Local News: UpMarket launch

Following years of controversy and uncertainty, organisers from the designer UpMarket have finally secured their home at the forecourt of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA).

After initial attempts to establish a weekly market at the site failed, the new UpMarket will officially launch on Saturday, September 5 and will run from 9am until 4pm on the first and third Saturday of every month.

The design-focused market will feature the very best of Melbourne’s established and emerging designers in three themed “districts”, which include The Design District, The Larder and Heart of Dining.

Melbourne’s most talented creators will showcase their wares in The Design District while The Larder and Heart of Dining caters to the city’s ever-growing foodie culture.

Every market will also feature creative workshops with a design, garden or produce theme to appeal to both young and old.

Hosted by ACCA and curated by a panel of some of Melbourne’s most renowned designers and experts, founder, Belinda Buckley, said the market would further enliven the arts precinct in Southbank.

“Our vision to bring together the city’s makers and designers as well as provide a platform for start-up creative has come to fruition,” she said.

“We couldn’t be happier with the combination of location, the support from ACCA and Creative Victoria and the amazing collection of traders for Melburnians to enjoy and support.”

A packed City of Melbourne Committee meeting was left stunned on September 2 last year, as councillors dismissed the advice of its planning officers to vote 6-3 against the group’s initial proposal for a weekly market.

Despite organisers presenting 546 letters of support, council sided with a group of residents from the Sovereign and the Melburnian apartment buildings, who had expressed concerns at having their Saturday’s disturbed by the market.

While Ms Buckley would not comment on the process that had occurred since, Southbank Local News understands that the group has undertaken extensive consultation with the community and the City of Melbourne.

Southbank Residents Group President Tony Penna said the group was pleased that a regular local market had been secured.

“Southbank Residents Group has been a supporter of the UpMarket from the outset,” he said. “We believe that it fits that particular space perfectly and is entirely within the vision of the arts blueprint.”

“For obvious reasons, we believe that the forecourt at ACCA was in desperate need of activation and this market will only reinforce Southbank’s name as the arts capital.”

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