NAIDOC Week at Arts Centre Melbourne

Overview

In the spirit of NAIDOC Week, which this year runs from Sunday, July 3–Sunday, July 10, Arts Centre Melbourne is set to deliver a jam-packed program of special events paying homage to the history, culture and country of First Nations artists and communities.

The lineup launches on July 3 with a Sunday market showcasing goodies from First Nations businesses including Clothing The Gaps, Haus of Dizzy and The Koori Circle. It'll also host a series of free workshops diving into arts like songwriting, hip hop dance and feather-flower-making — you can secure your spot online.

Right throughout NAIDOC Week, the Arts Centre building will be graced with artworks by First Nations artists like Bri Pengarte Apma Hayes, Jacinta Keefe and Tiffany Garvie. And you can catch Ancestral Memory — a compelling digital projection about the Spirit Eel by Maree Clarke (Mutti Mutti/Yorta Yorta/BoonWurrung/Wamba Wamba) and nephew Mitch Mahoney (BoonWurrung/Barkinji) — lighting up the facade of Hamer Hall for the month of July.

Also on the NAIDOC Week bill are a slew of sonic treats, including MSO-backed concerts with Electric Fields (July 7) and Spinifex Gum (July 9). And on July 10, Songlines' concert Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up & Shake a Leg takes over the Fairfax Studio, assembling music legends like Alice Skye, Soju Gang, Yung Warriors, Aunty Zeta and Bart Willoughby.

Spinifex Gum

Top Image: Archie Roach, by Jacinta Keefe (whose work will be displayed across the Arts Centre facade during NAIDOC Week).