Collingwood Yards Forum

Urban development and gentrification can be said to displace and disorganise structurally marginalised communities. ViệtSpeak was formed by parents and community advocates after the axing of the Vietnamese-English Bilingual Program at Footscray Primary in 2020. This forum seeks to extend conversations around language, place and the impact urban development has on this relationship.

Guest speakers will consider the role of public languages, how we learn, maintain and speak them. The forum will be set at Collingwood Yards Arts Precinct, a newly established major arts development in Melbourne. As such, the discussion will also consider how communities are organized by development and gentrification. The forum is part of the disorganising project.

Panel members:
Vicki Couzens – Artist and Co-Chair, Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages
Stanley Wang – Principal, Abbotsford Primary School
Hoang Tran Nguyen – Artist and parent

Venue: Collingwood Yards – Courtyard, 35 Johnston Street, Collingwood

When: *As pandemic restrictions continue to change, please watch this space for announcement of this in-person event.

The event will not feature any flash/strobe/intense lighting.
For access and planning your visit please click here.

Come join us for this conversation!