Large-scale works from some of Australia’s most celebrated puppet companies

Presented by Darebin FUSE Festival

For one special weekend, Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre and Civic Square will be transformed into a vibrant festival hub.

Take a seat at Civic Square and experience Tarutharu – The Kaurna Skink, a 27-metre luminous skink created by Elizabeth Close Arts (Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara) and Jack Buckskin (Kaurna and Nurungga), as a representative of the Kaurna Peoples, in collaboration with Darebin-based puppet company A Blanck Canvas.

Walk through the main hall of Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre and into Cochlea – a giant inflatable installation celebrating voices from the frontlines of gender. Amorphous puppets invite you to enter a winding cavern of interlocking tubes and passages, culminating in the spiral vortex at the centre of the inner ear. A world of soft-edged chambers, geometric forms, and colour-saturated light. Inside the huge 15-meter Cochlea, OPAL presents immersive interviews with trans, non binary and gender diverse locals.

Also on offer is a colouring in sheet by visual artist Arkie Barton (Kalkadoon and Bidjara) for kids to colour in while they are listening to the stories.

Friday 5th September Opening Night: A special opening night for our community, beginning with a Welcome to Country and followed by roving performances by celebrated local drag icons Cerulean and Stone Motherless Cold. The opening night event will be Auslan interpreted.

Follow the festival:

#DarebinFUSEFestival

Darebin Arts Facebook here