Next Wave is joining the Open House Melbourne program for the first time this year, opening Brunswick Mechanics Institute for special programming on 24 and 25 July.
Under the theme ‘Generous City’, Next Wave is running two activations with a focus on welcoming public places where there is space for everyone to belong.
You’re invited to explore our venue and take a curator-led walking tour of the Around the Block moving image exhibition. You’ll be one of the first to experience the next series of works, featuring Tony Aitorea and Vicente Barriga at Blak Dot, Kimberly Summer and Wenmiao Xin at Next Wave, beingbaker at Counihan Gallery, and Camille Perry at Michelle Guglielmo Park.
We’ll be opening our doors on Saturday for an archival exhibition in our studio. This ‘open archive’ will showcase Next Wave’s work from 1984 to the present, including print festival programs, posters, photographs and more.
This exhibition occurs concurrently with Next Wave and Emerging Writers’ Festival’s Masterclass: Algorithms and Access in the Digital Commons.
The archival exhibition will include a newly collated record celebrating 25 years of Kickstart, Next Wave’s flagship artist development program.
Since 2001, the program has supported the early development of literally hundreds of artists – many who have gone on to shape Australia’s contemporary arts sector.
The archive honours the program’s far-reaching impact as Next Wave prepares to welcome the 2026–27 cohort of artists in late August.
Next Wave has called Brunswick Mechanics Institute home since 2017, and operates the building with the support of Merri-bek City Council.
Constructed in 1868, the Brunswick Mechanics Institute was part of a 19th-century movement dedicated to adult education, public lectures, and community learning. It was converted into a performing arts venue in the late ’70s.
Today, Next Wave’s presents an artistic program of performances, exhibitions, public events and community-led activations at Brunswick Mechanics Institute, while offering affordable venue hire to artists, non-profits and community organisations.
Last year Next Wave welcomed over 9000 audiences and presented 71 public events/programs, with 22 additional public events/programs delivered by venue hirers.
Coming up in August, Next Wave will host the final tour of the Around the Block outdoor moving image exhibition on Thursday 6 August, 6pm.
This will be accompanied by the opening of an exhibition by Coburg-based emerging artist Rachel Morley, Art is not going to help this town, with works developed as part of the 2024-25 Kickstart program.
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Next Wave, 2020, Narrm/Melbourne. Photo: Anne Moffatt