The art in Heide's sculpture garden will be a little livelier this summer. From January to March 2021, Heide MoMA is hosting its first Heide Summer Festival: nine weeks of outdoor events set in the plush surrounds of the Heide Sculpture Park.
Over those nine weeks Heide is welcoming local performers, bands and cultural organisations through its doors to host a range of free and ticketed events. The gallery has collaborated with three major cultural organisations for the festival, including Midsumma, Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Songlines Music Aboriginal Corporation. Highlights of the Heide Summer Festival include:
Soloman Sisay (Jan 17)
Opening the festival is saxophonist Soloman Sisay, who first made waves with Axumite Band. Expect Sisay to pay tribute to his Ethiopian roots and channel the sounds of Ethio-Jazz.
Emma Donovan and the Putbacks (Feb 7)
Emma Donovan and her band, the Putbacks, stand among some of the best soul performers in the southern hemisphere. In their Heide performance, the group will be playing classic American soul as well as sharing the music of Indigenous Australia.
Storytelling with Uncle Larry Walsh (Feb 14)
Join Taunwurrung cultural leader Uncle Larry Walsh for an afternoon of storytelling. Uncle Larry is one of only a few senior Elders in Melbourne who specialise in storytelling and is inspired by his local Aboriginal community, as well as his ancestral Kulin nation connections.
All the Queens Men (Feb 27)
Put on your dancing shoes and join All the Queens Men LGBTQI+ Elders Dance Club for a rip-roaring afternoon of dancing. All members of the queer community (plus allies) are welcome to attend, with no dance experience necessary.
For the full line-up of events, head to the Heide website.
