Discover what’s on at Fed Square

Join ARIA Award-winning Budjerah for a night of original songs, by Candlelight.
As night falls, Fed Square will light up with thousands of twinkling candles, and the light of one shining star for an intimate evening of live music.
Back by popular demand, this year’s By Candlelight program features some of Australia’s most exciting original artists.
Bring a picnic blanket and rally your friends to enjoy a very special evening of Budjerah By Candlelight.
This performance will be AUSLAN interpreted.
About Budjerah
Budjerah&#8217;s recent single ‘Therapy’ is taking his music to the next level. The ARIA award-winning, Coodjinburra artist is pushing boundaries vocally and sonically with the R&amp;B and pop crossover, an ambitious emotional sucker-punch. Co-written by Sarah Aarons and Ajay Bhattacharyya, ‘Therapy’ showcases Budjerah&#8217;s fearless vocal range and marks a new direction for his career.
Clocking over 10 million Spotify streams, ‘Therapy’ is currently the most streamed 2023 release in Australia from an Australian signed artist.
Armed with a brand-new band featuring family he’s grown-up jamming with, he completed his first headline tour in 2022 and performed at a wide array of festivals including Splendour in the Grass, This That and For The Love. He also supported Vance Joy on his Australian, North American, and UK tours, introducing him to a whole new audience.
Earlier this year he supported Ed Sheeran on his mammoth record-breaking Australian stadium tour alongside Maisie Peters. It’s the second chapter in a story with Sheeran that started last year with his appearance on the British megastar’s track ‘2Step’ which has seen close to 10 million streams.
Recently performing a sold-out show at the Sydney Opera House for VIVID LIVE, his live show accolades are coming in strong. Teaming up for some superstar live performances this year, he has already performed with Kylie Minogue at the Qantas gala, and with Tina Arena at the Rolling Stone Australia Awards.
Since his debut single ‘Missing You’ just over two years ago, he’s transformed as an artist. Throughout, he’s been guided by Matt Corby who took him under his wing after being blown away by his abilities.
He now has two EPs to his name, 2021’s debut self-titled release, and 2022’s ‘Conversations’. He’s collaborated with everyone from PNAU on ‘Stranger Love’ to MAY-A on ‘Talk’, finding success with the latter on the luscious, soulful track which proved to be a triumph for both artists.
The accomplishments have been fast and plentiful in the last two years. He’s now a two-time ARIA Award-winning artist after taking home Breakthrough Artist in 2021 and Best Soul/R&amp;B Release in 2022. He also triumphed with an APRA Award for Most Performed R&amp;B / Soul Work for the Corby co-written ‘Higher’. He was recently nominated for “Best Single” and “Best New Artist” at the 2023 Rolling Stone Australia Awards, and “Aussie / Kiwi Legend Of The Year” at the 2023 Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards.
Last year, he was also named GQ’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year while also featuring in Vogue Australia as part of Baz Luhrmann’s guest edition. He also took to the stage as part of the AFL Grand Final with The Temper Trap, Gretta Ray, and Ngaiire. At the tail-end of last year, he was featured in Amazon Music’s global ‘Holiday Originals’ campaign covering Whitney Houston’s ‘Who Would Imagine A King’. He also performed as a part of an Archie Roach tribute at the 2022 ARIA Awards with Jessica Mauboy and Thelma Plum.
This event is in partnership with FEVER. 
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Free

Music

Performance

Budjerah by Candlelight

Swiftmania is coming to Melbourne and Fed Square invites you to join the party with Filipino drag queen Taylor Sheesh.
Taylor Sheesh, a long time fan, has been impersonating Taylor Swift since 2017. Now a global sensation, Taylor Sheesh has performed her Errors Tour in shopping malls and stadiums across the Philippines. Her performance on Fed Square’s main stage will be her first major public appearance in Australia.
Hosted by Tristan Meecham from All The Queens Men, the night kicks off with an extravaganza of local performers featuring voguing from The House of Diesel, dance pop-ups from Body Electric, Bollywood dancing with Sapphire Dance, and performances from First Nations artist 2Joocee and Chelsea Wilson plus cheerleading with Outlaw All Stars.
This night is for fans of Sheesh and those about to be – dress up, bring your besties and get ready to party.
Come dressed as your favourite Taylor for <a href="/events/dress-as-your-favourite-taylor-to-win/">your chance to win an amazing prize</a>, a trip to the Philippines courtesy of Cebu Pacific and Melbourne Airport.
This performance will be AUSLAN interpreted.

