Diverse market a celebration of culture

Fashion, jewellery, art, song and dance from around the world are all part of a new market at the Cultural Exchange.

A Multicultural Arts Victoria initiative, the Exchange is holding its inaugural First Nations and Artists of Colour Market this Friday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm.

MAV Bendigo creative producer Forest Keegel said the indoor event is open for any stallholders, and there will be an amazing range of work on display.

“The design of the market is so anyone from a culturally diverse background, people of colour, First Nations artists can have a stall here,” she said.

“We’re not requiring people to make hard and fast bookings, it’s a little more like in some countries there’s a marketplace and you can just go set up your market when you want.”

Ms Keegel said the market came as members of the Cultural Exchange wanted a chance to showcase their culture and art and create a diverse hub in the heart of Bendigo.

“There’s a whole kind of network of artists and cultural leaders who come and meet together and share a meal together and talk about what they want to do, what their vision for the exchange is,” she said.

“They were also really keen to share their cultures and get to know each other. They wanted to know what each other was interested in and to also share that more broadly as well.”

As well as the market stalls, visitors can also join a one-hour Cumbian dance workshop with Colombian dancer Camila Serrano.

Colombian musician Oscar Jimenez will be performing, as is local South Sudanese singer Dabora Dout.

The Cultural Exchange has been located in the Beehive Building since last year, when MAV activated the vacant, recently restored space.

For more information check out the Facebook page at bit.ly/CulturalExchangeBB.