The latest and greatest of what’s on Melbourne.
If you want to know what to do in Melbourne today, this weekend or beyond, we’ve got you sorted.
Browse our listings to see what’s on at Fed Square – and if you’ve got any questions, ask away through our Chatbot!

Find out what to do in Melbourne.
Fed Square is Melbourne’s (Naarm) leading destination for major arts and community festivals, exhibitions, talks, workshops and conferences, free live music and big screen action. 
To help plan your next visit, check out what&#8217;s on, below.

The latest and greatest of what to do in Melbourne today.
If you want to know what to do in Melbourne today, we’ve got you sorted.
Browse our listings to see what’s on at Fed Square – and if you’ve got any questions, ask away through our Chatbot!

The latest and greatest of what to do in Melbourne tomorrow.
If you want to know what to do in Melbourne tomorrow, we’ve got you sorted.
Browse our listings to see what’s on at Fed Square – and if you’ve got any questions, ask away through our Chatbot!

Festival

Join us on Sunday 2 May to celebrate Maythe4th at Fed Square in Melbourne #MayThe4thBeWithYou
The day will include:
<ul>
<li>Character Appearances from local fan groups.</li>
<li>Exclusive activations and photo opportunities, in celebration of Disney+ Original Series The Bad Batch.</li>
<li>Jedi Experience: fledgling Padawans are invited to train like the Jedi and learn the ways of the Force!</li>
<li>TIE-fighter: Join the dark side as you get your photo with our life-size replica TIE-fighter.</li>
<li>Toy Box Photo Opportunities: Hop into these life-size Toy Boxes alongside your favourite heroes and villains; The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian and Stormtroopers!</li>
<li>Zing Pop-Up Stall: Exclusive Star Wars product from Zing, the home of pop culture.</li>
<li>LEGO Zone: 12-2pm.</li>
<li>Crepes For Change Food Truck.</li>
<li>Enjoy a BB-ATE burger meal at Transport Hotel.</li>
<li>Cosplay competitions from 12pm, prizing provided by Zing and Booktopia.</li>
</ul>
Why May 4th? Because, as it happens, fans invented a clever turn of phrase based on the classic Star Wars slogan “May the Force Be With You” back in 1978: “May the FOURTH Be With You”.
In recent years, Star Wars fans have claimed May 4th as their day, a day that has also given Lucasfilm an opportunity to give back to the Star Wars community that honours that galaxy far, far away.

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Star Wars May the 4th

The livestream on 29 November 2022 will not be going ahead and will return on 6 December, our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Escape the stress and busyness of modern life to discover the peace of meditation for yourself in these free 30-minute meditation sessions, suitable for beginners and regulars alike &#8211; Classes brought to you by <a href="https://meditateinmelbourne.org/">Kadampa Meditation Centre Australia</a>.
Press play below to watch the livestreams.

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Lunchtime Meditation

The Atrium

Calm in the City is a 2011 not-for-profit community initiative, which engages with the city communities to bring calm into the heart of the city.
Calm in the City offers a gift to the city communities. It’s aim is simple – to enable meditation and calm to be easily accessible for all and for the art and practice of meditation to be communicated and experienced through the use of simple language and creative means.
These are free 30-minute meditation sessions, suitable for beginners and regulars alike – Classes brought to you by Calm in the City. <a tabindex="-1" title="https://www.calminthecity.org.au/" href="https://www.calminthecity.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.calminthecity.org.au/</a>
Calm in the City will also be streaming their morning meditation classes in 2024, to join the stream <a href="https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYlcOyvqjsqHtHv_YlAEtoqVPh8gJX_NkYk#/registration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

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Morning Meditation

Free

<h2>Exercise your mind, body and soul in an inspiring location to start your week.</h2>
You will feel refreshed, rejuvenated and energized with Tai Chi, the Chinese martial art that helps promote health and relaxation.
Expert instructors from Tai Chi Australia will run a free class every Tuesday morning at Fed Square.
Click here to view our full suite of <a href="/fed-free-workshops/">Fed Free Workshops</a>

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Tai Chi Chuan. Chinese martial art

Tai Chi

Exhibitions

<h2>Figures of Love is a new exhibition presented by Fed Square, as part of a partnership with Open Canvas.</h2>
Open Canvas is a social enterprise that works to support artists and crafts-makers who have experienced disadvantage due to homelessness, mental illness or other forms of adversity. Support is provided by providing a platform for artists to present their work professionally and earn an income, and through the provision of art materials.
This exhibition is the first of two exhibitions to be presented at Fed Square, showcasing 40 works from 20 Open Canvas artists.
&#8216;Figures of Love&#8217; presents work from Open Canvas artists representing a range of styles and in varied media, including linocut; collage; oil on canvas; watercolour, pastels, pen, marker or ink on paper; and sculpture.

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Open Canvas exhibition: Figures of Love

<h2>ACMI&#8217;s centrepiece exhibition</h2>
Journey through the past, present and future of the moving image through interactive experiences, digital innovation and captivating stories.
From the first projections and optical illusions to the birth of film and beyond, moving images have the power to spark imagination, share stories and shape history. Discover how inventors, innovators and artists at the turn of the 20th century wielded light, split time and captured motion, heralding a technological revolution that continues today.
Featuring ancient shadow puppets, Victorian-era magic lanterns, original cameras, iconic costumes, movie sets, sketches, clips and contemporary art, The Story of the Moving Image traverses time, countries and cultures in a mesmerising exploration of an art form that changed the world and illuminated our collective humanity.
Five distinct sections frame the major moments in moving image history, including the origins and future of cinema, production design and the creative process, Australian culture and stories, the rise of videogames, and how screens inform, influence and empower us.
These stages come to life through <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/interactive-experiences-at-acmi/">interactive experiences</a> that let you animate shadows, craft optical toys, experiment with time, assemble film scenes and create soundscapes in a custom Foley studio.
These moments can be collected with the <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/lens/">Lens</a>, a free tool that collects your favourite objects, artworks and creations in the exhibition. It also animates the Constellation, connecting what you collected to the cosmos of screen content outside ACMI.