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LGBTQIA+

Taylor Sheesh

Epic bass is coming to the heart of Melbourne, in a celebration of sound system and carnival culture.
For the first time at Fed Square, local and international acts will converge with the vibrant party that is Afro-Caribbean Carnival.
Originating in Jamaica before spreading globally, sound system culture is known for its custom-built speaker stacks and amplifiers, generating epic street parties and carnivals from Kingston to London and New York. The subculture has become a thriving movement in Melbourne, with each custom-built sound system bringing its own unique sounds and communities.At the heart of the party, four legendary Melbourne sound systems (D.I.Y.HiFi, Housewife’s Choice, Heartical Hi Powa and El Gran Mono) and international heavyweights Saxon Sound System (UK) and Spikey Tee (Jamaica) will battle across three stages throughout the town square.
D.I.Y.HiFi, Housewife’s Choice and Heartical Hi Powa will be pumping reggae, dub, hip hop, drum n’ bass, tekno and Afrobeat, while El Gran Mono, a picó sound system with its roots in the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, will play mostly African and Afro-Colombian vinyl records. Expect styles such as champeta, cumbia, zouk, soukous, rhumba, benga and Afrobeat – the music of Capo Verde and West Africa, the Congo, Trinidad, Haiti, and of course the Caribbean coast of Colombia.Wear your best carnival costume for a chance to be crowned the first Afro-Caribbean King or Queen of Carnival. If you don’t have a costume but want to join in the carnival spirit, head to our free drop-in workshop in the Atrium, where you can decorate your own headpiece.
It wouldn’t be carnival without the food – head to Swanston Street for Afro-Caribbean and African favourites The Real Jerk, Angie&#8217;s Kitchen and Oz Brazilian BBQ.
The Afro-Caribbean Carnival entwines the rhythm of music, the richness of culture, and the warmth of community in a sublime summer celebration.
Program:
5pm–5.30pm &#8211; El Gran Mono 
5.30pm–6pm &#8211; D.I.Y HiFi 
6pm–6.30pm &#8211; Heartical Hi Powa 
6.30pm–7pm &#8211; Housewife’s Choice 
7pm–7.30pm &#8211; El Gran Mono 
7.30pm–8pm &#8211; D.I.Y.HiFi 
8pm–8.30pm &#8211; Heartical Hi Powa 
8.30pm–9pm &#8211; Housewife’s Choice 
9pm–9.30pm &#8211; Afro-Caribbean dancers and the crowning of the Afro-Caribbean King and Queen of the Carnival 
9.30pm–11pm &#8211; Saxon Sound System (UK) Spikey Tee (JA)

