RMIT City North Shared Futures Festival 2025
You’re invited to City North Shared Futures Fest
Celebrating inclusive innovation, community and action in the heart of City North
Cities everywhere are grappling with climate change, rapid technological shifts, public health pressures and deepening inequities. The responses that succeed are those built on collaboration, where knowledge is made visible and shared in the places people live and work. In Melbourne’s City North, RMIT and its partners are showing how this can be done.
From Saturday 4 to Sunday 5 2025, Cardigan Street will transform into the City North Shared Futures Fest — a civic gathering at the heart of the City North Social Innovation Precinct.
The Fest will showcase how inclusive innovation is taking shape in real time, and how the precinct is emerging as a living lab and demonstrator of skills-led urban renewal. It is open to all: students, neighbours, workers, families and visitors.
At the heart of the Fest is the City North Activation Challenge, an ongoing RMIT-led initiative that transforms the precinct into a living lab, where partners and communities come together to experiment, learn, and tackle complex urban and social challenges.
Building on the projects documented in the 2024 City North Social Innovation Precinct Compendium, fourteen new initiatives in 2025 will come to life during the Festival, from inclusive food systems and interfaith dialogue to climate resilience experiments. These projects are creating immediate opportunities for students, partners and local communities to work together, while also generating insights for longer-term planning.
Recognised internationally as a finalist in the Inspiring Solutions Programme, the Challenge demonstrates how local collaboration can have global significance.
The City North Shared Futures Fest is a unique combination of science, technology, arts, libraries, regenerative futures and augmented reality, community in one place.
Across two days, this unique block of the City North district will transform into a living vision of what our future can be. Projects and ideas burst into life through conversations, creative activations, shared meals and collaborative learning experiences, with contributions from partners including Regen Melbourne, Guardians of Earth, Melbourne Fringe, Long Prawn, IndigeNerd, Permacet, City of Melbourne and more.
It is both a showcase and a civic invitation to see how City North is becoming a place where collaboration, creativity and care converge to shape inclusive and regenerative urban futures. The festival makes this vision tangible through hands-on workshops, outdoor explorations, future-facing games, performances and shared meals.
Explore the program below to see what’s happening each day — from hands-on workshops and outdoor explorations to future-facing games, performances and shared meals.
Day 1 Program: Saturday 4 October 11am – 7pm
Cardigan Street comes alive from 11am, closing to cars and opening to people for a free, all-day celebration of art, food, science, technology, and play. The City North Shared Futures Fest brings together community and creativity on one city block, inviting everyone to connect, explore, and imagine new possibilities.
At 2pm, a Welcome to Country will ground the day in respect for Traditional Owners, and throughout the event, an MC will guide you through a vibrant mix of performances, installations, and hands-on experiences.
Keep an eye out for the larger-than-life Snuff Puppets, roaming the streets courtesy of Melbourne Fringe, and don’t miss the Ladies Popping Jam from 5–6pm — a high-energy street dance session led by Lana and Rachel, celebrating freedom, resilience, and collective empowerment.
From 4–7pm, catch live sets from Rainbow Chan, DJ PGZ, and Andrew 88, spinning infectious beats that will keep the street buzzing and the energy flowing all evening.
Food & Community
Frugal (Free) Food Canteen (11am–7pm)
To be frugal is not to settle — it’s to sharpen the senses, stretch the imagination, and tap into centuries of ingenious, resilient cooking. Long Prawn and RMIT invite you to a vibrant, one-day-only street food experience that proves flavor doesn’t have to come at a premium.
From packet noodles made deluxe to supermarket chickens turned pop icons, Frugal Canteen is a love letter to the overlooked, the underloved, and the overcooked. Powered by community, creativity, and a menu that rummages through the back of the pantry and the frontlines of food systems — this is where thrift meets taste, and waste becomes wonder.
Frugal Canteen isn’t just a meal — it’s a manifesto. A delicious, affordable, and communal alternative to food waste, fast fixes, and financial fatigue.
The Menu
Reimagined classics. Remixed staples. Ridiculously good.
Dulce & Kabana
A cake stall-meets-sausage sizzle
- Democracy Sausage Bánh Mì – Vietnamese tomato-braised sausage, pickled carrot & daikon, coriander, cucumber in a crusty roll.
- Fresh Filled Cannoli – Because every revolution needs dessert.
