Wednesday, 4 October 2023

Melbourne Fringe Festival

Ryan BATCHELOR (Southern Metropolitan) (09:47): The Melbourne Fringe Festival kicked off last night, and for the next three weeks in October there will be more than 470 events. 2500 artists, around 90 per cent of which are Victorians, will be showcasing their work in venues across the Melbourne metropolitan area and also in parts of regional Victoria on a program that is celebrating the inclusive and diverse nature of the artistic community here in Melbourne. We have got emerging artists, designers, makers of the wild and wonderful, and art that challenges us and confronts, inspires and celebrates.

On Monday night I got to go to a preview event at the Common Rooms at Trades Hall with colleagues from every corner of the Parliament to see a sample of the delights that await people who will be participating in the fringe festival this year. There were some certain delights – I can tell you that. And we know that of course Southern Metro is the heart of Melbourne’s cultural and creative community, from our storied institutions on St Kilda Road to the sticky carpets of our live music venues and the studios in smaller spaces where the artists who are performing in this year’s fringe are learning and plying their trade, coming up with this great celebration of creativity. I encourage all members to support the Melbourne Fringe and the creativity and the jobs that go with it. It is going to be a great festival in October.