At the Collingwood end of Hoddle Street is a disused building you’ve probably never noticed. The simple façade, with its concrete corners and chunky red pillars, belies a hub of activity inside. Venture in on the last Sunday of the month and you’ll find ’Bourne Local’s latest endeavour – our newly-launched Winter Artisan Market. But be warned – it may not be what you expect, and you may well end up with roller skates on…
Unconventional, Under Cover & Unmissable – It’s Your Perfect Winter Experience
We are excited to breathe new life into 21-53 Hoddle Street, a former car showroom amidst the thriving creative hotspot of Collingwood.
As the new home of our Winter Market, we’re rejoicing at the opportunity – and shelter – this old-but-new-again showroom provides. Instead of cars, you’ll find over one hundred traders showcasing clothing, produce, gourmet treats and local hand-made crafts. Offers range from the new and innovative to those steeped in history and crafted with time-honoured techniques.
Our aim? To bring this temporarily vacant space to life with colour, music, people and energy like it’s never seen before.
Our ability to bring this market to life is through the support of UEM Sunrise, a property developer and the owner of the space. UEM Sunrise is always looking for ways to support the Collingwood community, with a great track record of working with the community. Last year, UEM Sunrise partnered with Foodbank Victoria to create Melbourne’s very first International Student Pop-Up Grocery Store, as part of their initiative to leverage available retail space for positive community impact during the COVID-19 pandemic.
All-weather. All welcome. What could be better than that?
Re-Bourne Local: Lost Spaces Found
Disused spaces have long been an opportunity to bring people together. Even Rome’s Colosseum, after its gladiatorial rise, fell out of use and became a simple gathering place for locals. Closer to home, Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Buildings have been used for pretty much everything. Aquariums. Olympic weightlifting. Air Force training. Not to mention as a dance hall for all the shenanigans of the 40s and 50s…
Vacant spaces can represent endless possibilities. But if those possibilities aren’t recognised, they also have the power to bring a haunting sense of negativity.
In Melbourne 2022, unused spaces reveal a tussle between the past and the present: they jostle one another to determine what will remain, and what will evolve into a new version of itself. Examples abound in Collingwood. The council is investing in local artists, commissioning murals to reinvigorate dormant shopfronts and enhance the area’s thriving street art scene.
So what’s the common thread? What’s jostling those places and spaces back to life? The answer is clear. It’s recognition of possibilities, plus a good dose of creative thinking. It’s people gathering, entertaining and creating experiences, underpinned by a healthy respect for the arts and those who create them.
Rolling Into Winter…
Now, if you know ’Bourne Local, you know we’re all about music, fun, relaxing and getting amongst it. So what better way to support the community and local music makers than to host the local Roller Disco?
The Roller Disco was the brainchild of Collingwood local Joshua Tavares who established it as a way to bring locals together. Hosted in the local public housing estate carpark since 2016, the Roller Disco has become a thriving community event. Now, with the Council needing the carpark again, ’Bourne Local is proud to be hosting the Roller Disco as part of our market for the next six months.
To us, it’s the perfect mix. And it’s just one more way you can find your groove with ’Bourne Local.
The Heart And Soul Of It
At our heart – no matter the season, the suburb, or the setting – we are an artisan market. So as our favourite artisans set up their trestles – inside this time – grab a coffee (or a mulled wine – why not?) and wander through. Explore the space, explore the stalls, and take in the best of what Melbourne’s creatives have to offer.
And this time around we’re throwing down the gauntlet – which of our traders will be the first to the roller rink? And who will be the best skater?
Join us to be part of a market like no other – a celebration of makers, traders, music and dance – and soak up the inimitable ’Bourne Local vibe. Meet the makers, join in, and be a part of bringing new life into old haunts.
Here’s how to get involved:
What: Collingwood ’Bourne Local Artisan Market
When: Last Sunday of the month, 11am – 4:30pm
July – November (with a special Twilight market December 11th)
Where: 21-53 Hoddle Street, Collingwood
How: Entry is free, but you’ll need a ticket. Find them here
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