MPavilion returns to Docklands

In 2020 the MPaviliion is expanding its program, to be hosted across its six original pavilions – including one in Docklands.

Each year since 2014, an architect has been commissioned through the Naomi Milgrom Foundation to design a pavilion for the Queen Victoria Gardens in the Southbank Arts Precinct. The MPavilion then hosted a free program season of cultural events and interventions, lively talks, performances, workshops, installations and kid-friendly experiences.

At the end of the program, it’s gifted by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation to the people of Victoria and relocated to a new, permanent home in a public space. One of those is permanently located in Docklands (pictured).

In November, the Naomi Milgrom Foundation announced that a new pavilion would not be built this year.

“In light of the uncertainty facing the arts community in 2020, we are prioritising the most important part of our cultural sector: our creatives. With more funding than ever going directly to creators, we are commissioning people from all walks of life to create, debate and share their knowledge,” the announcement read.

“We’re so excited to launch the program for our forthcoming season, expanding the program outside of the Queen Victoria Gardens. Visitors will be able to enjoy free events popping up across the city, from the inner-city Docklands to the Monash University campus in Clayton. Events will be staged in new ways to enable social-distancing and we will be implementing capacity restrictions where appropriate.”

The program runs from November to April, with themes “related to the here and now” assigned to each month:

November - Re-emerge: a remix

December - IRL: Exploring social spaces

January - Preservation: Propagating knowledge

February - 1-1: Who are we together?

March - Space: Experiments in time

Docklands is home to the 2015 MPavillion, which is now located in Docklands Park. It was designed by award-winning British architect Amanda Levete.

The Docklands MPavillion 2020 program includes a talk on the Hong Kong protests as creative social spaces, an open house dance event with Chunky Move, and a BLAKitecture talk on “first principles”.