Reactivating North & West Melbourne Through the Creative Arts
What Would a Reactivated North and West Melbourne Look Like?
Sometimes suburbs are described as trendy and cool, so what would North Melbourne need to do to become one of Melbourne’s ‘trendy’ suburbs? What changes would West Melbourne have to undergo before it qualified for the label, ‘cool’? I am asking, as we emerge from the COVID lockdown and the closing down of many shops and cafes, ‘What Would a Reactivated North and West Melbourne Look Like?’
Boosting the Creative Arts
In anticipation of our emergence after the COVID-19 lockdown when businesses have been flattened and gatherings have been restricted, the City of Melbourne has been promoting grants for reactivation events and activities. High on the Council’s list of reactivation criteria is the boosting of the creative arts. Money has been given to local artists to paint street art on bland walls. From March 2021 the City of Melbourne is seeking to turn vacant shopfronts into temporary creative spaces and thus provide a ‘visual feast’ for people on the streets.
The COVID closedown has starved us of live musical and theatrical events and reminded us that a vibrant community is one that hums and buzzes with all the creative arts. It would be delightful to enjoy many more musical events in local outdoor spaces such as Eades Park and the Miller Street Reserve.
What are your thoughts about what makes a lively community and what new activities and features would you like to see in your local community?
Geoff Pound
Image: Street art on North Melbourne’s Raglan Street, enjoyed by people during the local Spring Fling festival.