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Afro-Caribbean Carnival

Join multi award-winning Cabaret King, Reuben Kaye, for a night of queer, brash and fabulous cabaret, by Candlelight.
As night falls, Fed Square will light up with thousands of twinkling candles, and the light of one shining star for an intimate evening of live music. Back by popular demand, this year’s By Candlelight program features some of Australia’s most exciting original artists.
Bring a picnic blanket and rally your comedy and cabaret-loving friends to enjoy a very special evening of cabaret, featuring the fast and funny Reuben Kaye.
Musical arrangements and direction by Shanon D Whitelock.
This performance will be AUSLAN interpreted.
About Reuben Kaye
Reuben Kaye is what happens when you tell your children they can be anything.
Fast, on the edge, and brutally funny, Reuben Kaye is a multi-award-winning Australian comedian, singer, and writer lauded for being unapologetically loud, politically active, queer, brash, and fabulous. Reuben has taken the comedy world by storm, garnering millions of views across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, and making guest appearances on Spicks and Specks (ABC), the Melbourne International Comedy Fest Galas (ABC), Celebrity Letters and Numbers (SBS), The Apprentice: You’re Fired with Tom Allen (BBC) and Kids React to Drag (Channel 4).
Winner of multiple Best Cabaret Awards, Reuben Kaye has cemented himself as one of the biggest names in the comedy and cabaret scenes.
Fresh from his sell-out festival season of The Kaye Hole, Reuben was hand-picked by Tina Arena and the 2023 Adelaide Cabaret Festival to premier his flashiest, funniest and most fearless endeavour yet – EnGORGEd, an all-new show backed by an 18-piece orchestra.
To continue the frenzy of festival successes, Reuben was invited to debut in Just For Laughs Montreal, to perform in WorldPride’s “Opera Up Late” at the Sydney Opera House, and then went on to sell out his blockbuster run in Edinburgh Comedy Festival. Meanwhile back in his homeland of Australia, Reuben yet again went viral, with his insightful commentary on LGTBQI+ rights on ABC’s Q+A being shared thousands of times.
Reuben’s unmissable live shows have sold out in Australia, London and Europe, gleefully proving that he is the much needed, Swarovski studded revolt against the ever-narrowing views of an increasingly conservative world.
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“It’s hard to know what tears are for him, yourself, your friends or simply because you’re laughing so much that you’re using your spare face mask to wipe away snot.” – ★★★★★TimeOut
“Sad, poignant and beautifully delivered, this aspect showed what an incredible range Kaye has. Just when things verged on terrible bleakness, he’d pull everyone back with a side-splitting one liner.” – ★★★★★
Awards:
2022 Winner Best Production Green Room Award
2022 Winner Artiste Green Room Award
2022 Winner Musical Direction Green Room Award
2021 Winner Best Cabaret Adelaide Fringe
2021 Winner Best Cabaret and Variety Show Perth Fringe World
2021 Nominee Most Outstanding Show Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award
This event is in partnership with FEVER. 
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Reuben Kaye by Candlelight

This summer, see Sampa the Great Live, a free, all-ages gig and a major highlight of the 2024 summer music program at Fed Square.
Come and enjoy a night of Afrobeats, Afropop, Afrohouse and Afro Hip Hop, headlined by Sampa the Great as she makes a triumphant return to Australia after a year-long hiatus. An acclaimed hip hop force known for her breakthrough project Birds and The BEE9. Her debut album The Return garnered three ARIA Awards, the Australian Music Prize and BET Amplified Artist of the Month. Sampa has graced global stages, collaborated with industry giants, and released her second record As Above, So Below in 2022, which was nominated for Australian Album of the Year at the 2022 J Awards, as well as the 2022 Australian Music Prize. Sampa the Great is set to ignite the stage with her energy and artistry.
Brotha Asanti &amp; Soulectric, Elsy Wameyo, The Tony Allen Experience and Kofi Shabba of African Dance Star will join the lineup in what promises to be a night of eclectic Afrofusion.
These performances will be AUSLAN interpreted.
Presented by Fed Square and Yo CiTY

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Sampa the Great

Join rising star and Triple J Unearthed High winner JACOTÉNE for a night of soulful original songs and covers, by Candlelight.
As night falls, Fed Square will light up with thousands of twinkling candles, and the light of one shining star for an intimate evening of live music.
Back by popular demand, this year’s By Candlelight program features some of Australia’s most exciting original artists.
Bring a picnic blanket and rally your friends to enjoy a very special evening of JACOTÉNE By Candlelight.
This performance will be AUSLAN interpreted.
About JACOTÉNE
“JACOTÉNE feels like a one-in-a-million talent. A voice that’s out-of-this-world good and summoning some unshakeable soul.” – Triple J
At only 18 years of age, Melbourne-based JACOTÉNE’s star is already fast on the rise. With a tone infused with the textures and shades of past vocal greats, JACOTÉNE delivers with a power well beyond her years.
Crowned as Triple J’s Unearthed High Winner of 2022, JACOTÉNE has performed at the Sydney Opera House for VIVID LIVE, at Laneway Festival and supported G Flip in their DRUMMER Australian Tour.
With influences including Toots &amp; the Maytals, Gorillaz, Amy Winehouse and Adele, JACOTÉNE is an artist poised to make her mark.
This event is in partnership with FEVER. 
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JACOTÉNE by Candlelight

