Darebin’s streets, parks, venues, theatres, galleries and public spaces are being transformed by FUSE, the Darebin City Council’s multi-arts festival, from September 3-18 into zones of art, culture and creativity.
Works commissioned by FUSE for the festival include Message from Another You by The Parallel Effect.
Guests are being greeted at the Northcote Town Hall by a ‘Many Worlds Traveller’, who guides them into the atmospheric booth where the immersive journey begins. The event runs daily from September 6-10.
The program commences with Ganbu Gulin, a vibrant celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island culture, re-imagined and curated by FUSE curator-in-residence, Sofii Belling-Harding.
Co-presented by the Wurundjeri Land Council, Ganbu Gulin (meaning ‘One Mob’) celebrates and recognises First Nations peoples. This free event invites all residents, old and new, to be officially welcomed onto Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country with a sunset Walk on Country.
The audience will also have the chance to meet Aboriginal community leaders and business owners and explore stories of endurance and survival. All of this is topped off with music and live performance.
Darebin’s Mayor, Cr Lina Messina, says: “I am excited by the diverse and vibrant FUSE program this spring, and so proud that it will commence with a celebration of First Nations peoples through Ganbu Gulin.
“This festival and our brilliant local artists provide an opportunity to come together and celebrate as a united community through what continues to be uncertain and challenging times.”
Ganbu Gulin shares its name with the Daniel King’s documentary, which tells the story of Darebin’s decision to cease observing January 26 as Australia Day.
The event has evolved from the film to become an inclusive annual program and a platform for Traditional Owners to welcome new citizens in their own way.
Darebin artists Ai Yamamoto and Dan West will transform the art gallery Neon Parlour into an immersive AV performance space, premiering new music created especially for FUSE.
Together, their performances are full of melodies, abstracted rhythms and textural sounds created from analogue synthesisers and real time processing of field recordings, piano, strings and guitar. Ai Yamamoto and Dan West: Live Performance at Neon Parlour takes place on September 10-11 at 8pm.
Festival-goers will also be treated to the Things Will Be Different film screening and walking tour, a community documentary project about Northcote’s Walker Street housing estate, now demolished.
The project is presented by former public housing residents Lucie McMahon and Celeste DeClario Davis, and highlights the richness of the people and communities within public housing.
The screening and walking tour on September 10 will be held at All Saints Church, Northcote. The screening on September 18 will be held at the Thornbury Picture House.
The FUSE@Large events shine a light on how the festival supports artists and in turn is influenced by Darebin locals. FUSE@Large encourages the community to discover the surprising and unexpected in their local neighbourhood. It’s an open-access program that provides opportunities for local artists and creatives to acti-vate Darebin in unexpected, delightful ways. On September 17, FUSE draws to a close with a celebration of self-expression at Newman Reserve, Preston.
The FUSE Block Party invites everyone to harness the rich variety of Darebin’s multicultural identities. The party includes live bass music, a vintage flea market, live art, mural making, No Lights No Lycra, costume making workshops and the grand finale Dress Up Parade. September 17, 1pm – 6pm.

• Cheryl Threadgold