas, Chanukah, New Year’s Eve and more.

This year, Fed Square is the centre of Christmas and proudly home to the City of Melbourne Christmas Festival’s Christmas Square, featuring a 16m high Christmas tree, Santa’s Workshop, light up bell swings, performers and the ‘Elfie Selfie’. Running from now until Saturday 25 December and free to attend, Christmas Square adds a touch of magic to the City of Melbourne and is the perfect place to enjoy twinkling lights, catch-up with Santa and snap a festive photo of the whole family.

Koorie Krismas, brought to Fed Square by the Koorie Heritage Trust, will return from Friday 10 – Sunday 12 December with live performances by Djirri Djirri Dancers and The Dreaming Project and a special appearance by Koorie Klaus. On Fed Square’s big screen, you’ll be immersed in a welcome to Country by N’arweet Carolyn Briggs and Aunty Di Kerr, performances from The Merindas, Kee’ahn, Bumpy Trio and Aaron B, and a screening of the Australian classic, Bran Nue Dae.

The Christmas celebrations continue at Fed Square with six days of uninterrupted free screenings of the most memorable Christmas films including Love Actually, The Grinch, Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas. Kicking off on Friday 10 December with Love Actually at 8pm, film lovers can come to Fed Square for the Fed Film series and relive some of the greatest movie moments on the big screen.

Fed Square’s resident seagulls Fred and Fifi have had a makeover this Christmas. Standing at 4.5m tall, these whimsical illuminated installations, created by the talented team at A Blanck Canvas, have arrived at Fed Square to bring cheer to the precinct.

In the spirit of togetherness, the Sampling the Future exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia will spill into Fed Square’s Atrium, adding a sense wonder to the space. Seven supersized knitted architectural towers in vibrant colours, created by Architect Leanne Zilka and Textile Designer Jenny Underwood, will accent the entrance to The Atrium from Friday 26 November and spark conversation and joy.

When you hear Christmas, who doesn’t think of the Wizarding World and Harry Potter? To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Wizarding World fans can enjoy all Harry Potter films on Fed Square’s big screen alongside a special appearance by the cast of the hit play Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. At Fed Square on Tuesday 7 December, families and fans alike will have the opportunity to join in an immersive day of Harry Potter themed fun, as well as a virtual masterclass on how to expertly handle a wand.

From Sunday 28 November to Sunday 5 December, Victorians will get together and celebrate Chanukah at the Pillars of Light festival. Over eight uplifting days, people can experience live performances, guest speakers and ceremony at Fed Square. LiveNation has partnered with Pillars of Light to program local multicultural, faith and First Nations artists to perform from Fed Square’s main stage each evening, alongside talks and a ceremonial lighting of the 12ft high Menorah.

“The festive season is even brighter at Fed Square this year as we welcome characters close to our hearts, inspirational performances and magical moments to the centre of Melbourne. The city has come alive again and we look forward to having Victorians join us to celebrate a special time of the year,” said Fed Square Chief Experience Officer Suzana Bishop.

For images of each of the festive events at Fed Square, DOWNLOAD HERE. For more information on each event, visit Fed Square’s website.

Fed Square is a COVID-19 safe place. Fed Square adheres to current guidelines, has highly trained staff and upholds high levels of cleanliness. Please ensure to abide by Victorian Government COVID-19 restrictions when attending Fed Square.

For media enquiries, contact:
Kathryn McLean – Fed Square PR Manager
E: kathryn.mclean@fedsquare.com
M: +61 423 507 385

Fed Square has been honoured for its innovative events program at the preeminent event industry awards in Australia, the MEA Awards. Last night’s virtual award ceremony saw Fed Square awarded ‘Special Event of the Year’ and ‘Event Venue of the Year’ for influential event and marketing campaigns in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fed Square claimed ‘Special Event of the Year’ for its Dining In, Turned Inside Out campaign which saw the Square come to life as a vibrant piazza with outdoor dining, entertainment and engaging activations. Dining In, Turned Inside Out aimed to support the reopening of Fed Square’s cafes, restaurants and bars hit hard by COVID-19 closures, with restaurants like Chocolate Buddha, Transport and Beer Deluxe participating. The piazza was lined with greenery, comfortable seating and shady umbrellas, creating an inviting spot for Melburnians to sit and enjoy the best in hospitality.

True to the creative nature of Fed Square, the event was accented by a large art installation known as ‘Sky Castle’, created in partnership with ENESS. Sky Castle was a never-before-seen sound and light installation featuring colourful inflatable arches dotted around the Square, evocative of a rainbow. As people moved through the dreamlike arches, they could hear a joyful xylophone soundscape as well as stimulate vivid colour changes in each arch.

Dining In, Turned Inside Out effectively re-energized Fed Square, driving high visitation to the city and demonstrating how to safely and professionally re-open in line with COVID-19 regulations.

Fed Square was awarded ‘Event Venue of the Year’ for the efficient way its team converted its premier event venue, The Edge, into a sophisticated virtual offering during lockdown. After just four weeks, Fed Square launched the Virtual Edge, a technologically advanced broadcast studio that allowed virtual events to take place safely and seamlessly. This meant high profile events were re-formatted and streamed across multiple platforms, stimulating the industry, engaging new audiences and providing high-quality entertainment at home. The Virtual Edge also gave Fed Square a new asset to create and share owned content including the award-winning Fed Fitness video series.

Fed Square Chief Experience Officer Suzana Bishop said, “We are pleased to accept these awards that re-enforce for us that Fed Square’s dedication to innovation, community and collaboration is not going unnoticed. We acted quickly, in a challenging time, to re-imagine Fed Square’s offering to strengthen the local arts, hospitality and event industries and provide enriching experiences for people at home.”

“As Victoria reopens in 2021, we are ready to again bring our industry expertise to support our precinct partners and create engaging experiences that will re-invigorate Melbourne,” Bishop continued.

Fed Square is committed to creating a thriving precinct of cultural and civic activities, and endeavours to act as Melbourne’s centre for creativity and innovation. These awards are a testament to Fed Square’s management and their mission to reflect the rich culture, heritage and identity of Victoria through unique experiences that captivate and connect.

For images of the award-winning initiatives, download here.

For media enquiries, contact:
Kathryn McLean – Fed Square PR Manager
E: kathryn.mclean@fedsquare.com
M: +61 423 507 385

After taking up residency at Fed Square’s River Terrace to demonstrate the sustainability blueprint of the future, Fed Square have today announced Future Food System by Joost will be extended until June 2022 with guided tours available for the very first time.

The self-sustaining, 87-square metre home and urban farm will continue to be occupied by award winning chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett, who will open their doors to visitors as they attempt to live solely off the food and resources on-site as they pioneer a ground-breaking, zero waste approach to food and living.

Future Food System is the brainchild of visionary eco-innovator, Joost Bakker, whose latest vision is an example of our potential to creative positive impact by changing the way we build, live and eat.

Of his vision for the project, Joost Bakker said: “I’m a firm believer in inspiring change through action and Future Food System is a living and breathing example of that. I genuinely believe we can live sustainably through educating people on solutions which bring about positive change.”

With Fed Square firmly focused on its commitment to a sustainable future, this announcement will be followed by a new and exciting program unveil, which includes Fed Square’s upcoming Sustainable September Festival.

Fed Square CEO Caroline Ralphsmith said: “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Future Food System by Joost at Fed Square and we feel privileged to be home to one of Australia’s most innovative sustainability experiments. At Fed Square we believe it is imperative to support and promote innovation in this field and the Future Food System is a real example of our joint commitment to ensuring a sustainable future for the broader Melbourne community and future generations to come.”

Fed Square’s environmental sustainability credentials have been front of mind since the precinct was first constructed 18 years ago, with new initiatives developed over time to ensure sustainability remains at the forefront. Since early 2019, Fed Square Pty Ltd is proudly carbon neutral. 100% of the carbon emissions specifically derived from Fed Square Pty Ltd’s operational activities are offset.

For more information on Future Food System at Fed Square, or to book a guided tour, please visit: https://www.futurefoodsystem.com/tours

To stay across Fed Square updates ahead of the Sustainable September Festival, be following@fed.square on Instagram or visit: What’s On

For a selection of high-resolution images, please view the folder here.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Jessica Fornito – Kreate
M: 0432 298 244
E: jessica.fornito@kreate.com.au

From July 14, Fed Square will launch the winter season with a jam-packed Anything But Square Program spanning art and cultural activities celebrating everything French! Visitors are invited to rediscover Fed Square across the 6 weeks of activity which will see the iconic cultural destination transformed through a kaleidoscope of new experiences, including free events, installations, workshops and performances.

Visitors can experience the centrepiece of the program with the Australian debut of The Knot, an impressive large-scale art installation by French artist Cyril Lancelin; the Bastille Day Festival; a French Film Festival and Frenchy Fed Free workshops, both presented in partnership with Alliance Française de Melbourne, and more.