More info

Free Live Music

Dir. Raymond Longford, 1919, Australia, 106 mins, Unclassified All Ages
Watch one of Australia&#8217;s earliest feature films paired with a new live score by electronic artist and composer Paul Mac.
An adaptation of C.J. Dennis’ verse narrative of life set on the backstreets of inner Melbourne in the 1910s, The Sentimental Bloke is a tale of redemption, depicting the social rehabilitation, courtship and marriage of the titular ‘Bloke’, Bill (Arthur Tauchert) to his sweetheart, Doreen (Lottie Lyell).
For the film, Longford and Lyell relocated the setting from Melbourne to Sydney, shooting on location in Woolloomooloo, which then enjoyed a well-earned reputation as a tough inner-city neighbourhood, as well as at Manly Beach and the Hornsby Valley.
This special outdoor screening will be accompanied by a recently commissioned score composed and performed by ARIA award-winning Paul Mac whose previous projects include Itch-E and Scratch-E, The Dissociatives as well as a very successful solo career.
This screening and performance is free to attend. Arrive early to grab a deckchair or bring your own chair or picnic rug.
Language: Silent with English Intertitles 
Source: National Film &amp; Sound Archive of Australia
About Paul Mac
Paul Mac is an iconic figure in Australian electronic music. He is a composer, songwriter, musician and producer. Paul is a multi-ARIA Award winner for his work with underground dance pioneers Itch-E &amp; Scratch-E and for his own solo work. The list of artists with whom he’s collaborated over recent years Daniel Johns (The Dissociatives), Haiku Hands, Jamaica Moana, Mo’Ju, and Ngaiire.
Credits for Paul’s remix duo, Stereogamous, include remixes for LCD Soundsystem, Rufus Du Sol, George Michael, Sia, and Kylie Minogue.
In addition to his multiple ARIA awards and APRA songwriting award, Paul’s career highlights include Australian Dance Music Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Dance and Producer Of The Year.
Credits
Composer: Paul Mac 
Musicians: 
Paul Mac &#8211; Musical Director &#8211; piano/full size MIDI piano 
Bailey Holloway &#8211; Production Manager 
Baritone Saxophone &#8211; Lachlan McLean 
Bassoon – Greg Taylor 
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet – Matt Ottingnon 
Flute – Lamorna Nightingale 
Trombone – Ben Gillespie
In 2020, the film&#8217;s cultural significance was recognised by the National Film and Sound Archive and digitally restored as part of NFSA Restores.
Presented by Fed Square and the National Film &amp; Sound Archive of Australia and supported by ACMI and Insite Arts.

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Screen

The Sentimental Bloke with live score by Paul Mac

On Wednesdays throughout February, 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).

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Summer Films

Join us as we breakout of the confines of filmmaking convention with a selection of silent shorts that fuse together Surrealism, Dadaism, and broader twentieth century experimental practice to bizarre effect. For the first time, musicians Peter Knight and Dũng Nguyễn present their new jazz scores to these works live on stage.
Meshes of the Afternoon 
Dir. Maya Deren &amp; Alexander Hammid, 1943, USA, 14 mins
A residential streetscape intersects with the protagonist&#8217;s dreamscape in Maya Deren&#8217;s seminal mid-century experimental film.
Anémic Cinéma 
Dir. Marcel Duchamp, 1926, France, 7 mins.
Through a series of shots of spiral patterns in motion, optical illusions transcend the confines of the two-dimensional in one of Marcel Duchamp&#8217;s modernist masterpieces.
L&#8217;étoile de mer (The Starfish) 
Dir. Man Ray, 1928, France, 21 mins.
Inspired by a poem written by famed Surrealist Robert Desnos, Man Ray directs a parade of moments in a couple&#8217;s lives that flow together with woozy effect.
This very special outdoor screening and performance is free to attend. Arrive early to grab a deckchair or bring your own chair or picnic rug.
About Peter Knight
Perpetually curious, composer/trumpeter/sound artist Peter Knight’s practice exists in the spaces between categories, genres, and cultures.
In recent years Peter has emerged as a significant international force in contemporary music, with commissions, collaborations, and performances with artists including, Anthony Braxton (USA), as a soloist with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Nicole Lizée (Canada), Hand to Earth (Arnhem Land/Korea), Senyawa (Indonesia), Baliphonics (Sri Lanka), and Alvin Lucier (USA). His most recent release is a solo record on ROOM40, Shadow Phase, which was named among Best Releases of 2022 by Headphone Commute.
Credits
Composers: Peter Knight and Dũng Nguyễn
Musicians: 
Peter Knight - composer, trumpet, electronics, Revox B77 reel-to-reel 
Dũng Nguyễn &#8211; dan tranh, dan bau, (Vietnamese zithers) dan nguyet (moon lute) 
Minh Ha Patmore &#8211; dan t’rung (Vietnamese percussion) 
Erik Griswold – prepared upright piano, melodica 
Vanessa Tomlinson &#8211; vibraphone, percussion
Presented by Fed Square and supported by ACMI and Insite Arts

