The Islamic Museum of Australia was delighted to host a stall as part of a Cultural Diversity Week festival that was held at Federation Square on Saturday March 25th. Elizabeth Young, from ‘Welcome to Australia’ generously offered to share her stall with IMA which facilitated a wonderful collaboration between two groups working closely together to promote a more cohesive society grounded upon social justice and celebrating our differences!
Arriving at the festival, IMA Education Marketing Coordinators Amna and Nury were delighted to see the sun peeking through the clouds as they made their way through a maze of stalls showcasing artisanal South American goods, the smell of delicious foods, spiced curries and delicate Turkish gözleme wafting through the air as we set up next up to the enthusiastic Victorian. And Proud of It team that were happily chatting away to visitors and handing out wristbands!
The IMA and Welcome to Australia stall offered an array of exciting activities that visitors were able to participate in, from pinning the country that best described their identity onto a giant map, to intricate henna patterns that adorned that hands of many thanks to a talented henna artist and some expert hijab styling courtesy of Nury thrown into the mix! We were able to hand out our brand-new brochures from our colourful stall that included artefacts from the museum and a range of exciting props and books to encourage Melbournians to visit IMA and make the most of the plethora of activities we host including visiting our current contemporary art exhibition, AMA 2017 featuring artists including Leslie Eastman, Jake Carter, Lara Chamas, Elif Sezen, Avni Dauti and Reem Faiq.
IMA is grateful to Elizabeth Young and the Welcome to Australia team for allowing us to share in this special occasion with them! A great day enjoyed by all, what warmed our hearts the most was to see the vast crowds enthusiastically making their way from stall to stall, experientially embracing the rich diversity that makes up the distinct layers of this great country! What a perfect way to spend a summery Saturday afternoon!