The Knot

See Fed Square light up like never before with the hero art installation The Knot presented by Major Partner Tango Energy. The bold, larger-than-life immersive artwork by French visual artist Cyril Lancelin will illuminate the Melbourne night sky fluorescent pink between July 15 until September 5. Be wowed by the scale of the inflatable 3-dimensional installation as you explore the pink knot from all angles.

Frenchy Weekends

Presented in partnership with Alliance Française de Melbourne from 27 August – 5 September, Frenchy Weekends will be devoted entirely to films and music.

Melburnians will be able to take a journey through sound and experience some of the most iconic and beautiful places in France and around the world. Featuring some of France’s most gifted songwriters, composers and artists, Frenchy Weekends also presents some of the world’s best DJs and producers. The program is designed to make you dance to the sounds of electronic music, travel through the eyes of the great Charles Aznavour, sing along with the words of Serge Gainsbourg and dream with the dancers of the French CanCan.

To coincide with Frenchy Weekends, Fed Square will be serving up all things French (and pink) through a range of impromptu performances, food experiences and special giveaways. Be sure to locate Fed Square’s lovable giant seagulls and brush up on your pronunciation of “bonjour” as there is a selection of prizes to be won for the first 75 visitors each Friday across Frenchy Weekends. The Posh Brioche van will also be serving up a selection of French delights, with Fed Square extending a tasty treat to the first 100 visitors who show their #fedsquare tagged selfie.

Frenchy Fed Free Workshops

Running over August and September, the Frenchy Fed Free Workshops presented in partnership with Alliance Française de Melbourne will include a variety of French-inspired workshops and panel discussions. Visitors are invited to embrace French culture with workshops such as a cork & canvas adaption titled Monet & Mimosas and Beer & Brushes, lively panel discussions including Tour de France Revealed and Decoding the French Lifestyle, a fun intercultural workshop on the Do’s and Don’ts in France, and more.

For something more family friendly, the Craft Workshop: How to make a French Cockade will teach children how to make a cockade and provide them with a short storytelling history of the Bastille Day.

Of the new winter program, Fed Square’s CEO Caroline Ralphsmith said: “After a brief hiatus, we are thrilled to announce a wonderful winter program which celebrates unique cultural experiences in the heart of Melbourne’s premier and most vibrant public space. We welcome everyone to come into Fed Square to immerse themselves in all things French this winter and explore the sensational program of events”.

Surrounded by cultural institutions, such as the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Koorie Heritage Trust and the recently reopened Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Fed Square is the place to be this winter.

For the full program of entertainment and events click here.

While the Frenchy Fed Free Workshops are free, event registration is required to secure your spot.

After nearly two decades as a place for the world to meet, celebrate and be together, Fed Square has embraced a new logo that reflects its position as the beating heart of Melbourne.

Since it opened in 2002, Fed Square has been a world-class space for dynamic and public events, where locals and visitors can engage with a spectrum of experiences. Under a new vision, supported by the recent Government review, the new branding positions Fed Square as ‘Anything But Square’ while promising a ‘Kaleidoscope of Experiences’.

Suzana Bishop, acting CEO Fed Square said: “Fed Square is a globally iconic destination and Melbourne’s gathering place, where visitors are immersed in unique cultural experiences and architecture that celebrate Victoria’s rich heritage and identity. As a result, our brand needs to inspire, engage and celebrate our community. And our new identity does just that. It’s reflected in our program of events and offerings too.”

The rebrand was led by Australian-based agency Interbrand who have previously worked on iconic Australian brands including the Sydney Opera House. In line with the new identity, Fed Square has also partnered with Australian artist and illustrator Tanya Cooper whose passion for bright colours and fun will be injected into various mixed media branded collage work.

With this rebrand, we also celebrate Fed Square’s history. A number of short documentaries have been created to showcase the Square’s heritage, architecture, design, engineering and sustainability initiatives. These include: Fed Square’s Architecture & Design; Sustainability and The Labyrinth (an underground maze that acts as a passive cooling/heating system), Engineering and The Deck, and the Princes Walk Vaults, Fed Wharf and the connection to the Yarra River. They will be available to view on the Fed Square website and will be released each week from January 15.

In addition, there are three special episodes of the Anything But Square podcast series which celebrate Fed Square’s past featuring interviews with notable people involved in the Square’s creation including Donald Bates, one of the original architects.

To celebrate the launch of the new brand, and in keeping with the new direction, this month Fed Oasis launches as part of Fed Summer. Fed Oasis features grass zones dotted throughout, vibrant beanbags and comfortable striped deck chairs to relax in, under the shade of umbrellas as far as the eye can see. This comes directly from community feedback seeking greater shade and comfort in the Square. To accompany Fed Oasis, there will be live music, films, and free wellbeing classesthroughout the summer months.

For more information visit /events/anything-but-square

For further information or media enquiries, please contact Asha Holmes Publicity: Asha Holmes | asha@ashaholmespublicity.com.au | 0403 274 299

From 15 January, Fed Square’s FED SUMMER program will see a packed schedule of events including an outdoor cinema silent film series, with live soundtracks by local bands and musicians, free fitness sessions, guided workshops and a new take on mindful meditation – Mindful Fed-itation, hosted by hilarious local comedians.

It’s all part of a huge summer in the city, as Melbourne comes alive after a difficult 2020.

Fed Oasis

Your personal Fed Oasis will be more than just comfy seating and shaded areas, dotted around the square – but the ultimate in relaxed dining. QR codes at tables, beanbags and deckchairs mean you’ll be able to order and receive food from Mama’s Canteen, Transport, Timeout and Chocolate Buddha without getting up!

Fed Live Summer Series

Fed Square has a program of live music every Saturday night (January 16, 23 and 30, February 6) featuring the finalists from the hugely successful FED LIVE competition, showcasing emerging Victorian talent including Xyla Haig, Taylah Carroll, Seb Szabo, Jack Carleton, Frank James, Tig Lieschke, Raria, Dumb Whales, Keaper, plus Mighty Duke & The Lords.

Fed Films

Partnering with foundation tenant ACMI, the national museum of screen culture, Fed Square has created a unique outdoor cinema experience. Special event screenings of classic silent films on the digital façade start on Friday 26 February with The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) and live score by Phillip Johnston. The world’s first animated feature will be given a new, electronic-infused jazz score by Phillip Johnston and his quartet. Plus see Sherlock Jr with live score by Blue Grassy Knoll (Fri 5 March), Metropolis with live score by The New Pollutants (Sun 7 March) and Dr Plonk with live score by Stiletto Sisters and associate artists (Thurs 1 April).

There will also be a program of classic films across summer beginning 15 January with a double feature of Splash and Castaway. Plus a celebration of Australian film from 23 – 27 January featuring The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Muriel’s Wedding, Bran Nue Dae, Red Dog and more on the big screen. People can dine in the Fed Oasis grass zones and watch a film – the ultimate gold grass experience.

Tanderrum

The First Peoples of Melbourne welcome you to Tanderrum, a ceremony bringing together the Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung, Boon Wurrung, Taungurung, Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung language groups of the Eastern Kulin Nation — a ceremony of celebration that reaches across Aboriginal time.

It was only six years ago the Eastern Kulin Nation brought Tanderrum back to central Melbourne, the sacred ceremony hidden since European invasion. On March 29 all people are invited to share the ceremony and celebrate being together with the original owners of the land.

Inside Out

A major new international festival of photography, Inside Out, will activate Melbourne and sites across Regional Victoria with the most inspiring photography from Australia and around the world.Held every two years, the festival addresses the major issues of our time in a program of free exhibitions, outdoor displays and artist commissions across the city, as well as talks, film screenings, masterclasses, education programs and awards. As the centrepiece for the festival they will cover the entire Fed Square Main Square precinct with the faces of Victorians on February 18-21.

During the long Summer days, the digital facade will screen major sporting events including the Super Bowl LV, the Australian Open tennis, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and more.

In addition to Fed Square’s normal program of daily activities such as meditation, Tai Chi and Qigong, an updated calendar of FREE wellbeing classes are available until March including cocktail making, pilates, yoga, dance, photography, Hawaiian Hula, matcha making, belly dancing and much more.

Fed Square is the place to be this summer – with Fed Oasis providing shade and comfort, a free program of films, music, workshops and entertainment – all in the heart of the city from 15 January 2021. The full program of entertainment and events is available at https://www.fedsquare.com/events/fed-summer

For media enquiries, interviews or images please contact Asha Holmes Publicity: Asha Holmes | asha@ashaholmespublicity.com.au | 0403 274 299

Fed Square is Melbourne’s home. Now it’s showing Melbourne a blueprint of the home of the future by Joost Bakker. Fed Square will again host Greenhouse by Joost, a self-sustaining, closed loop, two-bedroom home that will shelter, feed, and provide energy for its inhabitants.

This week, award winning chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett move into the Greenhouse full-time for 3 months. Passers-by will be able to see their daily routine as they work towards growing, harvesting and cooking food sourced only from the building. Their aim – to produce enough food for 2 people to live on.

With 58% of the world’s carbon emissions created by the current food system1 and the annual food waste cost globally reaching $940Billion, a sustainable future is the only way forward.