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Visit_our_centrepiece_exhibition_The_Story_of_t.original

The Story of the Moving Image

The Main Square

ACMI

<h2>Story telling in all forms is crucial to sharing and understanding historic and popular culture.</h2>
Deadly Narratives: Recent Collection Highlights brings together Victorian Aboriginal narratives represented by 5 years of art collecting by the KHT since moving to the Birrarung (Yarra) Building at Federation Square in 2015.
The deadly narratives are told through a range of media including acrylic on canvas and board, prints, ceramics, textile, pokerwork possum skin, weaving and jewellery.
Deadly Narratives showcase the unique and important place the KHT collection holds in Victoria and nation-wide. The collection highlights in the exhibition reflect the strong, vibrant and living culture of south east Australia, representing individuals and communities that continue to connect to place and country.
Featured artists: Frank Hood, the Pitcha Makin Fellaz, Mandi Barton, Patrice Mathaymiles Mahoney, Marlene Scerri, Lisa Waup, Lucy Williams-Connelly, Steaphan Paton, Josh Muir, Monique Grbec, Marlene Gilson, Kait James, Uncle Greg Muir, Lee Darroch, Raymond Young, Cassie Leatham, Isobel Morphy-Walsh, Peter Waples-Crowe, Marilyne Nicholls,  Laura Kirby and Daniel Kelly

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Deadly Narratives: Recent Collection Highlights

Upper Square

Koorie Heritage Trust

<h2>&#8220;The way we grow, harvest, transport, sell and eat our food is the most destructive human activity on the planet&#8221; &#8211; Joost Bakker</h2>
Imagine solving the world&#8217;s biggest problem&#8217;s by simply changing the way we live. <a href="https://www.futurefoodsystem.com/">futurefoodsystem</a> is attempting just that.
Joost Bakker&#8217;s living, no-waste eco-house is situated smack bang in the middle of Fed Square&#8217;s River Terrace, complete with aquaponics, solar power, micro-farms, a charcoal tank and rooftop garden.
From February until November, 2021, futurefoodsystem was home to celeb foodies Matt Stone and Jo Barrett, who spent their days harvesting, cooking and eating the food this 100% sustainable modern urban farm produces – while all waste produced by the house is fed back into the house&#8217;s systems: a closed-loop.

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futurefoodsystem

River Terrace

The People's Place

<h2>It was a crazy year for us all and it&#8217;s no wonder Fed Square is flipping dining on its head and turning inside out!</h2>
Fed Square is now open. Reconnect with your much-loved city in the heart of Melbourne and enjoy a colourful outdoor dining experience that&#8217;s never been done before in the square.
We’re talking extra (ample) seating, roomy outdoor comfort zones you can order food from thanks to <a href="/events/fed-oasis">Fed Oasis</a> and some seriously good food and drink options from long-time favourites each offering a uniquely Melbourne experience that we’ve all missed so dearly, along with the views to match!
Plus we&#8217;re hosting an incredible outdoor activation for you to explore &#8211; the amazing <a href="/events/futurefoodsystem">futurefoodsystem</a>.
Of course health and safety of our visitors is a priority and those entering the square will be asked to scan and pop their details into a Covid-compliancy system.

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Dining In, Turned Inside Out

Fed Cam 📷

Live and learn with Fed Free Workshops, our deluxe masterclass program!
Our Masterclasses were such a hit over lockdown, we’re ratcheting it up a notch and combining them with the old school Fed Fitness for Fed Free Workshops: our regular fitness, educational and fun-filled sessions, absolutely free at Fed Square!
Choose from our limited edition summer series, or a selection of weekly year-long classes, or attend them all!
From Yoga to cocktail making, photography to IT classes, if there’s something you’ve always wanted to dip your tootsies into but never quite knew how, we’ve got it covered. Sort your chakras out with our Qigong and Tai Chi, get a wiggle on with Belly Dancing or snap the best selfie in the sun! See the schedule below.
BYO: Comfy clothes, water bottle, towel, and yoga mat for pilates and yoga classes.
Workshops are capped at a maximum of 40 people. Ensure you read our Fed Free Workshop Risk Warning, below, before signing up to a Fed Free Workshop.

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Fed Free Workshops

The 2024 Super Netball season is almost here, so join the Melbourne Vixens for a festival of activities and entertainment at Fan Day on Thursday 4 April!
Join the Melbourne Vixens at Federation Square on Wurundjeri Country to meet your favourite Vixens, catch the 2024 dress presentation and get your merch signed.
WHAT’S ON
<ul>
<li>Meet your 2024 Vixens!</li>
<li>Hear from players and coaches on the big stage</li>
<li>Get your Vixens merch from our merch store, and have it signed by your favourite Vixens! 2024 Melbourne Vixens members get an additional 5% off merchandise at Fan Day, bringing their member discount to 15%!</li>
<li>Watch the 2024 dress presentation</li>
<li>Win giveaways and prizes</li>
<li>Develop your netball skills with the Woolworths NetSetGO Clinic &#8211; SOLD OUT
<ul>
<li> 11am-11.30am</li>
<li>Ages 5-10</li>
<li>SOLD OUT &#8211;<a href="https://netballvictoria.formstack.com/forms/woolworths_netsetgo_clinic_fan_day_waitlist"> Join waitlist</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Join in the Junior Netball Clinics
<ul>
<li>11.30am &#8211; 12pm &#8211; SOLD OUT</li>
<li>12pm &#8211; 12.30pm &#8211; SOLD OUT</li>
<li>12.30pm &#8211; 1pm &#8211;<a href="https://netb.al/4cDFlvp"> </a>SOLD OUT</li>
<li>1pm &#8211; 1.30pm &#8211; <a href="https://netb.al/49YkYHi">Register now</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Food trucks</li>
<li>Face painting</li>
<li>Get a pic with Foxy</li>
</ul>
WHEN AND WHERE
<ul>
<li>Thursday 4 April, 11am-2pm</li>
<li>Federation Square, Wurundjeri Country</li>
<li>Supported by the City of Melbourne</li>
<li>Make sure to bring your own waterbottle! You will be able to refill this during the event for free!</li>
<li>Use public transport to Fed Square! <a href="https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/journey/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here</a> to find out how to travel to Fed Square from your location</li>
</ul>
TICKETS
<ul>
<li>Free event, no tickets required!</li>
</ul>
This accessible event will feature an Auslan interpreter.

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Melbourne-Vixens-fan-day

Main Square

Community

Kids + Families

Sport

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Melbourne Vixens Fan Day

Thanks to a partnership with the Metro Tunnel Creative Program, you can pop down to Fed Square each Thursday arvo until the end of April to catch some truly spectacular roving performances. Physical comedy, roving musical performances, clowning, acrobatics and more – you’ll want to make a habit of it!
Schedule:
2 February &#8211; Angelic Kenetic Theatre 
9 February &#8211; Uptown Brown 
16 February &#8211; Hayley Hoopla 
23 February &#8211; Snorkelrama 
2 March &#8211; Trickbox Fire 
9 March &#8211; Sanctum Studio Production 
23 March &#8211; Queen of Hearts 
30 March &#8211; Sanctum Studio Production 
6 April &#8211; Anthony De Masi 
13 April &#8211; Sanctum Studio Production – Blue Caterpillar and Robot Monkey 
20 April &#8211; Liam Kavanagh – Le Ron Hubble 
27 April &#8211; Kinetic Theatre – Quiz on Wheels

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Swanston St Forecourt

Performance

Pop-up Roving Performances

Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School will present their Evening of Song, an impressive showcase of the exceptional talents of students in their Senior School Choirs and Vocal Ensembles.
Audiences will hear an array of items from the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Lowther Singers, Europe Tour Choir and other Senior School Vocal Ensembles.
This biennial concert promises to be an evening filled with memorable performances and is not to be missed.
Image credit: Mark Farrelly Photography.

