Challenging how we navigate the world and who feels safe in it, Outer Urban Projects presents the world premiere of VIGIL at Arts House – North Melbourne Town Hall from 22 April 2026.
At its heart, VIGIL asks the questions: What lives matter? Do our lives matter? It brings together visionary artists and communities to map the fault lines of belonging, race, gender and terror in the city’s everyday spaces.
“VIGIL is a collective homage to real acts of loss, of protest and our impulse to honour lives that have been forgotten,” said Outer Urban Projects Artistic Director, Irine Vela.
Set on a tram moving through a city, VIGIL sees some passengers haunted by war, exile and uprising. While others are on their way to a good night out on the town. They draw us into a place both personal and political.
The work is led by director and composer Irine Vela, with choreography by Tara Jade Samaya, an exceptional cast of actors, dance artists, musicians, designers and the El Amal Arabic speaking women’s ensemble from Banksia Gardens Community Services.
VIGIL boasts a compelling creative team: playwrights Bryan Andy, Kush Kuiy, Sahra Davoudi, Samah Sabawi and Patricia Cornelius, set designer Nathan Burmeister, costume designer Harriet Oxley, lighting designer Richard Vabre and sound engineer Siiri Metsar
The experience of many of the artists anchors the work, linking it to global histories of persecution and resistance, including those connected to South Sudan, Iran and Palestine. VIGIL is also grounded in Australia’s First Nations history and truth.
Arts House Head of Programming Naomi Velaphi said VIGIL emphasises Outer Urban Projects commitment to ambitious, socially engaged and multidisciplinary art.
“VIGIL is an expansive and courageous project that bridges film, performance and community practice. It invites audiences to think about safety, risk, empathy and complicity in ways that resonate far beyond the theatre,” said Naomi Velaphi.
VIGIL
Arts House – North Melbourne Town Hall, 521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne
Season: 23 April – 3 May 2026 (preview: 22 April)
Bookings: www.artshouse.com.au
For more information, visit: www.outerurbanprojects.org for details.
Image: VIGIL – photo by Meredith O’Shea