“Imagine solving the world’s biggest problem by simply changing the way we live” said Joost Bakker. “We have the ability to create positive impact by growing our own food. Everyone of us generates an abundant nutrient source – we just need to harness it.”

From this month, Fed Square will host free weekly sustainable living events such as a pop-up zero waste bar, weekly discussions with chefs and exclusive cooking demonstrations from Matt and Jo. In addition, tours of the house will be offered daily and exclusive dining sessions are available to be booked.

Fed Square acting CEO Suzana Bishop said: “We are excited to welcome Greenhouse by Joost to the Fed Square River Terrace – we know how important it is to support and promote innovation in this field as we look to ensure a sustainable future for Federation Square and the broader Melbourne community.”

Fed Square’s environmental sustainability credentials have been front of mind since the precinct was first constructed 18 years ago, and initiatives have continued to be developed over time to ensure that Fed Square remains at the forefront of this area. Since early 2019, Fed Square Pty Ltd is proudly Carbon Neutral. 100% of the carbon emissions specifically derived from Fed Square Pty. Ltd.’s operational activities are offset.

To book a tour and find out more, visit: www.fedsquare.com/events/greenhouse-by-joost

For further information or media enquiries, please contact Asha Holmes Publicity: Asha Holmes | asha@ashaholmespublicity.com.au | 0403 274 2991

Get ready for Christmas with Fed Square’s North Pole University, hosted by Tim Campbell. An entertaining day of interactive free online tutorials on Saturday 5 December (12pm – 5pm).

Throughout the day, attendees can:

• Learn how to decorate the perfect Christmas dinner table from styling specialists, Creating Beautiful.
• Watch chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett (Joost Greenhouse) cook up a sustainable Christmas feast live from the greenhouse
• See the best in festive make-up trends with Jade Kisnorbo. (JadeKMakeup)
• Join the NGV and artist Kenny Pittock for Christmas art making activities for kids.
• Participate in a Christmas baking class with pastry chef Darren Purchese.
• And get your Christmas drinks ready with TimeOut 2020 Bartender of the Year, Nick Tesar.
• Live carol singalong from Hello Music Children’s Choir
• Enjoy the sense of comfort and togetherness in a year that has been anything but normal. With traditional Christmas workshops, North Pole University will virtually bring the community together and support local businesses.

There will also be a competition to win the Ultimate Festive Prize pack (valued at 1k) containing everything you will need to feast, drink and be merry on Christmas Day and look gorgeous while you are doing it! All people need to do to enter, is ask a question to a presenter on the day via Fed Square’s Facebook inbox and they will go into the draw. The winner will be drawn on the day!

Visit the website to register your interest and check out the full schedule of events: /events/north-pole-university

For media enquiries, interviews or images please contact Asha Holmes Publicity: Asha Holmes | asha@ashaholmespublicity.com.au | 0403 274 299

LIVE MUSIC & PERFORMERS EVERY DAY

Fed Square today opens their newly transformed dining precinct, with live entertainment running every day from 5 November.

Dining has been turned inside-out, with various spaces throughout Fed Square transformed into outdoor dining zones, some that will also offer the opportunity to order via QR code for contactless service.

Popular venue Beer DeLuxe will lead the charge reopening their doors from 28 October with TimeOut Cafe (29 Oct), Riverland and Pilgrim (30 Oct) and Transport (31 Oct) following soon after. Chocolate Buddha will complete the Fed Square dining reopening on 11 November.

Fed Square is also offering FREE parking for the month of November for those dining at one of the restaurants, cafés or bars. Simply obtain your free parking ticket when you purchase food or beverages and produce your ticket upon exit.

Fed Square CEO Xavier Csar said: “We are so excited to reopen our space for the people of Melbourne. We have new outdoor dining spaces and a lot of live music to entertain customers and passersby alike. It’s time to reembrace the vibrant and culture-rich Melbourne we love.”

Live Entertainment at Fed SquareFrom 5 November there will be live bands on the Main Stage every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 7pm. The line-up includes multi ARIA Award-winning Paul Coyle and his band The Devious Three; Jules Boult & The Redeemers; Steve Purcell’s Pearly Shells; Damon Smith Band; Rhythm and Blues rockers Benny Peters & The Mistreaters; ARIA Award-winning band Collard Greens and Gravy; Jules Boult & Memphis Gold; plus Andre & The Rare Blues Byrds.

From 8 November, roving entertainment will be found across the dining zones every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lunch time, from 12pm to 2pm. Patrons will enjoy Not My Circus! an exciting new trio bringing high energy, dance fuelled jams; Uptown Brown with his “Goodtimes Gyratorscope”; roving Latin drummers; and Melbourne’s own Mariachi Band.

Spring Racing will be broadcast live on the Façade on Tuesday 3 November (Cup Day) and Thursday 5 November (Oaks Day).

For media enquiries, interviews or images please contact Asha Holmes Publicity: Asha Holmes | asha@ashaholmespublicity.com.au | 0403 274 299

FED SQUARE JOINS FORCES WITH MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR KICK STARTING COMPETITION WORTH $100,000 

FED LIVE, Fed Square’s music competition for Victorian based emerging musicians, saw an impressive array of music video submissions from Victorian artists last month.

The entries were mind-blowingly good and shortlisting was difficult. But, thanks to a hand-picked panel of judges from music heavyweights MTV, Melbourne Music Week, DITTO Music and the Mushroom Group, the Top 10 songs for FED LIVE are in. Now it’s your turn – general public get to vote on their favourite music video.

The finalists are:

• Dumb Whales
• Frank James
• Jessie Hillel
• Keaper
• MDMC
• RARIA
• Taylah Carroll
• Tig Lieschke
• Xyla Haigh
• Cuppa Shred

Listen to the Top 10 and vote for your favourite! /events/fed-live

One lucky artist will be crowned the winner and receive $100,000 worth of career-kickstarting prizes, and just for voting we’ll give one lucky duck a cool thousand bucks.

Voting closes 7 December. The overall winner will be announced 8 December.

Background:

FED LIVE, a music competition for Victorian based emerging musicians, will see an artist or band win a prize valued at $100,000.

From 19 October to 15 November 2020*, Fed Square accepted music video submissions from emerging Victorian artists of any genre who want to show off their talents..

An industry panel shortlisted 10 music videos, which are now profiled on fedsquare.com during a public voting period. The winner will be announced on 8 December and receive the extraordinary, money-can’t-buy prize package, which includes:

• A 30-minute concert at Fed Square’s Deakin Edge theatre, presented by Fed Square as part of Melbourne Music Week, to be livestreamed on fedsquare.com and the Digital Façade (the famous Big Screen overlooking Fed Square) on Saturday 19 December at 8pm.
• 3 x exclusive, 30-minute career mentoring sessions with an A&R representative from Reclusive Records/Mushroom Group.
• A tailored publicity and radio campaign with Ditto Music, as well as a potential distribution deal which includes pitching to Spotify, Apple Music and other DSP curated playlists.
• An artist feature editorial on mtv.com.au.
• MTV playlist addition on one of three music channels, MTV Hits, Club MTV or MTV Classic (winning artists genre dependent) on Foxtel and Fetch.
• A featured hero frontpage on fedsquare.com.
• The winning music video featured and played on the Fed Square Digital Façade daily throughout next December and January.
• An interview on Anything But Square, the Fed Square podcast.
• $5,000 cash

In addition, all members of the public who vote for their favourite videos will go into the running to win $1,000 – one winner will be picked at random on 7 December*.

FED LIVE is made possible with thanks to MTV, Melbourne Music Week, DITTO Music and the Mushroom Group.

More information can be found at /events/fed-live

For further information or media enquiries, please contact Asha Holmes Publicity: Asha Holmes | asha@ashaholmespublicity.com.au | 0403 274 299

Fed Square is set to celebrate the blue skies ahead with SKY CASTLE, a dreamy, interactive sound and light installation arriving on 14 November. The purpose-built installation features a cluster of inflatable arches that span in a colourful symphony across the Square. As guests move through the arches, their movement powers and progresses the melodic xylophone soundscape and stimulates colour changes in each arch – evocative of the joy and hope that rainbows bring after every storm.

This installation joins Fed Square’s newly transformed dining precinct, with various spaces created into outdoor dining zones, some that also offer the opportunity to order via QR code for contactless service.Live entertainment will run every day until 5 December.

To launch SKY CASTLE, Bernard Curry and his band Johnny Wonderpants will play an hour-set on the main stage from 6.30pm – featuring LIVE performance of the viral hit and love letter to Melbourne ‘Here Comes the Sun’ seen here.

SKY CASTLE is a creative partnership between Fed Square and Melbourne based studio ENESS.

In order to ensure a COVID Safe experience for all, visitors to the square will be asked to scan and enter their details into a contact tracing system. SKY CASTLE is 100% outdoors and visitors do not enter an interior space.The lights and sound of SKY CASTLE are activated kinetically – via movement, not touch. Security will be in place to ensure visitors refrain from touching the installation and will also remind visitors to follow social distancing requirements while exploring the installation.

