Midsumma Festival
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| Midsumma Festival | |
|---|---|
 Carnival crowd at Alexandra Garden 2010 | |
| Genre | LGBT festival |
| Location(s) | Melbourne, Australia |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Website | www |
Midsumma Festival is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ arts and cultures held annually for 22 days over January and February in Melbourne, Australia.
History and background
[edit]The festival began as a one-week celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride in 1989.
Lesbian Festival and Conference
[edit]In 1988, the members of the Melbourne lesbian community started organising the first Lesbian Festival in Australia. Smaller groups were established to organise a variety of exhibitions, sports days, theatre events, a market, and a Lesbian Film Festival. The inaugural Lesbian Festival was held from 10 until 20 January 1990. A number of events and exhibitions were held at the Footscray Community Arts Centre, and the Standing Strong music concert was held at the Dallas Brooks Hall, featuring Judy Small, Mahinārangi Tocker from New Zealand, Deborah Cheetham, American singer-songwriter Alix Dobkin, and others. Indigenous Australian playwright Eva Johnson's specially commissioned play What Do They Call Me?[1] was directed by Venetia Guillot and performed by Johnson[2] at the Guild Theatre at the University of Melbourne. Films at the Lesbian Film Festival at the Grierson Theatre and the State Film Centre (now ACMI). The Lesbian Conference was held at Melbourne University between 26 and 29 January, attended by more than 1000 women. Spaces for Koori and migrant women were provided, and over A$5,000 was raised for the Aboriginal Community Elders Services to help fund a new care facility for Aboriginal Elders in Brunswick East.[1] Films shown there were not censored.[3] The 1991 a Lesbian Conference took place at University of Technology Sydney in July of that year, with festival events at various locations around Sydney.[4] In 1992, a third festival was planned for around a month late in the year, beginning on International Lesbian Day and ending on Melbourne Cup Day.[5]
Description
[edit]Although the primary festival is held in the summer, Midsumma works year-round to provide artists, social changers, and culture makers with support and tools to create, present, and promote their work. Midsumma is an open-access festival. The program is made up of diverse art forms and genres, including visual arts, live music, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, film, parties, sport, social events, and public forums
Midsumma's visual arts program features exhibitions in and around Melbourne from local, national and international LGBTQIA+ artists. The festival's performing arts program includes musicals, theatre, cabaret, film, spoken word, music events, and dance parties, largely produced by local community members.
The festival attracts over 240,000 people each year.
Midsumma Carnival
[edit]Midsumma Carnival is held during the event's opening weekend and is traditionally held at the Alexandra Gardens. The main stage includes entertainment from the upcoming festival program to showcase and promote later events. The day is brought to a close with the T Dance, a dance party organised by Midsumma.
Open-access events
[edit]The majority of Midsumma Festival events are within the umbrella events program, which are created, produced and funded by independent third parties who pay fees for inclusion in the Midsumma Festival.
In 2022 and 2023 there were approximately 200 events, which included programming for arts education, a pride march, all ages street party, photo competition[6] and carnival events.[7][8]
Governance
[edit]Midsumma Festival Inc. is an incorporated association, chaired by Judy Small. Karen Bryant is CEO.[when?][citation needed].
Gallery
[edit]-
Midsumma Pride March 2022 -
Midsumma Pride March 2022 Port Phillip group -
Pride marchers wearing face masks at Midsumma 2022 -
Midsumma Pride march participants 2009 -
Midsumma Carnival 2010 -
2010 -
Adam Love at Midsumma -
Drag in 2010 Midsumma
See also
[edit]
- List of LGBT events
- Australian Queer Archives holds archival material relating to the Midsumma Festival
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Lesbian Festival and Conference 1990" (PDF). Archive No. 73. Victorian Women's Liberation and Lesbian Feminist Archives. 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "What Do They Call Me? [Melbourne]". AusStage. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ "Melb's lesbian festival films not censored". The Canberra Times. Vol. 64, no. 20, 005. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 19 January 1990. p. 2. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Lesbian conference", Lesbians on the Loose (19), Newtown [N.S.W.]: Lesbians on the loose, July 1991, ISSN 1324-6542, nla.obj-890371236, retrieved 29 March 2025 – via Trove
- ^ "BEYOND THE BORDER LESBIAN FESTIVAL 92", Lesbians on the Loose, 3 (9), Newtown [N.S.W.], September 1992, ISSN 1324-6542, nla.obj-887303635, retrieved 29 March 2025 – via Trove
- ^ Build, Victoria’s Big (9 February 2022). "Joseph Meyers: Miss First Nation 2021 for Midsumma 2022". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "Midsumma Festival Inc". Australian Charity and not for profits Commission register.
- ^ "Midsumma Festival Leaps To Life In Its 36th Year". Mirage News. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
External links
[edit]