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The Edge

Music

Evening of Song

A free First Nations-led space for forging alternate futures and dialogue in support of Aboriginal rights.
In January 1972 four First Nations men—Michael Anderson, Billie Craigie, Bert Williams and Tony Coorey—set themselves up under a beach umbrella outside Federal Parliament to protest against Australian government policies oppressing First Peoples and to demand land rights. They declared their spot the Aboriginal Embassy. Within months they were joined by thousands of protesters, and Gough Whitlam was visiting to discuss their five-point plan.
Nearly 40 years later artist and activist Richard Bell, a Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman and Gurang Gurang man, created his work Embassy, a canvas tent that encourages rigorous discussion and First Nations lead political discourse, surrounded by painted protest signs reminiscent of the original. It was a tribute and continuance of the first Aboriginal Embassy and its groundbreaking moment in Australian political history.
Like the original, Bell’s Embassy is a space for reflecting the continued struggle for Aboriginal rights and self-determining space in Australia. It’s travelled the world—most recently to London’s Tate Modern Art Museum, installed in the infamous ‘Turbine Hall’, and to Documenta Fifteen in Kassel Germany—addressing local differences in race and politics through talks and screenings.
Now it’s back in Naarm for <a href="/events/rising-the-blak-infinite/">The Blak Infinite</a> in Fed Square. It’s free and open for screenings, with talks with activists, writers and artists each Saturday of the festival. Together guests and audiences will explore questions of social justice, land rights, environment, sovereignty, and coalition-building.
“The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is many things. To most Aboriginal people it is a symbol of resistance to the colonial power structure that still oppresses us.” — Richard Bell

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First Peoples

RISING: Richard Bell's EMBASSY

Ever wanted to hear more on a particular issue, or to have your say? Melbourne Conversations is the city’s longest-running free public event series, bringing together local and international personalities, authors, artists and experts for insightful talks on topic mattering most to Melburnians.​
The Melbourne Conversations series is aimed at informing, engaging and inspiring Melburnians to discuss big opportunities and challenges facing a capital city, across themes including community and culture, the economy and technology.
Melbourne Conversations is presented by City of Melbourne in partnership with Fed Square.

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Talk

Melbourne Conversations

Meet the heroes building a more sustainable future for us all.
Meet the food heroes of the City of Melbourne. The city is filled with people doing good every day to build a sustainable and future-proof city for us all. This is a chance to celebrate their achievements and hear more about the projects that are building climate-proof, sustainable, environmental futures for everyone who lives in or visits the city for generations to come. Let&#8217;s come together to honour their efforts and explore the transformative potential of collective action. Join the conversation and be inspired to join the ranks of Melbourne&#8217;s own food heroes.
Melbourne Conversations is presented by City of Melbourne in partnership with Fed Square.

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Melbourne Conversations: City Food Heroes

Join Victoria by Farmer&#8217;s Daughters to celebrate Mum this May with a special Mother’s Day lunch opening. They are serving up our $85pp Provenance set menu to showcase the best Victorian autumn produce. As a special treat, every mum receives a complimentary macaron.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.victoriarestaurant.com.au/whats-on/life-on-terrace-mfwf-e9fhr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.victoriarestaurant.com.au/whats-on/life-on-terrace-mfwf-e9fhr</a> 
Follow Victoria by Farmer&#8217;s Daughters on Facebook:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/victoriabyfarmersdaughters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> https://www.facebook.com/victoriabyfarmersdaughters/</a> 
Follow Victoria by Farmer&#8217;s Daughters on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/victoria_byfarmersdaughters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/victoria_byfarmersdaughters/</a>

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Food + Wine

Mother's Day at Victoria by Farmer's Daughters

Korea Festival 2024, the biggest Korean cultural event in Melbourne is returning to Fed Square, free and open to the public for two days this May.
There will be a spectacular performance lineup including a K-pop dance and singing, and traditional Korean performances. The festival will be bustling with delicious Korean foods, and Korean cultural booths for craft, clothing and more.
Korea Festival 2024 is not to be missed as it will be a perfect opportunity to explore and learn about Korean culture right here in Melbourne.
Follow Korea Festival on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/melbournekoreafestival" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.facebook.com/melbournekoreafestival</a> 
Follow Korea Festival on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/korean_consulate__melbourne/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/korean_consulate__melbourne/</a>

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Korea Festival 2024

Migrant’s Life 2024 is an exhibition showcasing the unique journeys of migrants and their struggles, serving as inspiration for present and future generations. The event will highlight individuals who have immigrated to Australia over different years, contributing to the diversity of Australian culture.
The event includes conversations with Brett Lee about his experiences integrating into various cultures, including India; a panel discussion featuring migrants hosted by Divesh Sareen, the author of &#8216;The Indian Mate&#8217;; dance performances; a meet and greet session with Brett Lee; and canapés and drinks.
Tickets are available through the website &#8211; <a href="https://migrants.life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.migrants.life</a>, and they are currently accepting submissions of migrant stories as well.
Follow Migrants Life on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/migrantslifes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.facebook.com/migrantslifes</a> 
Follow Migrants Life on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/migrants.life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/migrants.life/</a>
About Brett Lee 
Former International Australian Cricketer | Actor
Brett is widely regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the history of the game of cricket, having reached a top speed of 161.1 kmph. In India, Brett’s popularity soared as he embraced the culture by learning Hindi and connecting with fans on a personal level. His love for Bollywood led to appearances in both Australian and Indian films. Brett Lee is involved in many philanthropic organisations. He is a proud ambassador for Gotcha4life, an Australian charity that enables people to build mental fitness and helps to reduce suicide rates in Australia
About Divesh Sareen 
Product &amp; Technology Advisor | xCTO | Author – The Indian Mate 

Divesh Sareen is an Indian-born Australian entrepreneur and author who moved to Australia when he was 21 to study for his Master’s in Information Technology. He moved to Australia with $1000 in his pocket, and has since worked his way up to lead tech teams and deliver innovative solutions to businesses across the globe. Divesh loves solving problems and is the author of the 2-book series entitled – ‘The Indian Mate’. The two volumes share the journey from Namaste to HowRYa acting as a source of inspiration for people who belong to more than one country.