Official opening: 7.30pm Saturday 14 November.

The SKY CASTLE will be open every day from 7am to 11.30pm (weather depending) until 14 Dec.For more information visit

For media enquiries, interviews or images please contact Asha Holmes Publicity: Asha Holmes | asha@ashaholmespublicity.com.au | 0403 274 299

FROM DIWALI AND NAIDOC WEEK EVENTS TO FREE COOKING LESSONS, BOLLYWOOD DANCING AND ORIGAMI MAKING

Multicultural Month will be celebrated at Fed Square during the month of November with an online calendar of events celebrating Diwali and NAIDOC Week, plus African music and culture, Persian cooking classes, Bollywood dancing, Origami making and much more.

All Multicultural Month activities are all available via Fed Square’s virtual square www.fedsquare.com

On 7 November, Celebrate India Inc. invites you to join them spread joy and positivity in the community with a virtual Festival of Diwali. This year’s program will include many talented artists from Victoria, interstate and India bringing you the colorful folk, traditional, classical dances and live music performances India is known for. For more information and to watch the live stream visit: /events/diwali

Sunday 8 November is the launch NAIDOC Week with the Bak’bidi Festival. Experience fascinating insights into life in Ramingining – from the swamplands in Arnhem Land comes this special virtual presentation. For more information visit /events/naidoc-week

Monday 9 November at 9.30am – take part in the annual NAIDOC Week flag raising ceremony. The event at FedSquare will include a Messages from Community Elders, a Smoking Ceremony, a Welcome to Country and Live Music. The online only event will begin at 9.30am and will conclude at 10am and can be watched on the Fed Square & VIC NAIDOC websites and Facebook pages. /events/naidoc-week

On Tuesday 10 November, Deakin University will host a live stream NAIDOC talk – First Nations Art and Storytelling: Celebration of Indigenous Knowledge and Culture. Hosts, Tom Molyneux and Kiri Wicks share the Deakin Edge stage with two amazing Aboriginal artists painting and completing artworks from beginning to end during the live stream. There will be featured speakers and artists sharing their own work and stories throughout the day. The nature of this live event means people can virtually drop in over the course of the day. Watch this live and free event here: /events/always-was-always-will-be-naidoc-week-livestream

On Saturday 15 November at 7pm the Milingimbi Gatjirrk Festival will livestream via Fed Square website and broadcast live on the digital façade. Be transported to the heart of the Crocodile Islands in Arnhem Land for this special presentation of Milingimbis Gatjirrk Festival. Experience the power of traditional song and dance as well as the best bands to come out of Milingimbi. /events/naidoc-week

On Wednesday 18 November jump online between 7.30-8.30pm for a live Bollywood Dancing lesson with Jhoom Bollywood. These sessions will take place Wednesday – 18 Nov, 25 Nov, 2 Dec and 9 Dec. To register for this free event visit /events/bollywood-dancing-with-jhoom

Thursday 19th November between 6pm – 7.30pm take part in the Free to Feed Persian and Assyrian Community Cooking Experiences. Also taking place Sunday the 29th of November, 11.30am – 1pm. To register for this free event visit /events/cooking-classes-with-free-to-feed

On Thursday 26 November at 2pm, Melbourne Fashion Week in partnership with Bella Management and Fed Square, will host a pop-up Runway at Fed Square. The Unsigned Model Search will focus on inclusivity, inviting those who might otherwise be excluded or marginalised due to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical abilities, and religion. Model and body positive activist Stefania Ferrario and First Nation’s recording artist Mitch Tambo will be joining the pop-up runway event at Fed Square as Guest Ambassadors.

On Saturday 27 November 11am – 12pm take part in a FREE Origami Workshop for Artists and Beginners with Kami Paper. The first 50 people to sign up will receive a free origami kit! Register for this event here: /events/origami-with-kami-paper

On 12 December tune in to see the AFRICAN MUSIC & CULTURAL VIRTUAL FESTIVAL from 10am – 3pm /events/african-music-cultural-festival

Also, explore Fed Square’s e-cookbook featuring a recipe from each of the cultural festivals. And don’t forget to tune in to the ANYTHING BUT SQUARE PODCAST for more interesting and in-depth conversations about what’s happening at Fed Square during multicultural month.

All Multicultural Month activities can be found here: /events/multicultural-month

For further information or media enquiries, please contact Asha Holmes Publicity: Asha Holmes | asha@ashaholmespublicity.com.au | 0403 274 299

FED LIVE, a music competition for Victorian-based emerging musicians, will see an artist or band win a prize valued at $100,000.

From 19 October to 15 November 2020*, Fed Square will accept music video submissions from emerging Victorian artists of any genre who want to show off their talents. Entries are now open for regional Victorian’s who are allowed to meet under current COVID-19 guidelines and metropolitan Melbourne based bands or artists are encouraged to enter when restrictions mean bands or artists can safely regroup.

Fed Square CEO Xavier Csar said: “Live music is a cornerstone of Melbourne’s culture, and one of the great artistic pillars of the city. Fed Square is proud to launch FED LIVE – our latest endeavour to

celebrate and support this vital industry. With the arts industry currently facing significant challenges, it is more important now than it’s ever been to support Victorian musicians, especially up-and-comers, and as the gateway for Melbourne’s arts and cultural district, Fed Square is proud to shine a spotlight on the city’s incredible diversity of talent.”

An industry panel will shortlist 10 music videos, which will then be profiled on fedsquare.com during a public voting period from 20-27 November*. The winner will be announced on 30 November* and receive the extraordinary, money-can’t-buy prize package, which includes:

• A 30-minute concert at Fed Square’s Deakin Edge theatre, presented by Fed Square as part of Melbourne Music Week, to be livestreamed on fedsquare.com and the Digital Façade (the famous Big Screen overlooking Fed Square) on Saturday 19 December at 8pm.
• 3 x exclusive, 30-minute career mentoring sessions with an A&R representative from Reclusive Records/Mushroom Group.
• A tailored publicity and radio campaign with Ditto Music, as well as a potential distribution deal which includes pitching to Spotify, Apple Music and other DSP curated playlists.
• An artist feature editorial on mtv.com.au.
• MTV playlist addition on one of three music channels, MTV Hits, Club MTV or MTV Classic (winning artists genre dependent) on Foxtel and Fetch.
• A featured hero frontpage on fedsquare.com.
• The winning music video featured and played on the Fed Square Digital Façade daily throughout next December and January.
• An interview on Anything But Square, the Fed Square podcast.
• $5,000 cash

In addition, all members of the public who vote for their favourite videos will go into the running to win $1,000 – one winner will be picked at random on 30 November*.

FED LIVE is made possible with thanks to MTV, Melbourne Music Week, DITTO Music and the Mushroom Group.

Senior Director, Youth & Entertainment Brands, ViacomCBS Australia and NZ, Helen McMurdo said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Fed Square on this incredible initiative for Victorian artists. With the live music industry facing one of its biggest challenges in history, we’re excited to be able to use the MTV platform to amplify the stories and music of emerging artists”.

Chair of the Arts, Culture and Heritage Portfolio, Councillor Rohan Leppert, said Melbourne’s music industry has been among the hardest hit by COVID-19, and needed ongoing support. “Programs like this will help keep our music industry alive during these unprecedented times. The City of Melbourne is committed to helping our live music venues and local artists through our Melbourne Music Week program as we look to the future and hope to welcome people back to the city safely in the coming months.”

More information can be found at /events/fed-live

For further information or media enquiries, please contact Asha Holmes Publicity: Asha Holmes | asha@ashaholmespublicity.com.au | 0403 274 299

*Competition dates may be subject to change, pending Victorian Government coronavirus recovery roadmap. Please check the website for up-to-date information.

Fed Square is overseeing a staged and carefully coordinated reopening of Federation Square as coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions start to ease, in line with the latest Government health advice.

Following the easing of some restrictions on 1 June, several of the food and beverage retailers at Federation Square have now reopened in a limited capacity, with the remaining restaurants, bars and cafes likely to resume operating in the coming weeks.

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia has announced plans to reopen the gallery from 27 June, while the Koorie Heritage Trust is planning to reopen in early July, with a date to be announced shortly.

In line with Federation Square tenancies reopening, Fed Square is planning to resume the precinct’s weekly activities, such as tai chi and meditation, from July. These activities will adhere to the latest restrictions on public gatherings and physical distancing.

The Digital Façade, a major attraction for many visitors to the precinct, will also return to screening a variety of compelling programming from later this month.

Fed Square is also working in consultation with the Victorian Government and industry to develop guidelines for the safe and successful delivery of events at Federation Square, with full details of these guidelines to be shared in due course. Fed Square is committed to working with the government and event organisers to identify when events will be able to return and how they can safely operate.