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Surreal Shorts with live score by Peter Knight & Dung Nguyen

Dir. John G. Blystone &amp; Buster Keaton, USA, 1923, Unclassified (All Ages)
Come along and watch one of Buster Keaton&#8217;s earliest feature films as director paired with an uproarious score by gypsy-bluegrass ensemble Blue Grassy Knoll.
When he inherits the family home, Willie McKay (Buster Keaton) packs his bags and boards a train for a small town in the Appalachian Mountains. During the train journey, Willie coyly sits beside Virginia Canfield (played by Buster Keaton&#8217;s real-life wife Natalie Talmadge). The pair quietly fall in love across the journey, but unbeknownst to the pair, their family&#8217;s have a decades long feud. The Canfields have murder on their minds and the moment Willie steps off the train, his life is in danger.
This very special outdoor screening and performance is free to attend. Arrive early to grab a deckchair or bring your own chair or picnic rug.
Language: Silent with English Intertitles 
Source: National Film &amp; Sound Archive of Australia
About Blue Grassy Knoll
Over their 19-year career Blue Grassy Knoll have cemented their place as one of Australia’s most well-loved, accomplished and enduring performance troupes. In recreating the silent movie experience the band sits watching the film with the audience, playing their own original compositions and using the film itself for their cues – a truly amazing experience to witness.
When writing for silent films, the Blue Grassy Knoll have developed an organic process of generating music to moving image that is uniquely collaborative. They draw on influences from a hugely diverse range of musical sources, creating arrangements and textures that mirror contemporary film scoring concepts. They aim to re-invigorate classic films with a modern aesthetic and energy, as well as inject a spontaneity that comes with live performance and improvisation. Their aim is always to deliver what they believe would be the intention of director had he knowledge of today’s film scoring techniques.
Credits
Composer: Blue Grassy Knoll
Musicians: 
Simon Barfoot &#8211; guitar, percussion, foley 
Gus Macmillan &#8211; banjo, flute, guitar 
Philip McLeod &#8211; accordion, cello, mandolin, harmonica 
Mark Elton &#8211; double bass 
Steph O’Hara – violin, mandolin, accordion
Presented by Fed Square and supported by ACMI and Insite Arts

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Our Hospitality with live score by Blue Grassy Knoll

Free Outdoor Cinema

Discover restaurants, bars and cafes serving up Melbourne&#8217;s best breakfast, coffee, lunch, drinks or dinner for any occasion and budget.

Discover All

Eat + Drink

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Victoria by Farmer's Daughters

Australia’s only ice bar, keeping things fun and frosty in Melbourne all year round!

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MGL0692

IceBar Melbourne

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ACMI Cafe + Bar

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Pilgrim Bar

Your late-night haunt for smooth jazz and classy cocktails

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Transit Rooftop Bar

Bringing the world’s great beers together with exciting locals from Australian craft breweries.

Good Beer Week and Beer DeLuxe, Fed Square

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Beer Deluxe

This Valentine&#8217;s Day, delve into the heart and soul of Melbourne, with an intimate conversation featuring a range of special guest speakers.
This special event brings together prominent musicians and music lovers for a captivating discussion about songs inspired by Melbourne or a special song dedicated to the city. Together we’ll explore the intricacies of each speaker’s connection to Melbourne, their creative process, and the story behind their song dedication. This evening of connection will conclude with a live performance. Bring your special someone, your friends, or come solo – this is a celebration for everyone who holds a piece of this city in their heart.
Special guests:
<ul>
<li>DJ, producer and local music promoter Adriana</li>
<li>Multi-award-winning musician Uncle Kutcha Edwards</li>
<li>Media personality and jazz drummer Russel Howcroft</li>
<li>Frontwoman and lead guitarist of RVG Romy Vager</li>
<li>Hosted by legendary Triple R presenter Chris Gill</li>
</ul>
This event will be AUSLAN interpreted.
Melbourne Conversations is presented by City of Melbourne in partnership with Fed Square.