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Migrants Life Exhibition with Brett Lee & Divesh Sareen

One of Victoria&#8217;s largest and most popular multicultural festivals returns this May to celebrate Buddha&#8217;s Day. Presented by Fo Guang Shan Melbourne and Buddha&#8217;s Light International Association of Victoria (BLIA VIC), this major festival celebrates multiculturalism through the arts, music, multicultural performances, workshops and Buddhist ceremonies.
Held at Fed Square, the Buddha’s Day &amp; Multicultural Festival will run for three exciting days from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th of May, with an immersive fireworks and lights display running on Friday and Saturday night, and is free for all to attend. Join the festival from 6.30pm on Friday 3rd May for the Light It Up Opening Ceremony, featuring cultural performances from the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne, National Boys Choir and Taiko Drumming as well as traditional Buddhist Ceremonies by Venerables of Fo Guang Shan and guestspeakers. The ceremony will culminate with an incredible multi-media fireworks display bringing the iconic Square to life as never before seen.
Across the weekend, festival patrons can participate in cultural ceremonies, meditations, workshops and performances; enjoy guided meditation, including the popular Buddhist Ch’an Meditation at the Mindfulness Forest, venture into the Lotus Flower Sanctuary to calm the spirit and bathe the Buddha in the beautiful Lumbini Garden to purify the mind and cultivate wisdom. Families with kids can engage in learning the art of Lion &amp; Dragon Dancing, catch a puppet show or pick a favourite character for face painting and play with giant bubbles.
Over at the Fed Square Main Stage, all ages will enjoy the impressive lineup of performances and dance workshops from Victoria’s best multicultural groups: City of Melbourne Highland Pipe Band, Sanggar Lestari, Mexbourne, Jhoom Bollywood, and many more.
For more information visit: <a href="https://buddhaday.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://buddhaday.org.au/</a> 
Follow Buddha&#8217;s Day Multicultural Festival on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BuddhasDayMulticulturalFestival/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.facebook.com/BuddhasDayMulticulturalFestival/</a> 
Follow Buddha&#8217;s Day Multicultural Festival on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bdmf.melb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/bdmf.melb/</a>

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2024 Buddha's Day & Multicultural Festival

Mum deserves the best, so why not treat her to Mother&#8217;s Day lunch at Taxi Kitchen?
Join Taxi Kitchen on Sunday 14th May from 12pm and secure your spot for a day filled with delicious food and stunning city views. Don&#8217;t wait until the last minute to make Mum feel special.
See the menu and book now via their website.
Follow Transport Hotel on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TransportHotel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.facebook.com/TransportHotel</a> 
Follow Taxi Kitchen on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/taxikitchenmelbourne/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/taxikitchenmelbourne/</a> 
Follow Transport Hotel on TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@transporthotel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.tiktok.com/@transporthotel</a>

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Taxi Kitchen

Mother's Day at Taxi Kitchen

The Country Road + NGV First Nations Commissions is a national, biennial mentorship and exhibition program that pairs emerging Australian First Nations artists and designers with one of eight esteemed industry mentors. Working collaboratively, the mentors each support and guide an emerging artist to create their most ambitious work to date.
Responding to this year’s exhibition theme of My Country, these new works are displayed in a major exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/my-country-country-road-ngv-first-nations-commissions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/my-country-country-road-ngv-first-nations-commissions/</a>
Image credit: Johnathon World Peace Bush painting. Courtesy of the artist, Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association. Photo: Leicolhn McKellar

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Atrium Precinct

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

My Country: Country Road + NGV First Nations Commissions

For three decades, this much-loved annual exhibition has provided a platform for the next generation of artists across the state to showcase their talent, passion and ingenuity. Top Arts 2024 features the most exceptional work from students who completed the new VCE study designs of Art Making and Exhibiting and Art Creative Practice in 2023. The exhibition promises a fascinating survey of the curious, creative and innovative spirit of young artists.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/top-arts-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/top-arts-2024/</a>
Top Arts Student and Teacher Programs
Book your free self-guided school group visit, or explore the range of NGV Educator-led programming below. Bookings are required for all school groups: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/learn/top-arts-programs-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/learn/top-arts-programs-2024/</a>
Image credits: Gabriella Vittorio, Lunchtime, 2023 Inkjet print, 59.6 x84.5 cm, Notre Dame College, Shepparton, Ngurraiillam Country © Gabriella Vittorio

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Top Arts 2024 at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

Fed Square becomes a constellation of art and stories that share First Peoples futures, connections to the cosmos, and political discourse.
The Blak Infinite is a site for sharing First Peoples connections to the cosmos, political constellations and futures.
Across Fed Square, experience large-scale installations, new commissions and conversations by leading First Nations artists and writers. Journey through sovereign political and environmental movements, perceptions of belonging and alienation, and the stories in the stars.
Anchoring The Blak Infinite is Richard Bell’s (Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman and Gurang Gurang) <a href="/events/rising-embassy/">EMBASSY</a>—inspired by the original Aboriginal Tent Embassy, pitched on the grounds of Canberra’s Parliament House in 1972. Bell’s installation continues the politically driven work of First Peoples, featuring daily film screenings and a program of talks with activists, writers and artists every Saturday of the festival.
Immersive nighttime projections by Tarryn Love (Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong) will light up each evening in the square, sharing stories of Sky Country and the cosmos, and transporting you into celestial knowledge. Tony Albert&#8217;s (Girramay, Yidinyji and Kuku Yalanji) large-scale artwork BEAM ME UP The Art of Abduction immerses us in themes of alienation, belonging, and place through colourful installations and a children&#8217;s program.
Artworks and texts across the site explore the infinite possibility of First Peoples futures. The big screen features speculative fiction from acclaimed writer Ellen van Neerven (Mununjali Yugambeh and Dutch), expanding the limits of current realities. Artist Kait James (Wadawurrung) uses collage to subvert the loaded visual language of 70s souvenirs, while Michael Cook (Bidjara) creates fantasy worlds where the role of invader and invaded are reversed. Josh Muir&#8217;s (Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Barkindji) supersized artwork reminds us to reach for the stars, and imagine our wildest dreams coming true.
These works across the square offer alternate narratives and ways of seeing the world, and collectively speak to the unlimited sovereign connections held across communities in Australia.
The Blak Infinite is curated by Kimberley Moulton (Yorta Yorta) (Shadow Spirit, 2023) and Kate ten Buuren (Taungurung). Kimberley and Kate would like to acknowledge the immense impact Josh Muir had on Australian contemporary art and Koorie Victoria. We honour his legacy and encourage people to visit his current solo exhibition at the Koorie Hertiage Trust Melbourne. Rest in power and love Josh, forever Deadly.
Further details for the Josh Muir exhibition at Koorie Heritage Trust: <a href="https://koorieheritagetrust.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/jxsh-mvir-forever-i-live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JXSH MVIR FOREVER I LIVE</a>
The Blak Infinite presented by Fed Square and RISING, co-curated by Kate ten Buuren and Kimberley Moulton.

