Melbourne’s inner west will soon light up with art and culture for two glorious weeks. Get ready for the independent music and arts event, Sleepless Footscray Festival. Created and run by Stargazed Productions, this festival will showcase the vibrant artistic talent, rich history and melting-pot identity of the Footscray community. Discover plenty of immersive experiences, performances and art installations. Familiar venues, hidden alleys and unused buildings will transform as part of the festival, becoming new spaces for art and creativity. This dynamic festival will kick off on Saturday June 17, and run until Saturday July 1.
Sleepless Footscray Festival
The festival will kick off with a free Live Music Safari on June 17. Journey to ten live music venues and transformed spaces around the suburb. Mamma Chen’s will host a celebration of Asian musicians, featuring Joelistics, Minhy, Y.C Liu and Y-Lynn. Meanwhile, Baby Snakes will host Tiana Khasi for a night of soul, jazz and pop, infused with her Samoan and Indian heritage. For a blend of traditional and contemporary African songs, head to Jambo and check out Yusupha Ngum and the AFFIA Band.
For a multi-sensory experience, head to the Sleepless Festival Hub on Nicholson Street for Immersive Sound Journeying. Close your eyes, relax and experience the seamless combination of sound bathing and installations. Listen as soundscapes of animals merge with intense aromas. Smell plants as you listen to acoustic instruments and elements of nature. Bookings are required, and the space has a capacity for just five people.
At the Hub, you should also check out Unknowing Madness. This experience is only available to one person at a time. Jump into bed, in complete darkness, and listen to an acousmatic composition from sound artist Thembi Soddell.
As for theatre, take part in the interactive performance Café Play. Audience members will get introduced to their new best friend, then add personal touches and make decisions to determine how the story unfolds. For a snapshot of Melbourne’s art and culture scene, check out Full Hour, which shows the best of live music, comedy, talent shows and live podcasts.
The festival will also play a selection of films, with the iconic documentary about Franco Cozzo, Palazzo Di Cozzo, as the headline show.
That’s just scratching the surface of all that Sleepless Footscray Festival has to offer. For details about music shows, installations, augmented reality experiences and more, click here.