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Talk

Melbourne Conversations: Love Song Dedications to Melbourne

The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) &#8211; Australia’s premier event for documentary and factual storytelling across all forms &#8211; will take place at ACMI in Fed Square from 3-6 March 2024.
AIDC 2024 seeks to explore the integrity, urgency, and creative potential of nonfiction storytelling, both now and in the future.
Through the theme ‘Frontlines: Shaping the Future of Documentary &amp; Factual Storytelling’, AIDC 2024 will highlight how practitioners, industry leaders and advocates are actively shaping what’s to come, while also defending against challenges to the very foundations of practice.
Featuring over 40 spotlight sessions and panels, and Australia’s only dedicated nonfiction screen content marketplace, AIDC 2024 will present an unmissable program of knowledge, networking and business opportunities for anyone working in documentary or factual media.
AIDC 2024 highlights include:
<ul>
<li>Exclusive keynotes by international talents like Mstyslav Chernov, Ukrainian photojournalist and director of the multi-award-winning 20 Days in Mariupol, and Nainita Desai, acclaimed UK-based composer for documentaries and games including award-winning features The Deepest Breath, 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible, For Sama, and Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.</li>
<li>The FACTory International Pitching Showcase, AIDC’s centrepiece pitch for new documentary and factual projects.</li>
<li>The 4th Annual AIDC Awards, recognising outstanding new Australian documentary and factual features, series, audio documentaries, and more.</li>
<li>The curated Cut to the Chase marketplace, which carefully matches creators and producers with industry decision makers for one-on-one meetings.</li>
<li>A public access program of compelling film Screenings and talks, co-presented with ACMI.</li>
</ul>
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.aidc.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.aidc.com.au/</a> 
Follow AIDC on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theAIDC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.facebook.com/theAIDC</a> 
Follow AIDC on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aidcmelb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/aidcmelb/</a> 
Follow AIDC on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/AIDCmelb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://twitter.com/AIDCmelb</a>

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AIDC 2024

Fed Square is Melbourne Food &amp; Wine Festival&#8217;s hub in the heart of the city this March.
All day and into the night, Fed Square will become a magnet for food-loving Melburnians and visitors, celebrating everything that makes our city delicious, with a strong focus on approachability. If you’ve missed out on tickets to other festival events, or just want to join the fun on the spur of the moment, Fed Square is the perfect way to experience MFWF, no bookings necessary.

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Food + Wine

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Hub

Coming Up

Embrace the interconnectivity of everything with Memo Akten&#8217;s multi-screen work exploring the merging of human and non-human consciousness – via the coded AI musings of octopus-like digital beings.
Originally beginning as an NFT collection on the ecologically friendly blockchain Tezos, Memo Akten&#8217;s eight-channel video installation, Distributed Consciousness, features 256 unique images of octopus-like Tentacular Critters created with custom Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning coded by the artist.
It was later revealed that each image had AI-generated text cryptographically encoded in it – a Verse. Invisible to the human eye, but readable by code, the collection forms a poem, a book, a manifesto. The manifesto is a human-machine co-creation meditation spanning consciousness, free will, life, death, art, technology, ritual, ecology, economy and sustainability. Each Verse was released as an audio-visual reading.
Cephalopods are incredibly intelligent; only 10% of their neurons are in a central brain, while the rest is distributed across their body, with two thirds in their arms. In a sense, they have a decentralised nervous system. Distributed Consciousness draws parallels between the distributed computation performed by smart-contract based blockchains, and the anthropological timeline, with differently evolved mythologies and deities, promoting alternative cultural values to the exploitative, extractivist, purely profit-driven neoliberal world we find ourselves in today.
Staged as a place of worship, our Tentacular deities invite us to face our final Copernican Trauma, to face the reality that humans may not be the sole keepers of what we think of as “intelligence”, “creativity” or even “consciousness”. The project also uses the extraordinary alien intelligence of cephalopods, to reflect on the new synthetic alien intelligences we are building in machines in the form of AI.
In these times of ecological collapse and urgency, we are invited to let go of the dangerous dichotomy of “Man vs Nature”, and instead embrace the interconnectedness of all human, non-human, living and non-living things across manifold scales of time and space, and actively work towards multi-species flourishing.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/memo-akten-distributed-consciousness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/memo-akten-distributed-consciousness/</a>
Image credit: Memo Akten, Distributed Consciousness (Critters video stills), 2021. Courtesy the artist

