The Gertrude Street Projection Festival is arriving just in time to lift spirits up from Melbourne’s dreary winter. Running from 15 – 24 July, the Gertrude Street Projection Festival is a ten-day program that transforms one of Melbourne’s hippest streets into a public art treasure hunt.
The champion of larger than life outdoor art exhibitions, the GSPF is celebrating its ninth anniversary and this year’s program is jam-packed with hot new artists, performances, and collaborations, every night from 6pm to midnight.
First Stop: The Catfish Bar, which is serving once again as the Festival Hub, is offering both free and ticketed events. According to the GSPF press release, the upstairs will feature live performances and collaborations with exciting new festival partners such as Good Manners, Paradise, Musicians 4 Hearing, Liquid Architecture, Club Trish and more. PBS DJs will keep the downstairs bar buzzing whilst LOOPDELOOP curate special content in the outdoor courtyard.
Top Picks:
- Returning favourites: The entirety of Gertrude Street, especially: Builder’s Arms, The Gertrude Hotel, and the Arthurton Towers. (Free).
- Atherton Gardens Precinct: All of it! I’m looking forward to the DJ parties, environmental climate change infused art, youth art created by Visionary Images, cinematic screenings, and much more. (Free).
- The GSPF Mentorship Program that connects emerging projection artists with established artists in the Melbourne Community using new mediums like sculpture, holographic technique and live performance. This years list of featured artists include: ‘Gestural Intent’ by Nadia Faragaab,‘In Bloom’ by Brianna Hudson and ‘The Detour’ by Aphrodite Feros-Fooke and Chase Burns.
- Uprising Youth Theatre’s “Wheel of Fate”— An interesting choose-your-own-adventure style performance that uses cutting edge LED light technology and unconventional settings. The performance is experimental, political and cultural. It traces the journey of the performers and allows the audience to participate and shape the performances. (Free.)
- Little Woods Gallery—pop up art featuring artists Emile Zile, Kate Brown, Arie Glorie and Emma Hall. There will be live performances, experimental installations and political discussions about the future of projection art as a medium.
Friday, 15 July: Opening Night Party at The Catfish. Headliner, Joshua Delaney (SMILE, Rat & Co) is debuting his new solo project called OCDANTAR and teaming up with visual artist, Brandon Harwood, to create a visual auditory treat for the senses. Also performing are art pixel artists Gamer 3D, Slow Fires quartet, and GSPF house DJ/VJs Rose Staff and Krystal Schultheiss.
Friday, 22 July: Hub: GSPF x TRISH. The GSF is partnering with A Club Called Trish for a night of hip funky music and visual art at The Catfish. Special guests: CC:DISCO!, Len Leise (International Feel) & Salvador, Trish DJs, DJ S’cool Graduates and Thhomas (Moontown Records) will be present. Bring your dance shoes! For more information visit their Facebook event page. Buy tickets now.
Saturday, 23 July: The Gertrude Street Projection Festival Closing Party.
GSPF organisers teamed up with festival promoters Paradise to throw a closing party to remember featuring live music, performance dance, interactive projection art. Headliners include: Marcus Whale, friendships x Null, Deer, Dreamteam Projects, and Paradise DJs.
Grab your mates and your best winter coat and check out the Gertrude Street Projection Festival. Think of this as a ten-day artsy nocturnal winter stay-cation. This is the one large-scale arts festival that you do not want to miss!
– Vanessa
Vanessa is recent Melbourne transplant from California, diehard Harry Potter fan, foodie, avid art lover
The Gertrude Street Projection Festival runs 15 – 24 July 2016, daily from 6pm to midnight. Buy tickets now to select events.