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Installation

RISING: The Blak Infinite

Nina Sanadze surveys the work of Melbourne-based contemporary artist Nina Sanadze. With a practice combining installation, sculpture and found objects, Sanadze references public statues, structures and monuments as metaphors for societal transformation, sometimes incorporating physical fragments and traces of public sculpture into her work.
The exhibition presents six sculpture and installation-based works which interrogate the meaning that statues carry, and the ways they reflect the values and priorities of the time and place in which they are erected or removed.
Inspired by the public monuments in her childhood home of Tbilisi, Georgia, where Soviet icons replaced imperial statues, Sanadze’s work reveals that our cities, monuments and public artworks are constantly in flux, reflecting their contemporary moment.
The works on display reference Australia’s colonial monuments in order to explore and question the emotional resonance of public art. In the installation Monuments and movements, the artist references Melbourne-based sculptures, including the Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Edward VII (1841–1910) and King George V (1865–1936) monuments in Melbourne. Replicating these monuments as flat, folding silhouettes on wheels, this installation presents these sculptures in state of flux between being assembled or dismantled, drawing attention to ideas of permanency and the ephemeral.
In Apotheosis 2021, a collage of sculptural fragments, Sanadze has used collected remnants of Soviet sculptor Valentin Topuridze (1907-1980), Sanadze’s family friend and childhood neighbour. Gifted from the family of the sculptor, Sanadze has reconstructed elements of Topuridze’s archive, piled into a large-scale installation which question complex historical legacies.
Bollard city 2018 examines the use of bollards and barriers, and related concepts of public safety, personal freedom and trust in the community. The work includes oversized bollards appearing to be made of heavy concrete, but are actually composed of lightweight cardboard and polystyrene, offering a sense of transience to these often-permanent structures.
Sanadze has held international solo presentations at Kunstall 3,14, Norway (2023), the 3rd Tbilisi Triennial, Georgia (2018), and she has staged various public art projects including the public art event, Returning the Names, together with Memorial Italia, held at the Venice Biennale, Italy (2022). Sanadze has also participated in group exhibitions at the La Trobe Art Institute, MADA gallery, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Living Museum of the West, ACE Open, Institute of Modern Art, 101 Collins and Gertrude Glasshouse, George Paton Gallery, and Buxton Contemporary Public Screen.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/nina-sanadze/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/nina-sanadze/</a>
Image credit: Nina Sanadze, Bollard City 2018, Photo &#8211; Matthew Stanton

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Nina Sanadze at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

Artist as Animal  sees the artist, Jen Valender, endure an allergen performance across a sea of pollenated, waterlogged, canola fields while wearing high heels and carrying an harp.
Artist as Animal seeks to generate new understandings of farm work and cultural experiences of the landscape by inviting the viewer to consider how the art experience, in its intentionality, communicates both the material conditions of its own making and those of the world it exists within.
Developed during an Art + Ecology Residency hosted by the Centre of Visual Art (CoVA) at the University of Melbourne’s Agricultural College in regional Victoria, this work is inspired by Valender’s experience of the sights, sounds, stories, and serendipitous encounters with residents of all species at the campus.
Duration: 8 minutes
About Jen Valender
Jen Valender is an Aotearoa New Zealand-born, Naarm Melbourne-based, multidisciplinary artist who creates performative encounters on and with the landscape that raise questions about the relationship between art and the natural world. Through moving image, she explores the ways in which art may be used as a navigational tool to investigate human and nonhuman connections.
Valender has exhibited widely in galleries, museums and public spaces in Australia, France, Germany, South Africa, and Portugal. She holds a Master of Fine Arts (Research) from the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne and is an ongoing ACMI X resident artist at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.
Artist as Animal DP: Gene Alberts 
Artist as Animal colourist: Ted Deacey

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Screen

Artist as Animal by Jen Valender

Homer’s ancient war poem The Iliad reverberates in today’s world of unrelenting armed conflict.
A Ukrainian soldier trains to defend his country. A choir sings in a Sarajevo theatre once used to stage defiant performances during the Bosnian War. Youths gather at the tomb of Homer on the island of Ios in the Mediterranean, through which asylum seekers make their treacherous journeys. Three performances reframe the opening lines of Homer&#8217;s epic tale of rage, where victory intertwines with grief and loss.
The Iliad, one of the earliest and most significant texts in Western literature, is set nine years into the Trojan war, and describes how the Greek warrior Achilles refuses to join the battle, due to his wrath at a slight by fellow Greek warrior Agamemnon. Achilles relents only when his closest friend is killed. Stanislava Pinchuk sets her work nine years into the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. She weaves together three charged performances which draw on the oral and folk traditions from which The Iliad evolved. Just as the poem contains many gruesome descriptions of death on the battlefield, so do these performers focus our attention on both the lifeforce and vulnerability of bodies in contemporary &#8216;theatres of war&#8217;.
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/stanislava-pinchuk-theatre-of-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/stanislava-pinchuk-theatre-of-war/</a>
Stanislava Pinchuk is the 2019 recipient of the <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/collection-preservation/commissions/mordant-family-moving-image-commission-young-australian-artists/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mordant Family Moving Image Commission for Young Australian Artists</a>.
The Mordant Family Moving Image Commission for Young Australian Artists is created in partnership with Professor Cav. Simon Mordant AO and Catriona Mordant AM, the City of Melbourne, John Allsopp from Web Directions, and ACMI.

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Stanislava Pinchuk: The Theatre of War at ACMI

JXSH MVIR FOREVER I LIVE is a retrospective exhibition of artworks by the late Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Barkindji artist Josh Muir (1991 – 2022).
The exhibition highlights the strength of Josh’s artistic practice and the important contribution he has made to First Peoples art and culture in South East Australia and contemporary art nationally and internationally. The works in the exhibition not only reflects Josh’s ongoing artistic legacy, but Josh himself immortalised through his art. They also showcase Josh’s love of family and community, and draw on a range of themes including cultural identity, the impacts and legacies of colonisation, mental health, addiction, personal loss and grief.
This exhibition has been proudly curated by the Koorie Heritage Trust with Josh’s mother, Justine Berg and partner, Shanaya Sheridan as co-curators.
Image credit: Josh Muir, Skip To My Lou,2015. Digital print on aluminium. Collection of Edward Lloyd.

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JXSH MVIR FOREVER I LIVE, at Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT)

Fed Square will periodically light up the square during key dates throughout the year to highlight special days of remembrance, and to bring awareness to key local and global issues. Please see the full calendar 2024 calendar below:
6 February 2024 &#8211; Feeding Tube Awareness Day (Purple) 
6 March 2024 &#8211; Lymphoedema Awareness Day (Blue) 
11 March 2024 &#8211; Victoria Pride (Rainbow) 
26 March 2024 &#8211; Make March Purple for Epilepsy (Purple) 
31 March 2024 &#8211; International Day of Transgender Visibility (Blue, White, Purple) 
16 April 2024 &#8211; World Voice Day (Red) 
25 April 2024 &#8211; Anzac Day (Red) 
29 April 2024 &#8211; World Wish Day (Blue) 
1 May 2024 &#8211; Candlelight Vigil (Purple) 
9 May 2024 &#8211; Do It For Dolly (Blue) 
17 May 2024 &#8211; International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (Rainbow) 
19 May 2024 &#8211; World IBD Day (Purple) 
26 May 2024 &#8211; National Sorry Day (Black, Red, Yellow) 
20 June 2024 &#8211; World Refugee Day (Blue) 
28 June 2024 &#8211; World Pride Day (Rainbow) 
7-14 July 2024 &#8211; NAIDOC Week (Black, Red, Yellow) 
22 July 2024 &#8211; World Fragile X Day (Orange) 
9 September 2024 &#8211; FASD Awareness Day (Red) 
27 September 2024 &#8211; ITP Awareness Day (Purple) 
18 October 2024 &#8211; Light It Red for Dyslexia Awareness (Red) 
25 October 2024 &#8211; Dysautonomia Awareness Month (Blue) 
11 November 2024 &#8211; Remembrance Day (Red) 
20 November 2024 &#8211; Trans Day of Remembrance (Blue, White, Purple)

