Laki Sideris - Suburban Vintage

Early last year Darebin Council merged its major arts events into a new arts festival called FUSE, with a program designed to showcase the richness and diversity of Darebin’s arts community twice a year, in autumn and spring. Unfortunately COVID put a bit of a dampener on things in 2020, but this year (fingers crossed) it is full steam ahead and the Darebin arts team has put together a wonderful festival ready for us all to explore.

Running from 11th to the 28th March, you can visit art exhibitions, attend live music and theatre, participate in workshops or art walks, and discover the hidden events and unexpected happenings that are part of FUSE.

Program highlights include:

• The Art of Storytelling in Song, a performance in conversation with Mick Thomas and Jessie Lloyd at Preston Reservoir Bowls Club, Friday 19 March.

• Suburban Vintage, an exhibition at Darebin Arts Centre by award winning photographer Laki Sideris, illuminating the traditions and personalities behind the Darebin amateur homemade wine competition. (20-27 March.)

• Women of Soul, a special ten year anniversary musical event celebrating the resilience of female artists in Darebin.

• The premiere screening of Ganbu Gulin: One Mob, a moving documentary that tells the story of Darebin’s decision to cease celebrations on 26 January. Preston City Hall, 13 March.

• Paradise Lots, a live theatre experience from experimental theatre company Pony Cam, and a group of young artists. See an urban carpark transformed into a large-scale performance space and challenge your unchecked assumptions about youth. 19-21 March (location details on registration)

To see the full program, book in and find out more visit www.fusedarebin.com.au. Note that most events are free.

No matter who you are, you’re bound to discover something that moves, intrigues or connects you. Sounds great hey? Aren’t we so lucky to have this on doorstep, and to live in a community that values and celebrates the arts.

Women of Soul

Are you interested in community-led climate action?

Do you want to skill up and work with others in your area to take climate action?

Yarra, Darebin and Moreland Councils are partnering on a new program to support people across our cities to take climate action. This could be running campaigns, advocacy, community projects, conversations, arts projects and more!

The nine-session program will run from late April and then again from early September and include a range of speakers. Participants will:

• Build relationships with others who are committed to taking climate action

• Hear from people who are active in climate action 

• Explore what collective local action and advocacy can look like and how to reach out within and beyond your networks

• Gain skills to plan and run effective campaigns, including using social media and other online tools 

• Explore working effectively with others, sharing the load and self-care

Up to 75 people will be able to take part in the program — 25 from each Council area.

Applications for the 2021 program are now open. Click here to register your Expression of Interest  by Sunday 14 March.

Hi Leanne here.

Do you follow the local restaurant Facebook group Northcote, Thornbury and Fairfield Takeaway?

If so you will know that lots of local restaurants had already stocked up on food for one of their busiest days of the year (Valentine’s Day) and have now had to cancel the bookings at the last minute.

So, if like me, you have a valentine (or 1 adult valentine + 3 valentine children as the case may be) in your house, and are feeling a bit lazy on the home cooking front, this weekend is the ideal time to grab some fancier restaurant takeaway and support the businesses that would usually be full.

And, don’t forget the florists. I saw the Bivianos florists working hard Friday morning, and can imagine how disappointed they will be feeling this weekend … (I am assuming they are still open?).

Anyway, we may be stuck at home … but we can still be romantic right? Right. For sure.

Fancy food from Estelle on High Street … one of the local restaurants going back to takeaway this weekend. Make the most of this non-cooking excuse, get out your fancy tableware … and maybe rope your kids into serving (unlikely at my house, they’ll just want to eat for sure, but I can live in hope for a second or two).

We are hoping that some local people might have an abundance of fruit or vegetables from their garden they would like to send our way.

Last year we had a once-a-month preserving session at ACC on Friday morning. And we’re keen to start it back up again.

So if you have extra zucchini or cucumbers, stone fruit … or anything else we could turn into pickles or chutneys or jams please let us know as we have some keen local volunteers waiting to get to work :-)

This term our garden is open for young families to come and have a play on Wednesday mornings from 10am-12pm.

We’ve got the sandpit open, the toys out, ride-ons at the ready and some crafty activities set up.

If you’re looking for a change from the local park you can pop past with a coffee from the cafe, or an icy pole from the milkbar, and make yourself at home.