City North Fest – The Shared Futures Series: Cardigan Street Takeover
The streets buzzed with energy as community members came together to envision the future of our vibrant city during the RMIT City North Fest: Shared Futures Series—an initiative dedicated to activating the City North district.
Earlier this month, Cardigan Street was transformed into a lively hub of creativity and innovation in the heart of Melbourne’s City North precinct on the land of the Woi Wurrung language group of the Eastern Kulin Nation. This two-day event, presented by RMIT University in collaboration with the Melbourne Fringe Festival and Melbourne International Games Week, invited attendees to explore their shared futures through an impressive array of activities, performances, and installations.
Visitors experienced a delightful mix of futuristic art installations, engaging performances, interactive experiences, and delicious offerings from Little Bang Espresso, providing a feast for all the senses.
Picture giant, whimsical puppets (The Hopefuls) roaming the streets, petting RMIT’s futuristic Boston Dynamics robot dog, more affectionately known as Spot, while Visible Older Women (VOW) offer thought-provoking commentary on the experiences of older women in the civic realm-a collision of technology and creativity. There was also a special visit from the Rubbish Collective, capturing attention with its vibrant costumes and raising awareness about the impact of plastic waste.
A highlight was the series of student-led short films showcasing speculative narratives about the future in the local student hub in partnership with the Environmental Film Festival Australia. Standout films included Future Film News, a thought-provoking commentary on utopia and reality, and Camping Armor, which examined familial bonds across time. Participants of all ages enjoyed EcoQuest, a tabletop game designed to raise awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals through fun and strategic gameplay.
As attendees wandered down futuristic Cardigan Street, they were immersed in interactive installations, including the enchanting Dynamic Forest hosted by RMIT’s Centre of Digital Ecosystems. This installation created a magical experience where local Victorian plants and wildlife responded to visitors’ movements, beautifully blending nature with technology.
Another standout was the Reworlding: Cardigan Commons live-action role-play, which invited participants to navigate a speculative future. This immersive experience fostered collaboration as attendees gathered resources and tackled challenges to shape their own community. The role-play was designed to encourage diverse perspectives and foster a sense of community, aligning with our goal of creating a shared vision for the City North district.
In a nod to sustainability, the Trashion event encouraged festival-goers to create upcycled fashion pieces, showcasing the innovative potential of discarded materials. This event not only promoted sustainability but also sparked creativity, demonstrating how discarded materials can be transformed into something beautiful and useful, aligning with our vision for a sustainable and creative future.
To cap the first fun-filled day, attendees gathered in an intimate after-dark event to immerse themselves in a unique celebration of speculative fiction that highlighted the rich tapestry of Melbourne’s hidden histories as part of the Composite City book launch.
The event showcased a collection of newly unearthed, site-specific stories that journeyed through the city—from its structured grid to the drift of its more unconventional areas. Participants explored diverse themes, with narratives weaving together elements like oysters and air and subterranean sewers and bohemian hangouts.
A highlight of the launch was the insightful contributions of the talented authors, each delving into Melbourne’s lesser-known stories. Their speculative perspectives offered fresh takes on topics ranging from food culture to fine art, revealing how new technologies and traditional publishing methods can come together to bring the city’s stories to life.
The atmosphere was vibrant, filled with engaging discussions and a palpable sense of community as attendees celebrated Melbourne’s creative spirit. The event showcased innovative storytelling and encouraged conversations about the future of urban narratives.
As the sun set on the festival’s final day, attendees gathered for Projection: Ecological Encroachment, a visually stunning installation depicting a speculative world where plant life dominates and challenges human existence.
The City North Fest’s Cardigan Street Takeover fostered community, creativity, and forward-thinking dialogue about our shared futures. With engaging activities, meaningful performances, and innovative culinary experiences, the event sparked the imagination of all who attended.
As participants left with new ideas and inspirations, the festival reinforced the importance of collaboration in shaping a sustainable future for Melbourne and beyond.
As we look to the future, RMIT and the Shared Futures Series remain committed to celebrating creativity and sustainability while reimagining the City North district. We invite everyone to join us on this journey to envision the possibilities of tomorrow as we bring together community members, innovators, practitioners and decision-makers to implement a shared vision for the Social Innovation Precinct. Award-winning initiatives as part of the 2024 City North Social Innovation Precinct Activation – Tranche two
The next exciting instalment of co-designed projects as part of the City North Social Innovation Precinct activation focuses on Student and Community Health and Wellbeing and using the City North built and urban environments as a living lab, aligned with RMIT’s strategic commitment to using its locations for common growth and creating shared benefits in the communities where the University operates.