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Lighting Up The Square

Celebrating Victoria’s finest seafood and produce, Taxi Kitchen presents ‘Taxi Showstopper’ menu. Enjoy six delightful tastes across three courses, perfect before or after Melbourne’s iconic experiences like theatre, sports, or gallery visits &#8211; just $85 per person!
The Showstopper menu is a testament to creativity, with Taxi Kitchen&#8217;s chefs crafting a rotation of dishes using fresh ingredients from Victorian waters and lands. Executive Chef Tony Twitchett infuses each dish with modern Australian flare and an Asian twist.
For more information visit: <a href="https://transporthotel.com.au/taxi-kitchen-showstopper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://transporthotel.com.au/taxi-kitchen-showstopper/</a> 
Follow Taxi Kitchen on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TransportHotel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.facebook.com/TransportHotel</a> 
Follow Taxi Kitchen on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/taxikitchenmelbourne/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/taxikitchenmelbourne/</a> 
Follow Taxi Kitchen on TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@transporthotel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.tiktok.com/@transporthotel</a>

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Taxi Kitchen Showstopper

Immerse yourself in Aboriginal Melbourne on this after dark time travelling tour along the Birrarung.
Through stories, soundscapes, music and projections Yalinguth invites you to walk through time &#8211; to hear, see and feel what life and country was like along the Birrarung before the tall ships arrived. Wurundjeri Elders will take us on a journey through their world since this significant event, and share stories of their strength, resilience, knowledge and continual connection to country and culture. This event also signifies and celebrates the launch of the Yalinguth App Birrarung Experience &#8211; an audio story walk that can be experienced 24/7 outside of this event.
“An INCREDIBLE immersive experience that everyone must live. The music, the sounds and everything became extremely real. I&#8217;ve really heard and felt the land.” ***** &#8211; Google Play Review
Download the app: <a href="https://www.yalinguth.com.au/get-app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.yalinguth.com.au/get-app</a>
Directed by: Jason Tamiru
Sound design: DRMNGNOW (Neil Morris)
Produced by: Storyscape
About the Yalinguth app:
The Yalinguth app is an immersive audio app connecting Melbourne audiences to the important Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history of places. In the Woi Wurrung language Yalinguth means ‘yesterday’, and echoes the sentiments of many Elders that “we need to go back, before we can go forwards”. The first location in the app was Ngár-go/Fitzroy, and this event marks the launch of the second location along the Birrarung/Yarra River (from Enterprise Park/Queens Bridge to the MCG). The app is available to download now from Google Play and on Apple&#8217;s App Store.
About Storyscape
Storyscape is an arts production company working across the Asia Pacific region for over a decade. Together with a group of leading Victorian Elders, artists and researchers, they produced the award-winning Yalinguth App, Australia’s first spatialised Augmented Reality audio experience in Fitzroy, Melbourne.
Project Supporters
This event is proudly supported by the City of Melbourne and Fed Square. This project received Cash to Create through the Fringe Fund, as part of Deadly Fringe. The Yalinguth app is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, VicHealth and the Public Record Office Victoria, the City of Melbourne, City of Yarra and Informit.

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Tours

Yalinguth LIVE by the Birrarung

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

Please note: Fed Square has hosted more than 140,000 people and welcomed many families to enjoy and support the Matildas and other nations throughout the FIFA Women&#8217;s World Cup. We’ve been so proud to see such strong and positive support for this historic sporting event.
Unfortunately, due to the behaviour of some, Fed Square will not operate as a live site on Saturday August 19 and Sunday August 20 and will not be screening the games. To ensure the safety of the public and to accommodate larger crowds, the Melbourne live site will be at AAMI Park.
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PAST MATCHES:
Thursday 20 July
5pm &#8211; New Zealand vs Norway
8pm &#8211; Australia vs Republic of Ireland
Friday 21 July
12.30pm &#8211; Nigeria vs Canada (streaming from Melbourne Rectangular Stadium)
3pm &#8211; Philippines vs Switzerland
5.30pm &#8211; Spain vs Costa Rica
Saturday 22 July
11am &#8211; USA vs Vietnam5pm &#8211; Zambia vs Japan
7.30pm &#8211; England vs Haiti
10pm &#8211; Denmark vs China PR
Sunday 23 July
3pm &#8211; Sweden vs South Africa
5.30pm &#8211; Netherlands vs Portugal
8pm &#8211; France vs Jamaica
Monday 24 July
4pm &#8211; Italy vs Argentina
6.30pm &#8211; Germany vs Morocco (streaming from Melbourne Rectangular Stadium)
9pm &#8211; Brazil vs Panama
Tuesday 25 July
12pm &#8211; Colombia vs Korea Republic (KOR)
3.30pm &#8211; New Zealand vs Philippines
6pm &#8211; Switzerland vs Norway
Wednesday 26 July
3pm &#8211; Japan vs Costa Rica
5.30pm &#8211; Spain vs Zambia
10pm &#8211; Canada vs Republic of Ireland
Thursday 27 July
11am &#8211; USA vs Netherlands
5.30pm &#8211; Vietnam vs Portugal
8pm &#8211; Australia vs Nigeria
Friday 28 July
10am &#8211; Argentina vs South Africa
6.30pm &#8211; England vs Denmark
8pm &#8211; China PR vs Haiti
Saturday 29 July
5.30pm &#8211; Sweden vs Italy
8pm &#8211; France vs Brazil
10.30pm &#8211; Jamaica vs Panama
Sunday 30 July
2.30pm &#8211; Korea Republic (KOR) vs Morocco
5pm &#8211; Norway vs Philippines
5pm &#8211; Switzerland vs New Zealand
7.30pm &#8211; Germany vs Colombia
Monday 31 July
5pm &#8211; Spain vs Japan
5pm &#8211; Costa Rica vs Zambia
8pm &#8211; Canada vs Australia (streaming from Melbourne Rectangular Stadium)
8pm &#8211; Republic of Ireland vs Nigeria
Tuesday 1 August
5pm &#8211; USA vs Portugal
5pm &#8211; Vietnam vs Netherlands
9pm &#8211; China PR vs England
Wednesday 2 August
5pm &#8211; South Africa vs Italy
5pm &#8211; Argentina vs Sweden
8pm &#8211; France vs Panama
8pm &#8211; Jamaica vs Brazil (streaming from Melbourne Rectangular Stadium)
Thursday 3 August
8pm &#8211; Korea Republic (KOR) vs Germany
8pm &#8211; Morocco vs Colombia
Saturday 5 August
3pm &#8211; Switzerland vs Spain
6pm &#8211; Japan vs Norway
Sunday 6 August
12pm &#8211; Netherlands vs South Africa
7pm &#8211; Sweden vs United States (streaming from Melbourne Rectangular Stadium)
Monday 7 August
5.30pm &#8211; England vs Nigeria8.30pm &#8211; Australia vs Denmark
Tuesday 8 August
6pm &#8211; Colombia vs Jamaica (streaming from Melbourne Rectangular Stadium)
9pm &#8211; France vs Morocco
Friday 11 August &#8211; Quarter Finals
11am &#8211; Spain vs Netherlands
5.30pm &#8211; Japan vs Sweden
Saturday 12 August &#8211; Quarter Finals
5pm &#8211; Australia vs France
8.30pm &#8211; England vs Colombia
Tuesday 15 August &#8211; Semi Finals
6pm &#8211; Spain vs Sweden
Wednesday 16 August &#8211; Semi Finals
8pm &#8211; Australia vs England