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Exhibitions

Memo Akten: Distributed Consciousness at ACMI

Liam Young: Planetary Redesign is the first major Australian solo exhibition of filmmaker and speculative architect Liam Young. Through an immersive display of moving image works, costumes and photography, Young proposes thought-provoking redesigns of our planet that offer a radically optimistic solution to the climate crisis.
On display in Melbourne direct from its world-premiere at the 2023 Venice Biennale of Architecture, The Great Endeavor, 2023, depicts the construction of a global system of greenhouse gas extraction and storage, powered by vast renewable energy infrastructures – together capable of removing huge quantities of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. To achieve this, Young imagines a mobilisation of workers and resources on a planetary scale, enabled by international cooperation like never before.
Also on display is Young’s film Planet City, 2016-2023, which provides a window into an alternative urban future. Commissioned for the NGV Triennial in 2020 and supported by the Bagôt Gjergja Foundation, it depicts the design of a new city for the whole human population of the earth. It questions whether the accelerating impacts of climate change could urge everyone to retreat together into one hyper-dense sustainable metropolis, providing space for the rest of the planet to recover as wilderness.
The exhibition speculates that addressing the climate emergency is no longer a technological problem – it is now a social, cultural, and political one. It offers hope that through creativity and collective action we can move together towards ecological balance on earth.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/liam-young-planetary-redesign/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/liam-young-planetary-redesign/</a>
Banner image credit: Liam Young The Great Endeavor 2023 (detail)

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Liam Young: Planetary Redesign at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

Welcome to Wurrdha Marra – meaning ‘Many Mobs’ in the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung language. The name comes to the NGV from the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation and supports the purpose of this space in sharing the work of First Nations artists, from emerging to senior figures, and across time and place. For First Nations peoples around the world, art and design are part of a continuum where the past intersects with the present, different materials converge, and diverse perspectives come together. The central role of art in passing down important cultural knowledge is celebrated in this display through the diverse approaches that artists take to maintaining and regenerating customary cultural practices and iconography while also creating new forms of expression.
The works included in this inaugural hang are by emerging artists as well as senior figures across both time and place. Each of these artists has in their own way been at the forefront in creating new forms of expression, and in maintaining and regenerating customary cultural practices and iconography. Great individual artists, working in Aboriginal-owned art centres or independently after studying at art school, continue to shape and transform art in Australia, inspiring many others to follow their example.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/wurrdha-marra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/wurrdha-marra/</a>
Image credit: Wingu Tingima, Minyma Tjuta (Seven Sisters) 2006, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 138.0 × 205.0 cm, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased with funds donated by Supporters and Patrons of Indigenous Art, 2006 © Wingu Tingima/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia, Photo: Christian Markel/NGV

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Wurrdha Marra at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

This exhibition brings together one hundred watercolours made by Aranda, Western Aranda, Eastern Aranda, and Kemarre artists working at Hermannsburg, across generations. Among these are key new acquisitions by Albert Namatjira, one of Australia’s most well-known artists, whose landscapes are synonymous with the Central Australian outback. An important recent gift of seventy-seven watercolours by former NGV trustee, the late Darvell M. Hutchinson AM, make up a significant portion of the exhibition.
This collection represents the ethereal beauty of Aranda Country and the cultural stories that are embedded within the landscape, depicted throughout history and into current day. A range of ethereal subjects, including distant eucalypt trees, blue mountains, rock formations, and slender ghost gums, come together to create a unified and comprehensive depiction of these distinctive traditional lands.
The exhibition features work by both historical and contemporary artists who have spent their lives dedicated to the artform, including Gerhard Inkamala, Cordula Ebatarinja – one of the only women to have a career as a painter during the boom period of the Hermannsburg School – and contemporary artist Benita Clements.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/watercolour-country/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/watercolour-country/</a>
Image credit: Albert Namatjira, MacDonnell Ranges at Heavitree Gap c.1950s National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Presented by Esso Australia Pty Ltd, 2018 © Namatjira Legacy Trust/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia. Image courtesy of NGV

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Watercolour Country: 100 Works From Hermannsburg