Bachelor’s Handbag
A fiery fusion of chicken, chips, kimchi, and rogue hot sauce — stirred up by Long Prawn for hot chicks only.
- Chicken, chips, kimchi, and scrap hot sauce.
Hot Flavoured Water
Hot Flavoured Water is our elevated, veg-loaded ramen with bold broths, zingy ferments, and a jolt of caffeinated egg energy.
Featuring: Bougie Ramen 2.0 with fresh noodles, caffeinated eggs, ferments, tofu, and seasonal veg. Vegetarian; vegan available.
By Just Food Collective (@just.food.collective.australia)
Toasties & Tips
Melted wisdom from Lipstick + Bread (@lipstickandbread)
- Brie & Purple Kraut (V)
- Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Melt (VG)
- Classic Ham & Cheese
Ecological Soup
Sea Urchin Bisque in kelp broth. Climate anxiety never tasted so good. Gluten free.
Created by Heliotope (@heliotope_studio)
Community Produce & Pot Luck
Regenerative recipes with rescued produce and community soul
- Sri Lankan Achcharu – spicy, not-so-traditional fruits (VG, GF)
- Prawn lentil fritters with chicken curry
- Nasi Bakar (grilled rice) with sayur asem (sour choko soup) and saltbush sambal matah (VG, GF)
- Egg curry with daal and ghee-five-spice rice
Created with Natoora (@natoora_melbourne), Farmers Pick (@farmerspickau) & RMIT’s own Mashiat Mostafa, Tito Ambyo & Dilushi Kadawath Pedige.
Something sweet
End on a high note
- Gajer Halwa – Spiced carrot halva
- Fresh Cannoli – Handmade, filled on-site
- Community Cake Stall – Bring your best bake (or just your best appetite)
Drinks
Wash it down — From Backyard Lemonade to Bucket Kombucha, our drinks lineup is a playful pour of homemade sips, fizz, and nostalgic twists.
- Backyard Lemonade
- Hibiscus Kombucha
- Ribena Revival
- Jam Cordial
- Bucket Kombucha (yes, from a literal bucket)
Produce Stall
Take the taste home with seasonal, regenerative ingredients from Natoora and rescued gems from Farmers Pick.
Soundtrack by Sasha Margolis (@superhans_zimmer): open-source food court muzak meets low-fi utopia. Expect sizzling pans, clinking cups, and the hum of good conversation.
Come hungry. Leave full. Bring a friend. Or five.
To help us make sure there’s enough food to go around, please RSVP here.
Seeds of the Future Bank (11am–4pm)
Step up to the Free Money Bank with RMIT’s Regenerative Futures Institute and explore time banking — where contributions matter more than cash. Plant an idea, share a skill and help grow a regenerative Melbourne.
All ages.
Hands-on Workshops and Creative Making
Design Make Print (11am-4pm)
Get messy with colour and make your mark as RMIT Library brings stencil printing to the street. Design your own stencil or play with ready-made ones, then print onto upcycled tote bags to take home, reuse and re-love. Suitable for all ages.
Rice Painting Workshop (11am-4pm)
Get creative the sustainable way with RMIT Culture’s hands-on rice painting workshop. This chemical-free, meditative activity is fun for kids and adults alike — learn to make your own paints and create colourful works of art together. Suitable for all ages.
Worry Doll Making Workshop (11am-4pm)
Join a colourful, hands-on workshop inspired by the Guatemalan tradition of telling your worries to a tiny handmade doll. Design and create your own unique worry doll to take home. Fun, creative and meaningful for all ages.
Screen Printing Workshop and Mobile Pavement Print Studio (11am-4pm)
Creativity is on the move with Shared Signals. Join the mobile print studio as it weaves through the precinct or drop into the screen-printing workshop in Building 94. Walk the precinct, make your mark with symbols and signage, and help shape a collective exhibition in motion. Suitable for all ages.
Connect the dots (11am-4pm)
RMIT Creative Student Life is thrilled to present Connect the Dots, a new participatory public artwork co-created with students and led by artist Sophie Stavrakisas. Bright yellow dots now splash across the buildings of RMIT’s City North Precinct, supported by the City North Activation Challenge 2025.
Inspired by Gordon Matta-Clark and Sophie’s own experience as an RMIT student, the work uncovers hidden stories within these spaces. Follow the dots, wander off your usual paths, and discover new perspectives on the precinct.
Discover the precinct on your own terms. Every step is part of your journey.