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FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Game Screenings

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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Memo Akten: Distributed Consciousness at ACMI

Looking for a quick and delicious lunch in the heart of Melbourne?
Introducing Taxi Kitchen’s new FML (that’s Feed Me Lunch) menu for $45 pp
With your choice of any 3 small plates and 1 large plate to share for the table, you’ll be able to indulge in a variety of our mouth-watering dishes while enjoying the buzzing atmosphere of our open kitchen. Perfect for anyone headed to pre or post event, shows, shopping and everything in between, our express lunch option will leave you feeling satisfied and ready for whatever the day brings.
So why settle for a boring sandwich or sad salad, when you can join us for an exciting, fun and satisfying lunch experience? Book now. Available every lunch service from 12pm &#8211; 3pm.
Follow Taxi Kitchen on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/taxikitchenmelbourne/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/taxikitchenmelbourne/</a>

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FML (Feed Me Lunch) at Taxi Kitchen

Come and join the Koorie Heritage Trust weekdays (except Public Holidays) on their Birrarung Wilam (River Camp) Walk for all members of the public. Starting at 1pm, the Birrarung Wilam Walk takes you through Fed Square and down to the Birrarung Wilam (Common Ground) Aboriginal art installations, experiencing the Aboriginal history of the Birrarung Marr (Beside the river of mists) and Aboriginal Peoples of the Kulin Nation.
With one of their experienced Koorie guides, you will learn how the land on which Melbourne is located has changed over time and about the significance of the Birrarung Wilam to the local Kulin peoples. You will gain a deeper and more meaningful understanding of this incredible location; an important gathering place for the Kulin Nation and one of Melbourne’s most popular meeting hubs.
For any questions regarding the tours, please contact Kieran Stewart, Tours Coordinator on 8662 6313. Tickets are also available on the day, visit the KHT reception/retail desk on the ground floor, Yarra Building (availability may be limited).
For more information visit: <a href="https://koorieheritagetrust.com.au/visit-us/education/guided-walking-tours/cultural-walk-birrarung-wilam-river-camp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://koorieheritagetrust.com.au/visit-us/education/guided-walking-tours/cultural-walk-birrarung-wilam-river-camp/</a>

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Birrarung Wilam (River Camp) Walk with Koorie Heritage Trust

Gain a new perspective on the NGV Collection. Join NGV Community Ambassadors as they introduce some of their favourite works in the Gallery in a thirty-minute tour.
This tour is suitable for visitors of all ages.
This tour will be delivered in English at 11:30am and in Mandarin at 12:30pm.
NGV Community Ambassadors
NGV Community Ambassadors are international student volunteers who welcome visitors and support a range of NGV programs and activities in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
The NGV Community Ambassadors project is supported by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.
NGV社区大使会在为期30分钟的导览中介绍他们最喜欢的馆藏作品, 与你一起从全新的角度来体验和认识NGV的馆藏。
此导览适合所有年龄段的观众。
此导览将于上午11点半以英语进行,並在中午 12点半以中文普通话进行。
NGV社区大使
NGV 社区大使是国际学生志愿者，他们用 英语、普通话和广东话欢迎访客，并支持一系列的 NGV活动。
NGV非常感謝澳中基金会对 NGV社区大使项目的支持。
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/program/community-ambassadors-tour-ngva/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/program/community-ambassadors-tour-ngva/</a>
Image credit: 
Margaret PRESTON 
Flannel flowers 1938 
oil on canvas 
122.0 x 91.6 cm 
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 
The Joseph Brown Collection. Presented through the NGV Foundation by Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE, Honorary Life Benefactor, 2004 
2004.209 
© Margaret Preston/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia

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NGV Community Ambassador Tour | 东游西逛: NGV社区大使导览 at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

Explore some of the highlights of the NGV Collection with one of the knowledgeable NGV Guides.
See not-to-be-missed works and visitor favourites from the Australian Collection, including works by First Nations artists. Hear about the stories and ideas behind the works and consider different perspectives on Australian history and culture. This is an ideal introduction to the NGV and Australian art for first time visitors, or a great way for regular visitors to discover something new.
Meet: Guided Tour meeting point, Ground Level 
Booking is not required, capacity limits apply
For more information visit: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/program/collection-highlights-tour-501/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/program/collection-highlights-tour-501/</a>

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Australian Collection Highlights Tour at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

Discover the rich and diverse world of cinema at ACMI! Their film screenings showcase a carefully curated selection of films that highlight the creativity and vision of auteurs from around the globe.
Whether you’re a seasoned cinephile or simply looking for an alternative to mainstream cinema, ACMI’s screenings are the perfect opportunity to explore the depths of cinema and discover new perspectives. Their lineup features films from all genres and eras, with a particular focus on the works of visionary directors who have made their mark on the art form.
The cinemas provide the ideal setting for your film experience. With state-of-the-art sound and projection systems, comfortable seating, and an intimate atmosphere, you’ll be fully immersed in the world of the film. Plus, ACMI’s friendly and knowledgeable staff are always on hand to ensure that your visit is seamless and enjoyable.
ACMI also hosts a range of special events, including Q&amp;A sessions with filmmakers, masterclasses, and retrospectives that delve deeper into the art and craft of cinema.
Check out their schedule of upcoming screenings and events and book your tickets today:  <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/films/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/films/</a>

