The largest and longest-running event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, Semi Permanent explores the processes of world leaders and industry visionaries in design. Now, a partnership between Semi Permanent and Now or Never has paved the way for something new altogether.

“For so many years we’ve had a passionate community of followers in Melbourne that have campaigned for Semi Permanent to return to the Victorian capital,” says Semi Permanent founder Murray Bell. “This partnership with the City of Melbourne and Now or Never feels like exactly the right opportunity to bring our unique festival to town.”

Anticipation builds as Melbourne prepares for its eagerly awaited festival, Now or Never. Produced in partnership with the City of Melbourne, the Now or Never Art Tail – curated by Experimenta – finds its backing from the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a collaborative venture between the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne.

Designed to elevate the city’s tourism economy, this 17-day event in August invites attendees to immerse themselves in a realm of unbridled creativity. Now or Never offers a fusion of art trails, sculptural illuminations, and projections that transform Melbourne’s urban landscape into a mesmerising exploration of art, design and society. A 360-degree pop-up dome cinema sits poised to deliver a unique cinematic experience along with a non-stop weekend of gigs celebrating the festival’s debut.

At the heart of this festival lies the participation and collaboration of over 300 local and international artists, composers, change makers, and innovators. The vibrant program showcases 18 Australian premieres and 20 festival-exclusive commissions across multiple upcoming events. More than 200,000 people are expected to fill venues and precincts across the city.

Introducing Never Permanent

Never Permanent, a key component of the Now or Never festival, offers a full-day program of keynote talks and panel discussions celebrating the dynamic interplay between creativity and technology and exploring its impact on innovative thinking. Held at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne on Thursday, 24 August 2023, the event will draw a creatively attuned audience of 1,000 from across the Asia Pacific region.

The event will uphold the festival’s dual ethos of education and inspiration with a dedicated focus on technology’s ever-changing influence on creative industries, exploring the challenges and opportunities within emerging mediums.

“As we continue to adjust to a creative landscape radically altered by new and emerging technologies, our diverse lineup of speakers will shed light on how creative practice can continue to flourish in the face of, and in concert with, these shifting mediums,” says Semi Permanent founder Murray Bell.

And an exciting line-up of speakers it is. Ta-ku, one of the world’s most in demand beatmakers, will launch his very first full solo album Songs To Come Home To at Never Permanent. Academy award nominee Roman Coppola will lend his expertise as a director, screenwriter, producer and inventor to the project as will designer and technologist Mindy Seu, renowned for her award-winning Cyberfeminism Index.

The program encompasses a diverse array of talent spanning fields such as filmmaking, photography, graphic design, product and motion design, animation, music, Web3, the metaverse, and visual data.

You can explore here now.

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