Aurecon Activity: From Lego to Legacy – Co-Design Melbourne’s Innovation Future (11am-4pm)
Step inside Melbourne’s Innovation Precinct and become a co-designer of the city’s future. This hands-on, interactive activity invites you to engage with Aurecon’s evolving Lego model, a miniature representation of the precinct that grows and changes with your ideas.
Participants will have the opportunity to add their own designs, structures, and concepts, working alongside others to explore what a vibrant, innovative, and sustainable urban environment could look like. Through this activity, you’ll consider how collaboration, creativity, and innovation intersect to solve real-world challenges—like creating inclusive spaces, fostering industry connections, and building environmentally responsible infrastructure.
Whether you’re a student, industry professional, or simply curious about city design, your contribution matters. Together, we’ll imagine, design, and build a future Melbourne where people, industry, and community thrive, turning creativity into a legacy that inspires real-world change.
Regen Melbourne Activity: The O-racle (11am-4pm)
What will Melbourne’s CBD North look like in 2050? The O-racle invites you to explore this question through the lens of Doughnut Economics, imagining a future that balances human needs with the health of our planet.
Using a deck of dimensions from the Doughnut framework, participants will draw inspiration to envision a city that is regenerative, equitable, and safe for both people and planet. The O-racle acts as a guide, encouraging you to articulate visions that push the boundaries of imagination, creativity, and sustainability.
This is an interactive, participatory experience where your ideas help co-create possible futures for Melbourne. You’ll engage with concepts like urban regeneration, social innovation, and environmental stewardship, all while considering the ways people and communities can thrive together.
Brought to you by Regen Melbourne and RMIT University, The O-racle is more than an activity—it’s a space to experiment, reflect, and imagine bold, inclusive futures that could shape the city for generations to come.
Technology, Augmented and Mixed Reality
Enhancing Experiences via Technology (11am-4pm)
Step into the future with RMIT’s STEM Digital Hub in a mixed reality installation where AR headsets reveal past and present visions of the Social Innovation Precinct. Explore landscapes, landmarks and hidden stories, just as the Premier of Victoria did only weeks ago. And don’t miss Haku, the lovable robot joining the fun. Suitable for all ages.
Digital AI Photobooth (11am-4pm)
Strike a pose and see yourself transformed in the Digital AI Photobooth, part of Shared Signals by the College of Innovation and Education. Each image becomes part of a living “gesture wall,” archiving unique and shared non-verbal expressions. Suitable for all ages.
WeCare X Storybox (11am-4pm)
Step up to the cube of the future with RMIT’s School of Global Urban Studies. This digital installation invites you to explore images, stories and provocations from last year’s WeCare project, along with fresh Social Innovation Precinct activities to spark new ideas. Suitable for all ages.
WeCare X Storybox: We are Creatures
Let’s see the world from a different point of view — that of an endangered species! Developed with the Day of the Species art project, this activity invites you to pick your national threatened species and engage in art activism through colour and storytelling. Stay for a quick pose with your creation, with the chance to be featured on the STORYBOX screen during the day.
Games, Role Play and Speculative Futures
Reworlding City North – Live Action Role Play (LARP) (11am-4pm)
Step into the year 2050 and join an immersive climate change game that reimagines how our city might regenerate. Become part of a faction, gather resources, explore Indigenous-led urban design, solve puzzles, and collaborate on creative solutions to help your future community thrive. Presented by RMIT’s Future Play Lab, this live-action role-play transforms the City North Social Innovation Precinct into a stage for bold, collective imagination. Suitable for ages 10 and up. Which character will you become in 2050?
Please note, it is free to watch, but a small participation fee of $64 applies if you’d like to join in the action. Bookings are essential via this link if you would like to participate.
Gaming Futures: Speculative Worlds for City North (3pm-7pm)
Step into the future through student-designed digital worlds created by RMIT and IndigeNerd. Watch the City North Social Innovation Precinct come alive on buildings and surfaces around you, weaving together architecture, Indigenous knowledges, ecology and technology to imagine tomorrow’s civic spaces. Suitable for all ages.
Walking Tours & Outdoor Explorations
BioCultural Realms (12pm-2pm)
Set out on a journey with RMIT’s School of Education where plantings and visual storytelling weave together technology, science and creativity. Wander the streets and green spaces on guided tours, discover hidden pockets of biodiversity, and bring the experience to life with an interactive smartphone app. Suitable for all ages.