With visitors returning to Federation Square, several measures are being put in place by Fed Square to make the precinct as a safe place for everyone including:

• increased cleaning of the precinct, including more regular cleaning of regularly touched surfaces such as door handles and railings;
• implementation of digital and physical signage, including posters, decals throughout Federation Square and within tenancies to reinforce social distancing messaging; and
• close coordination with tenants to ensure precinct-wide adherence to restrictions and guidelines

Commenting on the reopening plans, Fed Square CEO Xavier Csar said:

“Fed Square is Melbourne’s meeting place and one of our state’s most popular visitor destinations, and we are very excited to be putting in place plans to ensure that people can feel safe when they visit – whether that is for a meal, to attend a gallery, or just to relax in the Square.

“While we are eager to have the public returning to Fed Square, we also want to ensure we are following best practice when it comes to reopening in way that is safe for the community we serve. That is why we are implementing a planned and staged reopening and will always err on the side of caution throughout the recovery phase.”

Fed Square’s Deakin Edge to virtually host Meetings & Events Australia First Ever Digital conference Evolve: Renovated on 16 July

Fed Square’s innovative Virtual Edge offering is providing the events industry, a sector significantly affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and resulting restrictions, with new possibilities for running virtual events, with the offering set to be used when Meetings & Events Australia’s (MEA) Evolve:Renovated conference is hosted virtually from Deakin Edge on 16 July.

Virtual Edge has seen Fed Square’s stunning events venue, Deakin Edge, transformed into a world-class broadcast facility available for a variety of event purposes. Virtual Edge combines the beautiful Deakin Edge environs and Fed Square’s on-site facilities with the technology and AV support to produce an incredible virtual event simply and safely, including live streaming capabilities and state of the art lighting and camera systems.

Fed Square is proud to be the virtual venue for Meetings and Events Australia’s first-ever virtual conference, Evolve:Renovated on 16 July. Hosted from Deakin Edge, Evolve:Renovated will offer a mix of international and local speakers representing diverse industries and topics, as well as networking opportunities and access to a new wellness hub. Author David Mead, best known for Find Your Why co-authored with Simon Sinek, is the Keynote Speaker for the conference and will be sharing The Power of Alignment and how companies can stay centred to achieve extraordinary things with delegates. The virtual nature of Evolve:Renovated has also made the conference critically important to those within the industry at a time when other industry events have been forced to be postponed or cancelled.

Fed Square CEO, Xavier Csar said:

“The events industry has been deeply impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and is now grappling with how to bring events back. Fed Square wants to be a part of the solution for event organisers and that is the reason we have developed Virtual Edge.

“We are proud to be the virtual venue for Evolve:Renovated in July and we encourage others in the event industry to consider Virtual Edge as a way to bridge the physical and virtual divide and begin connecting with audiences again.”

Virtual Edge is the latest digital-led innovation from Fed Square following the success of Virtual Square, which has taken over the Fed Square website and offered up a wide variety of compelling content to bring the magic of Fed Square into people’s homes.

For more information about Evolve:Renovated or to purchase tickets visit https://www.evolve2020.com.au/. For more information about Fed’s Square Virtual Edge visit /venue-hire/the-edge.

Fed Square has won three Awards at Meetings and Events Australia’s annual national awards night, this year held in a virtual format.

Leading into the Awards event, Fed Square had been nominated as a finalist in three award categories: Festival of the Year, Operations Person of the Year, and Event Venue (1,500+).

Fed Square’s Pedro Gallo received the Victorian award for Event Operations Person of the Year. Peers and industry experts recognised Pedro’s commitment to the events industry and excellence delivering events.

The Anything But Square Festival, held in July 2019, won both the Victorian Award and the National Award for Festival of the year. The festival heralded a new and exciting chapter for Fed Square and featured a variety of events including the widely celebrated Sensory Underground dining experience.

The MEA Awards recognise excellence in the events and meetings industry and celebrate best practices in Victoria and in Australia. With the whole industry struggling due to COVID-19 the awards were a particularly important opportunity to reflect on the successes of 2019.

Fed Square is set to welcome thousands of visitors to its new online platform, Virtual Square, where people from around the world will be able to explore its spaces, enjoy world class events and join community initiatives.

From virtual tours of exhibitions from The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia to movies curated by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Virtual Square will bring the magic of Fed Square into people’s homes.

The Virtual Square initiative will take over Fed Square’s website, creating virtual journeys perfect for people to enjoy at home while measures are in place to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The experiences will be split across a range of themes, highlighting the aspects of Fed Square that have contributed to it becoming a much-loved place of gathering and community.

These include: Fed Square’s design and history, arts and culture, Indigenous history, health and wellbeing, sustainability and accessibility and the Fed Square community. Just as there is always something fresh to see at Fed Square, new content across these themes will be made available each week on Virtual Square.

Fed Square is partnering with the Koorie Heritage Trust to highlight Fed Square’s proud history as an Aboriginal meeting place and a virtual experience of Tanderrum, the Aboriginal ceremony of welcome.

Fed Square CEO Dr. Xavier Csar said that since the much-loved civic institution was required to temporarily close due to coronavirus (COVID-19), his team had been working hard to reimagine the Fed Square experience in a virtual space.

“Virtual Square gives us a new way to celebrate the history and heritage of Fed Square, shine a spotlight on activity from our incredible cultural and event partners, and generally bring a piece of the rich Fed Square experience into people’s homes,” Dr Csar said.

“I encourage everyone to gather at our Virtual Square. Until you can come back in person, this is the best way to experience the kaleidoscope of experiences that only Fed Square can deliver.”

As part of Virtual Square, Fed Square is launching a new podcast series, Anything But Square, featuring interviews, conversations and profiles of Fed Square’s people, places and events. Episode One, out now, includes Zach Bush’s Deakin Edge talk Breathe Your Biome, held in early March.

To learn about all the great experiences at Virtual Square as they become available, visit fedsquare.com and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, or follow Fed Square on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

To visit Virtual Square and find out more go to www.fedsquare.com.

Late yesterday a member of Federation Square’s office staff returned a positive result for coronavirus (COVID-19).

The staff member has been in isolation since Monday, after showing symptoms over the weekend. This individual’s role is largely administrative, based wholly in the Fed Square office, and had no exposure to the public or tenants in the period after they were exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19).

As an extra precaution, all non-essential staff at Fed Square Pty Ltd were last night directed to stay home, effective from this morning, with only core staff remaining in the office. These arrangements will stay in place until further notice.

We are doing this proactively in the interests of staff and the public.

We believe this is a cautious and prudent response in an evolving situation.

For the latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19), visit https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

Due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), health authorities have advised that all non-essential, organised public gatherings of 500 or more people should be cancelled from Monday 16 March 2020. Fed Square is committed to working closely with its tenants, the public and other key stakeholders to ensure any disruptions are minimised and Federation Square is in the best position to emerge from the impacts of COVID-19 stronger than ever.

We encourage people with tickets to events scheduled over the next few weeks to contact the event organiser to confirm if the event is postponed. While cancellations are inevitable, we will work with event partners to communicate any changes quickly and clearly, in a way that minimises the impacts on visitors and the precinct’s tenants.

If you are feeling unwell or have been in close contact with someone who has coronavirus disease (COVID-19) stay at home (self-isolate). If you are concerned, please call the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398. The easiest way to protect yourself, family and friends is to pay attention to good hand hygiene and good respiratory hygiene:

• Wash hands often with soap and running water, for at least 20 seconds. Dry with paper towel or hand dryer.
• Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow.
• You do not need to wear a face mask if you are well.

For the latest information visit the Victorian Government’s Department of Health and Human Services website: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

We will endeavour to keep you updated on this situation.

Fed Square remains open for business and continues to welcome visitors from Melbourne, interstate and overseas.

There are no current plans to cancel any events, activations or any other public gatherings at Fed Square or elsewhere in Victoria due to coronavirus. Businesses and tourism operators across the precinct also remain open and need the support of the community at this time more than ever.

The outbreak in mainland China and in other parts of the world is of concern, however, the situation in Australia is significantly different. Victoria has plans in place to manage and mitigate the risks of coronavirus.

The spread of coronavirus occurs through close contact with an infected person, mostly face-to-face or within a household. It can’t jump across a room or be carried for long distances in the air. If you are not in a group at risk group of contracting coronavirus, you should go about your daily life and travel, work or study as normal. This includes continuing to use public transport, cars, taxis, hire cars, ridesharing, cycling or walking in public places.

The easiest way to protect yourself and event attendees is to pay attention to good hand hygiene and good respiratory hygiene:

• You should pay close attention to good hand hygiene. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially before eating and after using the toilet.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing with a tissue – or cough into your elbow. Dispose of the tissue into a bin and then wash your hands afterwards.
• Face masks are not recommended for use by members of the public in Victoria, although anyone who wants to be cautious can of course choose to wear one.

For the latest information, visit https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

Receive up to $70,000 to hold multicultural and multi-faith festivals and events in your local community.

The Multicultural Festivals and Events (MFE) Program funds multicultural and multifaith community groups to hold cultural festivals and events in their local communities.

The program aims to encourage Victorians to participate in festivals and events that celebrate and embrace our state’s vibrant cultural diversity.

