RMIT and Melbourne Fringe deepen partnership in 2026

RMIT and Melbourne Fringe deepen partnership in 2026

RMIT University and Melbourne Fringe brought together experimental design, accessibility, student learning and live performance, building on a partnership that spans many years.

A drag queen poses with a guest in the capitol foyer Fringe Opening Night Gala. Taken by Chi Pham.

RMIT University deepened its partnership with Melbourne Fringe in 2026, connecting artists and audiences through projects that championed creative experimentation and accessibility, and expanded their engagement with RMIT students through Work Integrated Learning opportunities.

Opening Night Gala

Melbourne Fringe’s Opening Night Gala returned to RMIT’s The Capitol, opening the 2026 festival with a celebration of Melbourne’s independent arts scene. Curated performances across comedy, dance, spoken word, burlesque and music gave audiences a preview of the festival’s 2026 program. 

Design x Nature

Taking place at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Design x Nature explored what happens when creative practice meets the natural world, bringing together artworks investigating natural systems, experimental materials and new ways of thinking about ecology and design. A program of walks, talks and workshops invited audiences to explore how artists and designers can learn from, work with and respond to the living world. 

A gallery space is filled with items of furniture 'Forty Years of Design Fringe' showcase. Taken by J Forsyth.

Forty years of Design Fringe

Design Fringe marked its 40th anniversary with a showcase tracing its evolution and influence on Melbourne’s experimental design community. Known as Fringe Furniture until 2024, Design Fringe has supported designers, makers and fabricators to challenge conventions through furniture, prototypes, speculative ideas and one-off works.  

The 40 years of Design Fringe exhibition took place at RMIT's Living Places Exchange, and highlighted RMIT’s role as a hub for experimental and interdisciplinary design, through a series of iconic objects and memorabilia from past exhibitions, including many pieces created by RMIT alumni, alongside selected historic works, zines and photograph. 

Led by lecturer, Dr Fayen d’Evie, Master of Design students from the RMIT School of Design, worked with the Design Fringe 2026 team to develop audio description, tactile elements and other accessible entry points to the exhibition, embedding accessibility into the experience of the works. 

three people sit on a panel in discussion at the capitolQueering the Music Video panel. Taken by Chi Pham.

Queering the Music Video

The partnership extended to a second event at RMIT’s The Capitol, with Queering the Music Video - a celebration of queer creativity, mythmaking, visibility and accessible storytelling.

The Auslan-interpreted evening featured live performances and the premiere of three d/Deaf-accessible music videos from The Legend of Queen Kong. A panel included RMIT academics Cerise Howard and Dr Stayci Taylor, alongside Fat Fruit artists and directors Sarah Ward, Bec Matthews, The Huxleys, and Deaf artist Asphyxia.

Students crouch by a flat lay of art depicting flames RMIT School of Art students creating tactile works. Taken by Chi Pham.

Work Integrated Learning and Student Engagement

Pauline Anastasiou, photography lecturer in the RMIT School of Art, led a studio in partnership with Melbourne Fringe where students designed and created tactile works for the Festival Hub’s quiet Break-Out Space. Through a bespoke briefing and workshop, they explored how thoughtful, engaging design can create meaningful and inclusive experiences for communities with diverse access needs.

Industry expertise also reached the classroom, with Melbourne Fringe Executive Director and Deputy CEO Marline Zaibak delivering a guest lecture to RMIT School of Art Master of Arts (Arts Management) students on contemporary arts practice, industry trends, challenges and career pathways. 

Helen Withycombe, Manager, Cultural Partnerships & Engagement, said, “it has been incredibly rewarding to work with Melbourne Fringe in 2026 and to see this partnership continue to grow in such meaningful and creative ways." 

"Together, we’ve connected students, artists and audiences through projects that champion creative experimentation, accessibility and new voices, based on both organisations’ shared belief in the transformative power of creative practice," she continued. 

Banner image: 'Forty Years of Design Fringe' showcase. Taken by J Forsyth.

28 October 2026

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28 October 2026

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