Shape the future direction - festivals, events and placemaking
Published on 07 April 2022
Maribyrnong City Council is looking at opportunities to deliver and support more dynamic and contemporary festivals, events, and place-making activities across its community in a post-pandemic environment.
For some years now, Maribyrnong has built its reputation as a 'Festival City' with a number of well-attended and well-received events on the annual calendar - such as Yarraville Festival, Lunar New Year events, Eat Drink Westside, New Year’s Eve Fireworks, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, and many more.
The City’s vibrant festivals’ program has been guided by the Festival City Policy, first established in 2010, which sets the framework to attract, host and support economically robust, socially inclusive and culturally rich festivals and events that benefit our community and contribute to the growth of our ever changing City.
While the current Policy, endorsed by Council in 2017, has served our City well, the landscape around festivals and events has changed significantly, particularly over the past two years during the pandemic.
Recognising this, Council is considering broadening the Policy framework to allow for more single, or multi-day place-making activations in main streets, civic spaces, parks or open space to be supported. (Place-making is a process of building on what your community wants and needs to improve the use of local public spaces, often through events, pop ups and other initiatives.)
Mayor, Cr Anthony Tran said the proposed shift would mean increased support for smaller style activations and events that celebrate place, are driven by and engage local communities, and can also be realised on shorter time frames and more regularly.
“This proposed new approach would reflect the passion of our communities for lively, animated local neighbourhoods and the need for them to be actively supported,” Mayor Tran said.
“By sharing available funding across many more smaller and regular place-making activities and events, while still supporting local favourites, we can help foster a vibrant, cosmopolitan and resilient city for residents to enjoy and be proud of,” he added.
Council is seeking the community’s response through a survey which also provides the opportunity to discuss the types of events the community thinks have been successful and they would like more of.
Mayor Tran said Council welcomes any feedback - ideas or suggestions – “around any specific festivals, community events or place-making ideas you would like to see supported as part of the new program. This might be something you have seen or experienced somewhere else you feel our community would embrace.”
Feedback and ideas can be shared as part of the current engagement by visiting: www.yourcityyourvoice.com.au until 5pm Friday 6 May.