Applications for regional festivals and events and newly arrived community celebrations for will be highly regarded.

MFE 2020-21 includes 2 rounds: 

• Round 1 is now open for applications to hold festivals and events from 1 July to 31 December 2020.
• Round 2 will open later in 2020 for applications to hold festivals and events from 1 January to 30 June 2021.

Grants available

Community grants – $2,000 or less

Apply now for a community grant

Small grants where the activity will reach the organisation’s community and be an event or festival that is accessible for the whole community to attend. At least 100 people will attend metropolitan events and at least 50 people will attend regional events.

Partnerships grants – $7,000 to $70,000

Apply now for a partnership grant

Grants for two agencies to partner on an activity that will reach multiple communities across Victoria, with at least 2,000 people attending metropolitan events and at least 1000 people attending regional events.

Round 1 application are now open.

Find out more: https://www.vic.gov.au/multicultural-festivals-and-events-program

The Victorian Government Federation Square Review has released its Community Consultation Report, which is based recent community engagement. Fed Square welcomes the release of this report, which can be found here.

A kaleidoscope of Christmas fun is set to take over Fed Square this December, with the public to be treated to a host of festivities that are anything but square.

The Fed Square Christmas Festival, which begins on 29 November and runs until 25 December, will play host to plenty of events, activations and activities to deliver festive cheer for visitors to the square.

The centrepiece of the festival is the Christmas Square, a magical activation created in partnership with the City of Melbourne. Launching with the lighting of the now-famous 16-metre LED Christmas tree, Christmas Square will also feature a giant light up bauble, larger than life candy canes, a nativity scene and even Santa’s House, transforming the iconic square into a Christmas wonderland.

Adding to the season cheer, Fed Square’s main stage will be hosting some incredible free Christmas performances throughout December. Highlights include the Koorie Heritage Trust’s A Very Koorie Krismas on Sunday 8 December, K-POP Kristmas on Friday 13 December, and City of Melbourne’s Gravy Day sing-along on Saturday 21 December. In addition to the live musical performances, Fed Square will welcome some of the city’s best food trucks to the precinct on Friday 13 December, making the precinct the perfect spot to come together and celebrate as a community.

Fed Square’s state-of-the-art Digital Façade will be offering some innovative Christmas cheer with the introduction of the Dancing Santa interactive big screen experience at Fed Square. In a world first public square activation, visitors to Fed Square will be able to use the latest real-time motion capture technology and see themselves on the big screen alongside a digital Santa Claus who will match their every dance move.

The Digital Façade will also be screening a classic, and quirky, Christmas movie in the four days leading up to 25 December. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms will be the first film shown, on 21 December, and to celebrate Fed Square will be providing free popcorn and sugarplum fairy floss as well as welcoming the Australian Ballet Company to the main stage for a live performance from their most recent ballet, The Nutcracker. Visitors to the square will also be able to enjoy Home Alone (22 December), Edward Scissorhands (23 December) and The Santa Clause (24 December) on the big screen.

Complementing the activity in the main square, Fed Square is hosting a Christmas Styling Masterclass hosted by Chyka Keebaugh in Deakin Edge on Friday 29 November. An event perfect for those looking to take their festive celebrations at home to a new level, the Christmas Styling Masterclass will see Australia’s favourite homemaker and entertaining enthusiast Chyka Keebaugh team up with legendary dessert chef Darren Purchese to share tips on how to celebrate in style this Christmas and make it extra special. Tickets to the Christmas Styling Masterclass start from $60.50. For further information about the event and to book tickets visit /events/christmas-styling-masterclass-chyka-keebaugh.

Fed Square’s Atrium will also host two markets in December, offering visitors a chance to find some unique Christmas gifts. The Boho Luxe Christmas market will bring a Byron Bay feel to Melbourne on Sunday 1 December, and the Butterfly Christmas market is set to showcase some incredible wares across 60 stalls on 20 December.

Commenting on the exciting program of activities, Fed Square CEO Xavier Csar said: “Fed Square comes to life around Christmas, giving Victorians and visitors to the state a welcoming and safe place to join together in celebration and feel more connected. Thanks to the City of Melbourne the magical Christmas Square will be returning this year, and we are thrilled to be putting on free performances on the main stage throughout December that celebrate the diversity of our community during the festive season, with the Koorie Heritage Trust’s A Very Koorie Krismas set to be a particular highlight. I’d encourage everyone to come down to Fed Square during December and be a part of the festivities.”

Full information about all events and activities taking place as part of the Fed Square Christmas Festival are available at /christmas-square

For more information, please contact:Drew Baber (Andrew.baber@fedsquare.com) Xavier George (Xavier.george@fedsquare.com)

This week, the Heritage Council of Victoria granted heritage status to the Federation Square precinct.

Fed Square Pty Ltd (FSPL) is welcoming of this decision, as it recognises and enshrines what we already know – that Fed Square is a culturally significant icon in Victoria and a significant place of community, connection, innovation and learning for Melburnians and visitors to the city.

what should the future of Fed Square be?  Click here to have your say

Fed Square is one of Melbourne’s most iconic landmarks. Last year we welcomed over 10 million visitors from across Melbourne, around Australia and from all over the world. A home for Melbourne’s public gatherings, festivals, sport and cultural events, we are the city’s town square.

You would certainly have seen a lot going on around the square recently, including the redevelopment of ACMI, the ongoing transformation of the Melbourne Arts Precinct and the underground construction of the brand-new Town Hall Station, part of the Metro Rail Tunnel development.

To ensure Fed Square continues to grow as an innovative and exciting place for all visitors while enhancing our visitor experience, the Victorian Government is leading a review to focus on why you visit Fed Square and how we can improve your experience as Melbourne’s meeting place.

As part of the review, we need your feedback! Tell us what brings you to Fed Square, what you love about Fed Square and how we can improve.

Click here for more details

The Anything But Square Festival Powered by Siemens will see Federation Square transformed into a mecca of vibrant and extraordinary experiences throughout August, with full details of the festival program to be released in the coming weeks.

The official Anything But Square Festival program runs from 25 July to 25 August and will feature a kaleidoscope of events, activities, and installations, the first of which has been revealed today with the announcement of Sensory Underground: an immersive dining experience by Tokyo Tina.

Drawing on predicted dining trends for the year 2045, the futuristic experience will take place in a unique space accessible beneath Fed Square that few members of the public have seen and where no-one has previously dined. With food and art lovers having their senses ignited from the moment they arrive via a door on Platform 13 of Flinders Street Station, guests of Sensory Underground: an immersive dining experience by Tokyo Tina are in for a truly unforgettable experience this winter.

To bring the future-focused dining experience to life, Fed Square has partnered with the Commune Group’s iconic restaurant Tokyo Tina, who will be creating a truly unique, optimistic take on what food and dining might be like 25 years into the future with a four-course sit down menu.

The thought-provoking, exclusive menu is being developed based on predicted food trends for 2045, and the anticipated changes to the way we consume food. This largely includes using as little energy as possible for food production, sourcing local produce, and sustainable food practices.

As guests enjoy their delicious meal in the surreal underground location, taste will be just the tip of the iceberg, as all senses will be engaged through a blend of sights, sounds, textures and scents, to create a space that truly is anything but square.

Artists to feature in the unique culinary journey include lighting installation artist Kit Webster, performance installation designer Paul Findlay, graphic design and visual experts at Studio SPGD, and virtual reality creators Trent Clews-de Castella and Joseph Purdam from PHORIA Studio.

Suzana Bishop, Fed Square’s General Manager – Commercial and Public Engagement, said the Sensory Underground offered Melburnians the chance to see and experience a different side of the iconic location, and enjoy some of the city’s culinary delights at the same time.

“Fed Square is delighted to be working with Tokyo Tina and some of Melbourne’s most talented creatives to create a truly spectacular experience in the heart of the city. We have never put on an event quite like this, and we have certainly never made use of this underground space. With incredible food, art, and experiences adding to the future environment of 2045 and its unique surroundings, the event really pays homage to all the things that make our city so vibrant now and in the years to come. We can’t wait to share the wonder of Sensory Underground with visitors to the square and the city,” said Ms Bishop.

Speaking on the partnership, Steve Wooderson, Executive General Manager of Smart Infrastructure Solutions and Services at Siemens Australia said, “We’ve had a long history with Fed Square and are proud to extend this to the Anything But Square Festival. As one of the world’s most sustainable companies, we use technology to create environments that care in the communities around us. We hope that people enjoy the festival and all the wonderful experiences it offers.”

Simon Blacher, Commune Group Director, said the dining experience is sure to thrill guests through the combination of forward-thinking food and art in one of the most unique settings Melbourne has to offer.

“We’re thrilled to be part of this experience, with the unique surroundings and futuristic atmosphere giving our team from Tokyo Tina the opportunity to demonstrate their culinary creativity in developing dishes that, while still influenced by Japanese cuisine and culture, are unlike anything on the Tokyo Tina menu,” said Mr. Blacher.

