Running from March 18 to 26, Multicultural Diversity Week will boast the array of cultures, traditions and cuisines which have made their mark on Melbourne’s identity over the years.
Spearheaded by the Victorian Multicultural Commission, the event will return for its fifteenth year, featuring forums, festivals and competitions which recognise and promote social harmony within the entire community, regardless of our different walks of life.
This year’s event takes place shortly after the Victorian government’s introduction of a policy which sets out to build on the state’s identity as a multicultural success story.
This February, Premier Daniel Andrews, Deputy Premier James Merlino and Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott announced Victorian. And proud of it., a state-wide initiative which aims to improve the wellbeing of all Victorians, old and new.
The policy includes funding of $25 million to tackle violent extremism and develop community resilience, $15 million to assist new arrivals to learn English and enter the workforce, and $6 million to improve employment services for people from multicultural communities.
Schools across Victoria will participate in the week’s celebration of cultural diversity through various activities arranged by Cultural Infusion, a non-profit organisation which aims to promote cultural cohesion through a series of art and engagement programs.
Cultural Infusion will visit Drouin College in the West Gippsland region on March 21 to perform Ciao! Migrating to Australia, a show which narrates the story of Italian migration in the 1950s.
Emilio Ricciuti performs the role of Pasquale, breathing life into his own father’s migrant story through history, dance, language and culture in an interactive and comical manner.
The organisation will also visit Methodist Ladies’ College in Kew on March 24, bringing traditional southern Italian music to the classroom.
Through interactive workshops, students will be introduced to the whimsical sounds of ancient instruments including castanets, the diatonic accordion, the tamburello, the putipù and the ciaramella.
The fun and festivities aren’t confined to the classroom, and many events are scheduled across the state throughout the week-long occasion.
On March 21, the Bell Street Mall in West Heidelberg will celebrate its rich ethnic community for the ninth year in a row with the Multicultural Music Festival & Market.
On March 25, Federation Square will become a vibrant hub as the Multicultural Festival gets under way, featuring music, dance, film and activities which will make Melbourne’s multicultural identity shine.
The VMC Film Festival Competition will also take place during the week, exploring the themes of unity and division through the lens of our young and unearthed filmmaking talents.
The list of things to see and do during this dynamic week is endless, and the entire state will be dotted with all sorts of set-ups from food trucks to fairs, all for us to enjoy as one.
