On the first weekend of December, the 7th edition of Melting Pot: Art and Music Festival will be held at Saigon Outcast in District 2. With 6 successful events in the past, Melting Pot is putting a new spin to the event by inviting only true local talents to the stage and canvasses. With headlining acts from Suboi, Hazard Clique, Hardcore Vietnam and Young Guns Records, District X expects to gather a large variety of communities in one space to celebrate creativity and talent - for a good cause.
The Melting Pot stage is a platform for local talent where professional and amateur artists are invited to exhibit their works in music, dance, poetry, art, cooking and more! We will have an action-packed weekend for all of you with surprising entertainment and exhibitions from the talented artists of Vietnam. This festival's lineup focuses on local Vietnamese talent.
The success of Melting Pot is largely due to the efforts and passion of the people who donate their hearts and efforts to help raise and change the art and music scene in Saigon for a good cause. The festival was founded by Emily Navarra, Choreographer and Dancer, who has started other successful creative projects such as Standpoint Theories: Legends of Vietnam and the Movement Kitchen. Now, District X, led by Mara Calibara, organizes the festival. District X is a local event and community organization that aims to create events that provide local talent the inspiration and platform to discover a variety of music cultures. Having lived in Vietnam for over 20 years now, Mara wants to share her love for music and creativity and make a mark in the local entertainment encourage more collaboration amongst artists in the scene.
“Growing up in Vietnam I wasn’t exposed to much local artistry in the first 10-15 years. But in recent years, there has been a sudden boom in the art and music culture,” Mara reflects.
“Now that people are more open to self-expression, a lot of repressed creativity has exploded and created several groups/organizations who have been working hard to get their names out there. This was an event that only appealed to mostly expats before but now it's time to make it about the locals. The new direction of Melting Pot is to gather all the different communities and give them the exposure and the opportunity to discover each other’s music, art, dance and other talents on one stage and raise money at the same time by getting as many people to come to event.”
The festival will be held at Saigon Outcast, a creative space and venue known for their strong arts community. At the event, they will clear out all the walls and containers to give artists the opportunity to participate in a live community painting over the course of two days.
The festival’s proceeds will go to Saigon Children’s Charity (SCC) and to the restoration of public facilities for children in District 2. Last year, the money raised was used to restore a public pool in District 2 where kids learn how to swim after school. The deteriorating tiles and floors were renovated and walls painted by Saigon Graffiti Mural Team. The rest of the money was donated to SCC. Their programs help disadvantaged children of Vietnam escape poverty through education and training, but most importantly encourage creativity in their program.
Melting Pot 7: Art and Music Festival will be held at Saigon Outcast 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong, Q2 on Saturday and Saturday, December 5-6, 2015. The event runs from 3pm-10pm with a long lineup of local artists. Tickets can be purchased on the days of festival: 80,000VND for a single Day Pass and there is a special Pre-Sale Promo of only 100,000VND for a Two-Day Pass which can be purchased at Saigon Outcast.
Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/482838738558603/
5 & 6 December
3:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Saigon Outcast | 188/1 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, Thảo Điền, D2, Ho Chi Minh City