Sensory Underground: an immersive dining experience by Tokyo Tina will run from Wednesday to Sunday for two weeks from Wednesday 31 July, and with only limited sittings per night the event is set to be one of the most sought-after tickets in town. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings there will be two 90-minute sessions at 6:30pm and 8:30pm, and Friday and Saturday nights will feature three 90-minute sessions at 6:00pm, 8:00pm, and 9:45pm.

Tickets, which provide a four-course dining experience, a welcome drink, and a wealth of sensory experiences, are $129 per person and will be on sale from Thursday 20 June via this link.

More information on the Anything But Square Festival Powered by Siemens can be found at www.fedsquare.com. 

Creatives, videographers, moving-image artists and more – if you’re proud as punch of what you’ve made and you’re looking for a free screen to show off your talent on, where better than at Fed Square?

There’s no cost and we’ll give full credits, of course. If you’ve made a piece of video creativity in the past you’re particularly proud of, send it to us and we’ll host it on the Digital facade – AKA our lovely Big Screen!

COMMUNITY ACTIVATION – ANYTHING BUT SQUARE

Fed Square is seeking submissions from the Melbournian and Victorian Community for video content to be displayed on the Big Screen as part of the Anything but Square Festival at Fed Square from 26 July – 25 August 2019.

Fed Square is looking to showcase content that celebrates Melbourne as an ‘Anything But Square’ community for the month of the festival. The contents of the video can be in any genre if it follows our formatting and submissions guidelines, outlined below.

The successful videos will be displayed on the main facade and promoted out on our festival program, Fed Square’s various marketing channels, social media and website.

There is no budget or fees attached for the submitted works.

In return for providing content to Fed Square, submitted works will receive a 12-month non-exclusive license to display your work on the Digital Façade with creator branding, web information and accreditation.

Submitted content must be suitable for screening in a public government-owned space and meet the following criteria:

• G-rating or equivalent
• No swearing, violence, nudity, sexualized content or adult themes
• No offensive, discriminatory, political or religious messaging
• No commercial messaging

In evaluating the video and multimedia for approval to be screened, FSPL will confirm that the above criteria have been met.

Videos can be sent via email link and should be no more than 5 minutes long:

1. Minimum size of 1920×1080, no file size limits, file codec of h.624 & mp4 container.
2. Description of the video, links to the artist work and relevant contact details.
3. A signed copy of the Multimedia Briefing Form.

For any enquiries, please contact Benjamin McCarthy on 03 9655 1912 or at Benjamin.McCarthy@fedsquare.com

Submissions close 5:00pm Friday 5 July. Don’t forget to fill out the MULTIMEDIA BRIEFING FORM!

Fed Square Pty Ltd (FSPL) is pleased to announce that Suzana Bishop, General Manager – Commercial and Public Engagement at Fed Square has been appointed to the board of Meetings & Events Australia (MEA), the peak body representing the events industry in Australia.

FSPL recognises Suzana’s appointment to the MEA board as a wonderful personal achievement that also reinforces FSPL’s expertise and leadership position within the events industry.

About Meetings & Events Australia – MEA

MEA is the peak body representing the events industry in Australia. MEA represents companies and individuals that stage, produce, manages, supports and supplies to the thousands of events across Australia each year. These events are conferences, meetings, exhibitions, product launches, seminars, special events and much more. Meetings and Events Australia offers professional development and educational programs, accreditation and recognition. It provides a forum for members to discuss current issues to improve the delivery of events.

Fed Square Pty Ltd today announced the appointment of Endeavor Global Marketing (EGM), the cultural marketing agency within Endeavor whose expertise spans advertising, branding, digital, experiential, public relations, sponsorship, influencer and content.

EGM will work with Fed Square to create and run campaigns that maximise experiential, sponsorship and commercial efforts, and help ensure the square remains one of Melbourne’s key cultural landmarks and iconic meeting places for the community.

The marketing efforts signal Fed Square’s rejuvenated sponsorship ambitions, as it aims to identify and work with others who are committed to reimagining a square that best reflects and serve the community.

EGM and Fed Square also recognised the growing demand amongst audiences for meaningful experiences and exciting ways to interact with cultural moments and with one another, and the distinct advantages Fed Square offers brands looking to meet this demand.

“Fed Square has long been a cultural hub for Melbourne and a space where creativity, curiosity and inspiration collide, and we are always keen to work with partners who can continue delivering value to the community,” said Suzana Bishop, General Manager, Commercial and Public Engagement at Fed Square. “We are confident that, working with Endeavor Global Marketing, we will be able to attract like-minded partners to Fed Square.”

“Endeavor Global Marketing is passionate about enhancing the consumer experience, and we’re excited to collaborate with Fed Square, which is perfectly poised to do so,” said Jason Fielding, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of EGM in Australia. “We believe EGM can bring a lot of value to municipal partnerships, drawing from our extensive cultural insights and network. We’re excited to work with the great team at Fed Square to deliver marketing solutions that engage audiences and increase brand exposure.”

For all media enquiries please contact: Andrew Baber at andrew.baber@fedsquare.com.

On May 24-25 Fed Square and Marketing Entourage will host Hack Fed Square, a design hack competition as part of Melbourne Knowledge Week that invites members of the Melbourne public to develop innovative solutions to the question: How can we ensure Fed Square remains one of Melbourne’s key cultural landmarks and iconic meeting places – a space where creativity, curiosity and inspiration collide?

With 60 participants chosen from public expressions of interest, Hack Fed Square is a mental sprint to come up with solutions to the question in just eight hours.

The event will begin with a briefing on the challenges facing Fed Square, on the evening of May 24, followed by a day of collaborative, creative planning and idea development on May 25. At the conclusion of the hack, teams will pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges for the chance to have their idea become a reality at Fed Square. The pitch session will be held at Deakin Edge, with pitches beginning at 5:00pm and winners and prizes announced at 7:00pm.

Individuals and teams (of up to six people) are welcome to apply, but with 60 places available, people interested in taking part are urged to complete the Expression of Interest form without delay. Expressions of Interest close on May 15.

Hack Fed Square is part of Melbourne Knowledge Week, held from 20 – 26 May, proudly presented by the City of Melbourne, facilitated by Marketing Entourage and supported by PHORIA and Uvideo.

To find out more about Hack Fed Square or to submit an Expression of Interest, click here.

“Hack Fed Square is a fantastic initiative that continues Fed Square’s history of seeking out and responding to the input and ideas of members of our community in how to ensure that we remain Melbourne’s premier civic space,” said Jonathan Tribe, CEO of Fed Square.

“This event is a truly unique opportunity for members of the public to provide ideas that will shape the future of Fed Square and help us maintain our position as an iconic meeting place and cultural landmark.”

Please note: To attend, participants must register and have their registration accepted. They also must be able to attend both the Friday evening and Saturday to be successful in securing a place. Registrations close 15th May 5pm.

For all media enquiries please contact:

Andrew Baber at andrew.baber@fedsquare.com

Animated adaption to be shown on digital facade for Yirramboi Festival

At 6:00pm on 8 May 2019 Fed Square will launch their newly commissioned generative animated adaptation of celebrated Indigenous artist Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori’s ‘All The Fish’.The adaptation will play each evening from 8:00pm-9:00pm on 9 May-9 June, as part of Yirramboi Festival, Melbourne’s premier First Peoples festival.

In 2018 – in close consultation with the Gabori estate – Fed Square commissioned RAMUS Design Studio to create an animated adaptation of Gabori’s ‘All The Fish’ (2005, the National Gallery of Victoria’s Indigenous Collection) for their newly installed Digital Façade. This adaptation – accompanied by a rare recording of Gabori’s own singing – is intended as a celebration of the venerable artist’s significant legacy.

“As the city’s premier civic space, we at Fed Square are very proud to launch this adaptation of Sally Gabori’s ‘All The Fish’, reflecting the impact her work has had on culture and identity.” said Jonathan Tribe, CEO of Fed Square.

“We at Fed Square are delighted to use again our new and exciting screen as a digital art gallery, and to host another original, specially-commissioned artwork by such a renowned artist as Sally Gabori. We are certain this film will create enormous public interest as it reflects her life in Northern Australia.”

“The debut of All The Fish is a culmination of the Digital Façade’s intentional design as an innovative outdoor gallery and the premier home for cultural celebrations in Melbourne, particularly that which are live and interactive. Fed Square has always valued opportunities to explore art that is unconventional, unusual, forward-thinking or in some way disruptive, and to translate All The Fish to the Digital Façade in this manner is emblematic of that value.”

Bob Thomson, Executor of the Estate of Sally Gabori, stated “Sally Gabori had visited Federation Square in 2007 and I can imagine how proud she would be today to see her art being shown in such an exciting way to so many people. She loved colour and this sounds absolutely perfect to us in her honour.”

Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori was one of the leading Australian contemporary artists of this century. Her works reflect the way in which Gabori viewed and depicted her world, the stories of her ancestors and her country – Kaiadilt Country of Bentinck Island, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland – where she was born in 1924. Sally Gabori lived and worked on the Mornington Island community of Gununa, where her indefatigable zeal to communicate her stories, knowledge, and experiences accumulated over an incredible life – spanning over 90 years – won her great admiration and left an astonishing cultural legacy. She passed away in 2015.

Fed Square would like to acknowledge and thank Sally Gabori’s family, Beverly Knight (agent for art for the Estate of Sally Gabori), Alcaston Gallery and the National Gallery of Victoria for their valuable guidance, support and insight during the creation of this work.

Fed Square also wishes to thank Jim Cousins AO and Libby Cousins, who generously gifted All The Fish to the National Gallery of Victoria in the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program 2013, as well as Pablo Tochez Anderson, the project’s animator.

This is a free event and bookings are not required. The location is wheelchair-accessible.

Address: Digital Façade, Main Square, Federation Square, Corner Flinders St & Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000

For all Media Enquiries please contact Andrew Baber at andrew.baber@fedsquare.com or see the following webpages:

Fed Square’s Digital FaçadeAll the Fish / Yirramboi Fed Square Event PageWhat’s On MelbourneRamus

Following the deliberations of Heritage Victoria, Federation Square Pty Ltd has been informed that the application put forward for the demolition of the Yarra building was not successful.

Whilst we believe our proposal represented a positive step in a pathway to a sustainable future for Federation Square, the Apple project was certainly not the only consideration in planning for the future of this iconic precinct. There are a number of interesting projects in the pipeline that we are confident will excite Victorians in the near future.

FSPL leadership will now work closely with the Victorian State Government to ensure that precinct remains sustainable and a place Victorians love to congregate.

In the meantime, it’s business as usual for FSPL staff who will continue to work tirelessly to develop interesting programming that attracts visitors to the square to support our commercial tenants.

We look forward to future discussions with the Victorian State Government and its Review Panel to ensure we develop inspiring options for invigorating Fed Square.

No further comments. For more information, visit Melbourne Heritage.

For all media enquiries contact Suzana Bishop on 0419503398 or SUZANA.BISHOP@FEDSQUARE.COM

Massacre sites across Australia lie silenced and hidden from public knowledge on colonised lands.

During a 12-month residency at the Koorie Heritage Trust, Peta Clancy collaborated with the Dja Dja Wurrung community (Bendigo region of Central Victoria) to research, develop and create a major series of large format landscape photographs exploring frontier violence and massacre sites on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

Undercurrent is a solo exhibition by Bangarang artist Peta Clancy and opens Saturday 9 March until Sunday 28 April 2019 at the Koorie Heritage, Yarra Building, Federation Square.   

Her artistic response to the massacre sites has been informed by extensive consultation with the Traditional Owners and in collaboration with Elders and community members.

Using cutting and layering techniques, Clancy’s work references the emotional and cultural scars left in the landscape by frontier violence, which have been historically and physically covered up by subsequent colonial occupation. By scarring the photographs, Clancy depicts the layers of time – of history, memory and place, uncovering the layers of colonization and the continuing emotional and cultural effect on the land and the community from massacres that occurred there generations before.

‘’When I visit the sites and create the work, I am trying to reconcile with the knowledge that violence that occurred at the site. I aim to create landscapes that contain multiple perspectives; historically and temporally. Like two worlds/histories existing in the one place. The images aim to reconcile these perspectives as well as suggest a disconnection between two distinct ways of perceiving the land,’’ says Peta Clancy.

She continues, ‘’I also think about overlaying of the images as blocking and disrupting the view, as a means to suggest that there is something that is hidden and not revealed in the landscape I am photographing. By creating the scarred images, I aim to suggest the trauma of the past and to give this a presence in the landscape. The images are cut, yet rendered whole again, but the cut remains in the image as a visual trace of the traumatic history and events that occurred within that landscape.’’

Clancy spent six months consulting with the Dja Dja Wurrung community, seeking their permission to undertake the project, and a further 12 months working collaboratively with the community throughout the creation of the work, making site visits, having conversations with Elders, and working closely with Mick Bourke and Amos Atkinson.

Undercurrent will feature an installation with large-scale, 5m wide x 3.4m high, wallpaper prints and upon this a series of smaller scaled framed photographs.

Clancy’s photographs are created over a period of many months.  They involve her revisiting the sites repeatedly, at different times of the day and varying weather conditions.

She then returns to the exact locations with large-scale photographic prints. The print covers the entire view within the frame of the camera.  Clancy then cuts into the print to reveal sections of the scene from behind.  The final photographic print then captures the created and actual landscape.

A soundscape will accompany the exhibition along with audio interviews with the Traditional Owners.

‘’Undercurrent is the first exhibition from the Koorie Heritage Trust’s residency program designed to foster Koorie art, language and culture.  We acknowledge and are grateful for the support of the Federal Department of Communications and the Arts’ Indigenous Languages and Arts Program which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to revive and maintain languages, and to develop and present art,’’ says Tom Mosby, CEO, Koorie Heritage Trust.

Peta Clancy is a descendent of the Bangerang nation from the Murray Goulburn area, South Eastern Australia.

Clancy was awarded the 2018 Fostering Koorie Art and Culture Koorie Heritage Trust Residency funded by the Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and Arts Program. Clancy has exhibited extensively across Australia and internationally.

She completed a practice-based PhD at Monash University, Melbourne where she is a Senior lecturer at Monash Art, Design & Architecture, Monash University, Melbourne.

Established in 1985, the Koorie Heritage Trust is a bold and innovative not-for-profit arts and cultural organization.  Aboriginal owned and managed, the Koorie Heritage Trust provides opportunities for all people to learn, connect and re-connect with the rich living cultural heritage of Aboriginal Victoria originating from a 60,000-year-old history.

The Koorie Heritage Trust’s residency program and this exhibition has been supported by the Federal Department of Communications and the Arts’ Indigenous Languages and Arts Program.  Undercurrent has also been generously supported by Gandel Philanthropy.

Undercurrent by Peta Clancy, Saturday 9 March until Sunday 28 April 2019, Koorie Heritage, Yarra Building, Federation Square.   Free entry  www.koorieheritagetrust.com.au

Media information:  Magda Petkoff, Purple Media, 0409 436 473,

magda@purplemedia.com.au

To mark International Women’s Day on March 8 Fed Square has become host to an internationally famous symbol of equality and women’s rights: a limited edition reproduction of “FEARLESS GIRL”.

The Fearless Girl – one of four bronze statues, the most famous of which is located opposite the Charging Bull in New York’s Wall Street – will stand in Fed Square for the next three years, and is brought to Melbourne by Maurice Blackburn, Hesta and CBUS.

The Fearless Girl has become a conversation-starter worldwide, and her placement at Fed Square on International Women’s Day is intended to shed light on the local conversation about gender rights and equality.

Once her stay with Fed Square is over, she will be moved to another, as-yet-undecided location.

Fed Square CEO Jonathan Tribe said he is thrilled Fed Square can be the temporary home for the Fearless Girl.

“This iconic and important piece of public art will encourage conversations about equality in the workplace and in broader society – and that is a good thing for everyone,” Mr Tribe said.

“The inclusion of the Fearless Girl in the Square aligns with our commitment to support creativity in all forms of cultural expression.  I encourage visitors to stop by and say hello to Melbourne’s Fearless Girl.”

Maurice Blackburn CEO Jacob Varghese said Fearless Girl will serve as a powerful reminder that Australia still has a long way to go in the fight for gender equality.

“We are proud to be bringing Fearless Girl to Australia, globally she has served as an inspiring force for change to deliver equality,” Mr Varghese said.

Cbus CEO David Atkin said he hopes Australia’s boardrooms embrace Fearless Girl’s daring and confident spirit.

“With all eyes on corporate Australia at the moment, it is the perfect time for her voice to be finding a permanent home in Australia,” Mr Atkin said.

Melbourne will become the fourth city to host a Fearless Girl, the others being in New York, Cape Town and Oslo.

The “Fearless Girl” sculpture is a limited edition reproduction of the original “Fearless Girl” sculpture in New York, created by the artist Kristen Visbal. Maurice Blackburn, Hesta and Cbus are not in any way affiliated with, endorsed or licensed by State Street Global Advisors Trust Company, the commissioner of the original “Fearless Girl” sculpture, or State Street Global Advisors Australia or their related entities, in relation to the display of the reproduction of the “Fearless Girl” sculpture.

Fed Square is delighted to be working with the Sustainable Living Festival on the festival’s feature event, Big Weekend, 8 – 10 February.

The Big Weekend showcases the main attractions of the Sustainable Living Festival’s calendar and features interactive workshops, talks, technology demonstrations, art, film and live performance pieces.

The famous Exhibitors Market, located on Riverside Terrace, will feature over 100 exhibitors, including vendors showcasing the very best of organic food, beer and wine. Ethically-sourced clothing, sustainable building designs and gardening options will also be on show. There is also an outstanding program of talks, performances and workshops.

All events as part of the Big Weekend are free & non-ticketed unless specified. Find out more information here.