FUSE Festival Is Lighting Up Darebin With Arts And Culture This March

Discover vibrant, local talent at FUSE, a contemporary, multi-arts festival in the City of Darebin. Streets, parks, venues, theatres, galleries and other public spaces around Darebin will be transformed into hubs of culture and creativity. Catch the newest edition of this festival from March 11 to 27.

FUSE at Darebin

FUSE takes place every Spring and Autumn. The festival will kick off on Friday March 11 with the Molly Hadfield Social Justice Oration and FUSE Opening Party at Darebin Arts Centre. Australian TV and radio presenter, podcaster and author Yumi Stynes will do a speech in celebration of International Women’s Day. She will also do a tribute to Molly Hadfield OAM, a local social justice activist.

Then check out the Opening Party, which will be curated by MC Queen Acknowledgements AKA Nartarsha Bamblett, a proud Yorta Yorta, Gunai Kurnai, Walpiri and Wiradjuri woman. This event will celebrate shared resilience, healing and connections, and feature a line-up of surprise guests and local DJs.

“I am incredibly inspired by the FUSE program this year,” said City of Darebin Mayor, Cr Lina Messina. “It showcases not only the work of our amazing artistic community, but also how the festival continues to support those artists during a turbulent couple of years.”

What’s else is happening at FUSE?

Check out Made in Rezza, an exhibition that will display 15 local artworks in 15 Reservoir shopfronts. These creations will pay tribute to everything Rezza, including the suburb’s gardens and quirky architecture. See it from March 11 to 27.

For more Reservoir love, see Hi REZ. Between 20 to 40 young and emerging musicians, rappers, spoken word artists and singers will perform from March 18 to 27, in locations surrounding Reservoir Station.

Northcote Social Club will also come alive with some performances. See acclaimed dancer and performer Joel Bray in I Liked It, But…I Didn’t Know What The F#!K
It Was About on March 15 and 16. Then, on March 20, see We Are Song, We Are Dreaming, We Are Country. Presented by Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung artist Neil Morris, this performance blends music, story and conversation, with an incredible line-up of First Nations song people.

Other performances include Anything You Can Do at Northcote Chalice. In this show by experimental theatre company Pony Cam, they’ll team up with Darebin baby boomers to explore time, grief, sex and regret. This performance will take place on March 11 and 13.

Then, see An Uncertain Time by Dr Sarah Austin and Co. This is a sensory theatre performance for babies and their carers, that will take place at Northcote Town Hall from March 23-27.

Finally, FUSE will end with a closing party called Out of the Park Picnic. This outdoor concert will feature top local musicians and talent, including a performance by Kylie Auldist. This event will celebrate 100 years of recreation at Edwardes Lake Park.

To learn more about FUSE at Darebin, click here.