The Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) are embarking on two exciting international collaborations with Singapore later in the year that will explore cultural identity and intercultural dialogue between artists, arts organisations and communities.
MAV has become a core entity for facilitating the development, of new opportunities and they have been looking at how the diaspora can connect beyond borders to create challenging new work and bring people together to explore shared experiences. Victoria’s shifting landscape makes it a unique place where diverse world cultures collide, influence one another and connect around dialogue on shared experiences.
They have been working closely with Victorian artists of Chinese heritage based in Melbourne exploring identity through these international collaborations and at the same time challenging the under representation of contemporary Asian art in the Creative Industries in our State.
Victoria Chiu is a skilled Melbourne based dancer and choreographer who has connected proudly though her Chinese heritage with Singapore Company Arts Fission and has developed a work titled Fire Monkey that was presented in Mapping Melbourne 2016.
The Arts Fission Company will be returning to Melbourne in October to remount and develop the work with Victoria Chiu and other talented local artists for the Darebin Arts Speakeasy program at Northcote Town Hall in October 2018.
They have also recently signed a two-year MOU with the Singapore based company Culture Link. MAV will be working with Culture Link to bring the innovative SA the Collective from Singapore to Melbourne in December 2018 to collaborate and experiment with local musicians for Mapping Melbourne. SA are three unique individuals proud of their Chinese heritage. Their work is influenced by their own culture but also influenced more broadly by cosmopolitan Singapore. SA the Collective are driven by their passion to experiment creating new sonic music while honouring their traditions. These two new works will be exploring the transformation of culture and opening communication in a world where racism is increasing.
Through their leadership work, audiences and the community may see the world a little differently after experiencing the work of Multicultural Arts Victoria.
Mapping Melbourne will be held December 1st-16th 2018. Multicultural Arts Victoria will continue to play a vital role in the arts ecology of Victoria and will strongly advocate for change on behalf of our artists and communities.