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UpMarket a design delight

UpMarket a design delight

The highly anticipated inaugural UpMarket was an overwhelming success, as huge crowds flocked to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) forecourt on Saturday, September 6 to experience Southbank’s new designer market.

The wait was finally over for Melbourne’s design, fashion and food lovers, as the very best of the city’s established and emerging designers and artisans showcased their wares and served up mouth-watering delicacies to delighted market-goers.

Hosted by ACCA and curated by a panel of some of Melbourne’s most renowned designers and experts, attendees were given a perfect day of sunshine for the inaugural event as the Arts Precinct sprung into life.

City of Melbourne councillor Rohan Leppert, Minister for Creative Industries and Member for Albert Park Martin Foley, Southbank Residents Group president Tony Penna and many others joined UpMarket founder Belinda Buckley to help officially launch and celebrate the new fortnightly market.

Speaking at the event’s official launch, Mr Penna congratulated and commended Ms Buckley and her team for persevering with the initiative after their lengthy struggle to establish its home.

“Well, what can I say? Welcome everyone!” he said. “I was overcome with excitement when I heard that finally, the UpMarket was going ahead.”

“This has been a long and arduous process and at times, a tiring process so I would like to congratulate Belinda and her dedicated team for their stamina and perseverance with making the UpMarket a reality.”

“This space has been calling out for years for someone to come and embrace it, to make it feel an active contributor to its immediate and extended neighbourhood and I can feel this designer, artisan market is destined to become a Melbourne institution.”

Minister Martin Foley praised the market as a perfect fit for Melbourne’s cultural spine, a vital platform for the growth of the industry and a wonderful addition to Southbank.

“The UpMarket is a great addition to this precinct,” he said. “It’s about enlivening the forecourt of ACCA and bringing some of its creativity outdoors to the community.”

“It’s about enlivening Southbank and making sure that, as the population and growth of Southbank continues on, that the opportunities to make sure that we get this impressive place right starts from the grassroots.”

“This market is critical to the success of Melbourne’s creative future. It offers an important opportunity to those younger emerging talents to connect directly with consumers, other designers and to cut their teeth in the business world.”

“This is about supporting our local creative producers, our artisans and our craftspeople right here in the heart of Melbourne’s cultural precinct.”

The next UpMarket will be held on Saturday, September 19 from 9am until 4pm at the ACCA forecourt, Southbank.

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