From the breath of trees to the cells inside our bodies and galaxies above, everything is connected.
Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature illuminates the hidden forces surrounding us, revealing the sublime through sensory journeys beyond our everyday perception. From the roots of a majestic Amazonian tree to the unseen branches of the body and the birth of galaxies, this hypnotic, immersive experience explores the rhythm that cultivates and connects all life – breath.
This world premiere exhibition features four major digital artworks on a grand, awe-inspiring scale plus evocative works on paper from London-based collective <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/creators/marshmallow-laser-feast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marshmallow Laser Feast</a>. Through guided meditation, large-scale screen works and interactive experiences, visitors evolve from droplets of water to plants, cells and stars, becoming part of the cycle of life and the cosmos.
Using creative technology to deepen our understanding of, and connection to, the world around us, Marshmallow Laser Feast reminds us that we’re just one species in a shared ecosystem and asks, what can we learn from nature to prepare for the future?
Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature marks their first major exhibition in Australia and includes artworks executive produced by filmmaker Terrence Malick; and collaborations featuring narration by Cate Blanchett; poetry by Daisy Lafarge; and music by Jonny Greenwood, Meredith Monk, Jon Hopkins, Jóhann Jóhannsson and Howard Skempton.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/marshmallow-laser-feast-works-of-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/marshmallow-laser-feast-works-of-nature/</a>
Image credit: Distortions in Spacetime by Marshmallow Laser Feast, Works of Nature, ACMI, 2023, image by Eugene Hyland

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Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature

KHT is proud to present the 11th Koorie Art Show. The Koorie Art Show is their annual event showcasing the diverse talent of Victoria’s First Peoples’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in one inclusive space.
Through a statewide call for entries, The Koorie Art Show is an annual art award and exhibition dedicated to showcasing the work of Koorie and Victorian based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Artists generously share their stories and culture, Country and connection; this is an exhibition that brings together painting, works on paper, photography, sculpture, multi-media, fibre art and more.
The Koorie Art Show has become an important avenue for community members to create and present their artworks. All works entered are exhibited in a salon hang and are available for sale.
The awards include
<ul>
<li>Creative Victoria Award for Excellence in Any Media, $10,000</li>
<li>City of Melbourne Aboriginal Melbourne Award, $5,000</li>
<li>Lendlease Reconciliation Award, $5,000</li>
<li>Viva Energy Australia 3D Award, $5,000</li>
<li>RMIT University Emerging Artist Award, $5,000</li>
<li>Josh Muir Digital Award, $3,000</li>
<li>KHT’s Encouragement Awards, 2 x $500</li>
<li>Fed Square’s People’s Choice Award $1,000</li>
</ul>
Image credit: Donna Conley (Ngyiampaa), deep thoughts, 2023, synthetic polymer paint on canvas. Photo: Christian Capurro.

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First Peoples

The 11th Koorie Art Show at Koorie Heritage Trust

Visit some of Australia's most significant cultural attractions, including ACMI, the Koorie Heritage Trust and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia. 

Your museum of screen culture. Navigate the universe of film, TV, videogames and art.

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ACMI

Discover the history of Aboriginal Victoria and South-East Australia

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KHT In Conversation

Koorie Heritage Trust

The world’s first major gallery dedicated exclusively to Australian art.

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The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

Museums + Galleries

The Knot

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Afro-Caribbean Carnival presented by Stick Mareebo

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Taylor Sheesh hosted by Tristan Meecham from All The Queens Men

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MicrosoftTeams-image (15)

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Sampa the Great presented by Yo CiTY

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The Sentimental Bloke with live score by Paul Mac supported by ACMI and Insite Arts

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Fed Square is home to free live music and outdoor cinema, featuring a line-up of homegrown global superstars and international drawcards. 
This summer at Fed Square features a curated program of film and music – with something new each night of the week.
The classics are back: expect silent films with live scores on Tuesdays, outdoor cinema on Wednesdays, and our By Candlelight program on Thursdays featuring original artists performing intimate live shows by the glow of thousands of twinkling candles.
Saturdays are for free live music for all, featuring big name local and international artists such as SIX60 and Sampa the Great, free opera and a brand-new Afro Caribbean Carnival.
And as Swiftmania takes over Melbourne, head to the Square to catch her alter-ego, Filipino drag star, Taylor Sheesh, as she brings her pop superstar energy to our Main Stage.
It’s time to get outside and enjoy a summer of sun, sound and cinema at the Square.
See you there!
<h2>What’s on?</h2>