Join a guided walking tour, departing from O’Grady Place at 12pm and 2pm. Each tour runs for around 60 minutes and offers a great way to explore and connect.
Place Lab Plantings – Tour & Talk with Maud Cassaignau
Discover how plants can transform our streets and spark new conversations about the future of our city. Join Maud Cassaignau, Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture at RMIT, at O’Grady Place, 3:30–4pm, for a guided walk-through of the Place Lab plantings.
In just 30 minutes, you’ll explore how greenery brings life, shade, and connection to urban spaces – and how small interventions can create big changes.
Come along, get inspired, and see the city bloom in new ways!
Building 94 Exhibition (11am-4pm)
Step inside Building 94 to discover a colourful mix of artworks from the public, staff and students. A creative showcase for all ages to enjoy.
Indigenous Language & Ecology Walking Tour (11am-3pm)
Step into the regenerative neighbourhood of Reworlding City North and imagine Naarm–Melbourne in 2050. These free 60-minute walking tours weave together language, ecology, and community futures.
Led by Professor N’arweet Carolyn Briggs AM, who has remapped the streets with Boon Wurrung language, the tour transforms the city into a living classroom of place-based knowledges.
Along the way, you’ll learn language with community linguist Alison Soutar and explore urban greening with Gio Fitzpatrick from the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve.
Tours take place at 11am and 3pm. Meet at the muyang (red gum tree) on the north corner of Cardigan and Earl Street.
Live Music & Dance Activation
Ladies Popping Jam (5pm-6pm)
Step into the street for a high-energy dance performance led by Lana and Rachel. Ladies Popping Jam celebrates freedom, resilience, and collective empowerment, bringing movement, music, and joy to the City North Shared Futures Fest.
Dance is one of the oldest forms of human expression — a language without words that connects people across cultures. Street dance styles like hip hop, breaking, krump, and popping represent freedom, resilience, and storytelling, while also benefiting body and mind. This activation celebrates dance as a powerful tool to gather, share stories, and create belonging.
Leading the performance are Lana and Rachel, founders of Ladies Popping Jam — a group dedicated to creating space for women in the male-dominated dance style of popping. Lana, born in Aotearoa, raised in Guangzhou, and now based in Naarm, brings international experience and a local commitment to inclusive spaces where dance becomes both an art form and a collective act of empowerment.
Join us in City North to witness, move, and connect — because dance is not just something to watch, it’s something to do together.
DJ Sets: Rainbow Chan, DJ PJZ and Andrew 88 (4pm-7pm)
Rainbow Chan, DJ PJZ and Andrew 88 are live from 4–7pm, bringing smooth, ambient grooves to set the perfect vibe for City North. Come unwind, connect, and enjoy the music as the festival transitions into evening!
DJ PGZ
DJ PGZ Gunai/Kurnai & Yorta Yorta artist DJ PGZ is a Melbourne-based DJ and producer known for his dark, bass-heavy techno that draws from underground club cultures worldwide. Beyond the decks, he champions community and emerging First Nations talent through his Ecstatic Mob club series, creating space for connection and cultural celebration on the dance floor.
Rainbow Chan
Hong Kong-born, Australian vocalist, producer, and multidisciplinary artist Rainbow Chan merges experimental club sounds with Cantopop and traditional Hong Kong folk influences. Her work explores cultural heritage, matrilineal narratives, and diasporic identity, bringing immersive, genre-blurring performances that span music, theatre, and installation.
Andrew 88
Originally from Paris, Andrew 88 is a talented DJ and selector who started his musical journey in the realm of house music.
7:00 PM — Day 1 Finale That’s a wrap for Day 1 of City North Fest! But the adventure isn’t over, register to jump back in for Day 2 of the Reworlding City North LARP.
Day 2 Program Sunday 5 October 11am – 5pm
Reworlding LARP
Live-action role-playing (LARP) invites you to step into character and shape the story as it unfolds. At the 2025 Weekend Shared Futures Festival, RMIT’s Future Play Lab transforms the City North Social Innovation Precinct into a stage for imagining bold futures. This activity is suitable for ages 10 and up. Which character will you become in 2050?
Please note, it is free to watch, but a small participation fee of $64 applies if you’d like to join in the action. Bookings are essential via this link if you would like to participate.
5:00 PM — Festival Close
That’s a wrap for City North Shared Futures Fest! Thanks for celebrating with us. See you back on the block again soon. Keep up to date with upcoming events here.