The tranche two activation initiatives include:
Student Mental Health & Wellbeing Peer Support Clinic
A peer-supported student mental health and well-being clinic in City North, overseen by qualified RMIT Mental Health teaching professionals from VE Social Care and Health programs, provides a much-needed mental health peer support model and assists with providing placement opportunities for VE students. Led by Caitlin Crowley & Sarah Davidson of RMIT’s College of Vocational Education.
Co-designing a Community-University Clinic for social care and community wellbeing
An RMIT Community-University Clinic focused on social care and community well-being. Providing an opportunity for student placements and low-cost access to supervised social support from trainee students completing their studies. Led by Professor Katherine Johnson of RMIT’s College of Design and Social Context.
Cultural-Driven Cyber Clusters: Enhancing Cyber Resilience through South Asian Student and Community Engagement
The project will engage South Asian students, linking them with local cultural associations, business networks, and alums to form culture-driven, student-led cyber clusters. These clusters will focus on exploring culturally specific cybersecurity issues, such as the perception and susceptibility to romance fraud within South Asian communities. It will be led by Dr Akanksha Saini, Doctor Malka Halgamuge, and Dr Prem Chhetri of RMIT’s College of Business and Law.
Student Community Food Security Program
In response to the staggering number of tertiary and vocational students Australia-wide who are food insecure, this project will explore and co-design a student and community food relief program for piloting in 2025. This program addresses access and belonging through a range of sustainable, cost-effective, practical solutions. It will be led by Tim Burdeu, Anna Macleod, Lynda Roberts, and Helen Addison-Smith from RMIT’s Education Portfolio.
Voice-based detection system to predict the risk of Type 2 Diabetes
This project aims to pioneer an AI-driven disease prediction software focusing on detecting prediabetes and type 2 diabetes through advanced voice data analysis to be able to deploy interventions to prevent diabetes before it develops. Led by Dr Chelsea Lim and Distinguished Professor Barbora de Courten OAM from RMIT’s STEM College.
Rediscovering consultation – A conversation convened by Fair Work Ombudsman and Safe Work Australia
This initiative is a collaborative government, industry, and academic Workshop on “the contribution of consultation to fair, safe work,” led in person by the Fair Work Ombudsman, Anna Booth, and the CEO of Safe Work Australia, Marie Boland. The workshop will share perspectives and evidence on the relationship between consultation, safety, and fairness. Professor Johanna Macneill from RMIT’s College of Business and Law leads this project.
Environmental Management in the City North Social Innovation Precinct
This project supports the development of a comprehensive framework for continuous environmental management, integrating air quality considerations, urban heat island effect, sound pollution and pedestrian comfort at every stage of the City North Social Innovation Precinct development. It is led by Dr Shilpi Tewari, Professor Andrew Butt, and Professor Priya Rajagopalan from RMIT’s College of Design and Social Context.
Future Prototypes: Demonstrating RMIT’s innovation in the urban fabric
This project aims to use the built environment of the City North Social Innovation Precinct to prototype and demonstrate cutting-edge research in real-world conditions. The project will focus on how architectural elements can respond to environmental conditions, work with existing building skins, and provide relief from extreme weather—led by Professor Roland Snooks and Professor Leanne Zilka from RMIT’s College of Design and Social Context.
Revitalising Cardigan Street through tactical urbanism for a greener and more socially inspiring public space
This project proposes a two-day “tactical urbanism” intervention to transform Cardigan Street into a greener, more socially inspiring public space. The project will partially close Cardigan Street and install temporary shelters and potted tree-like plants to create a cooler, more inviting atmosphere. It is led by Dr. Mittul Vahanvati from RMIT’s College of Design and Social Context.
Place-based tactical transformations for a clean economy
This project uses empirical data on stakeholder perspectives of the CNSIP to develop place-based tactical transformations of three selected areas to showcase clean economy solutions. The team will create optimal strategies for these three areas based on social simulations integrating the findings of stakeholder behaviour surveys, renewable energy modelling, GIS mapping, and physical characteristics of the precinct. It is led by Dr. Akvan Gajanayake from RMIT’s College of Design and Social Context.
Digital Sustainability Index for CNSIP
This project will develop a sustainable decision-making approach for the renewal of the City North Precinct, integrating DSI with a building information model (BIM) and the Central Asset Management System (CAMS) developed through RMIT research implemented by RMIT property services. t is led by Dr. Nilmini Weerasinghe and Professor Sujeeva Setunge from RMIT’s STEM College.
Innovative frontiers – AI & AR integration
This project aims to transform the CNSIP through a three-part integration of Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). ARchitect will leverage AR technology to bring locations within the CNSIP to life, enabling users to interact with the precinct’s technology and explore ideas for its design. ConversAI will develop an AI-powered chatbot designed for the City North Social Innovation Precinct that is capable of text and voice interactions. It is led by Professor James Harland from RMIT’s STEM College.