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Films at ACMI

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is the world’s first major gallery dedicated exclusively to Australian art. It is a spectacular showcase comprising over 20 galleries housed within a landmark architectural complex.
With special exhibitions and educational programs and new perspectives of the city through its glass matrix, NGV Australia is more than a great place to view art – it is a completely fresh approach that encourages people from all walks of life to enjoy the world of art.
Australian Art Collection
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is home to the NGV’s Australian Art Collection – including works by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities.
Explore the history and many styles and stories of Australian art through paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, drawings, fashion, Indigenous art and the Joseph Brown Collection.
Find out more: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/ngv-collection-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/ngv-collection-australia/</a>
The Joseph Brown Collection
In May 2004 Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE donated the major part of his incomparable collection of Australian art to the National Gallery of Victoria — the most generous single gift of works of art ever made to a public gallery in Australia.
The Joseph Brown Collection at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia will forever tell the story of the immigrant who became an artist and soldier, a scholar and connoisseur, a successful businessman and an art dealer, a mentor to artists and an art patron; a man who made a huge and enduring difference to the culture of this country.
Joseph Brown was born in Poland in 1918 and migrated to Australia in 1933 at the age of fifteen, settling in Melbourne. He trained initially as an artist but after returning from war service in 1945 became increasingly involved in the fashion industry. Later he became a leading art dealer and consultant, promoting a wide range of Australian artists, both historical and contemporary. He reclaimed the work of forgotten artists, introduced and mentored many new artists, and was a great advocate for portraiture as an art form. Simultaneously he built up an outstanding private collection of Australian art.
Find out more: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/the-joseph-brown-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/the-joseph-brown-collection/</a>
NGV Design Store
The NGV design store at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia specialises in Australian art and design books, as well as an inspired selection of local design products.
The book range features Australian, Indigenous Australian and international contemporary art, design, fashion, photography and street art publications.
Design products include exclusive NGV products, the latest fashion accessories, home wares, children’s gifts and unique Indigenous Australian objects.
Find out more: <a href="https://store.ngv.vic.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://store.ngv.vic.gov.au/</a>
NGV Café
Located in the Atrium, just outside the NGV Australia entrance, NGV Cafe offers breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. Serving Allpress Espresso coffee, roasted locally in Melbourne.
Find out more: <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/plan-your-visit/dining/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/plan-your-visit/dining/</a>

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The Koorie Heritage Trust takes Koorie peoples, cultures and communities from the literal and figurative fringes of Melbourne to a place that is a central meeting and gathering place for all Victorians. Their location at Fed Square is a recognition of their shared history and the importance of Koorie peoples as part of a broader 21st century community.
The Koorie Heritage Trust is committed to creating a safe space for all people to learn about and to help them  promote, support and celebrate the continuing journey of the Aboriginal people of South Eastern Australia.
KHT offer a range of programs and services including the only public collection in Victoria dedicated solely to Koorie art and culture comprising artefacts, pictures and photographs as well as a Oral History Program and a Reference Library; a cultural education service that includes guided walking tours, cultural competency training and programs developed specifically for schools and educators; an annual exhibition program with an emphasis on showcasing young and emerging Victorian Aboriginal art and artists; a Koorie Family History Service; and a retail shop dedicated exclusively to showcasing the uniqueness of Victorian Aboriginal art and design.
Find out more: <a href="https://koorieheritagetrust.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://koorieheritagetrust.com.au/</a>
Permanent Collection
The Koorie Heritage Trust acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Naarm (Melbourne), the Wurrundjeri People of the Greater Kulin (Gulinj: meaning Man) Nation, that comprise the 5 distinct language groups of south central Victoria.
At the heart of the Trust are their Collections of artworks and artefacts, photographs, oral history recordings and a reference library. The Collections are unique and irreplaceable, and represent the continuing journey of the Aboriginal peoples of south eastern Australia as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from around the country who now call Victoria home.
On display on the 3rd floor of the Yarra Building at Federation Square are select items from our Collections that are rotated on a regular basis. Browse through the displays including open storage display drawers and learn about the First Peoples of Victoria.
Find out more: <a href="https://koorieheritagetrust.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/permanent-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://koorieheritagetrust.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/permanent-collection/</a>
shopKOORIE
Beautifully crafted and authentic Indigenous art and craft
Discover Aboriginal Victoria with beautifully crafted and authentic art and craft at shopKOORIE.
Our Aboriginal Victorian artists, designers and craft practitioners are some of the most highly regarded and we are always delighted to share their product with you.
Buying from us, you are purchasing an authentic Victorian Aboriginal designed and produced product grounded in a 60,000-year-old history. You are also directly supporting and providing direct benefits back to these makers.
Find out more: <a href="https://shop.koorieheritagetrust.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://shop.koorieheritagetrust.com.au/</a>
Image credit: KHT renovated Birrarung Building interiors.  This is a Lyons led design collaboration between First Nations architect Jefa Greenaway (Greenaway Architects), Lyons and Architecture Associates. Photography: James Henry

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<h2>ACMI is your museum of screen culture. Navigate the universe of film, TV, videogames and art with ACMI.</h2>
Located in the heart of Melbourne&#8217;s Fed Square, ACMI (formerly Australian Centre for the Moving Image) celebrates the wonder and power of the world&#8217;s most democratic artform – fostering the next generation of makers, players and watchers.
ACMI offers exhibitions, cinemas, and an incredible gift shop. Entry to ACMI is free, as is the interactive exhibition The Story of the Moving Image &#8211; open 364 days a year. On arrival you can collect The Lens, a free, handheld device that allows you to explore, collect and discover a universe of new films, TV shows, videogames and art to watch, play and experience. Simply tap on the objects and experiences you enjoy as you move through the exhibition, and log in later to see your online collection and discover even more about the world of screen culture.
Find out more: <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/">https://www.acmi.net.au/</a>

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ACMI The Story of the Moving Image

Learn the fine art of Gentle Chinese Dancing under the high ceiling of Fed Square’s Atrium. Melding traditional and contemporary dance, your class will begin with a gentle warm up and delicate stretches and continue as volunteers take you through the elegant movements of this ancient dance step-by-step.
Click here to view our full suite of <a href="/fed-free-workshops/">Fed Free Workshops</a>

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Workshop

Gentle Dancers

Escape the stress and busyness of modern life to discover the peace of meditation for yourself in these free 30-minute meditation sessions, suitable for beginners and regulars alike &#8211; Classes brought to you by <a href="https://meditateinmelbourne.org/">Kadampa Meditation Centre Australia</a>.
Press play below to watch the livestreams.
Click here to view our full suite of <a href="/fed-free-workshops/">Fed Free Workshops</a>
Please be aware that Lunchtime Meditation will not be streamed on Tuesday 30 April due to unforeseen technical difficulties.

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<h2>Stories from the people who work, walk and play at Fed Square</h2>
Have you ever wondered what stories lie under the surface of Fed Square? Who the people are that you walk past and what’s going on in their lives?
Each week, we catch up with a person who works, walks or plays here at Fed Square. It could be a journalist from SBS or a curator from the Koorie Heritage Trust or someone who eats their lunch here every day – it could be you! So, watch out for us in the Square, as we’ll be on the lookout!
And if you&#8217;ve got a story to tell, tag us on Instagram with #FedFolk and we may be in touch!

What's On