Culture Corner displays diversity

Converge on the Goulburn festival 2017, sowed the seed for Culture Corner.

Greater Shepparton’s Malaysian Community played host to the entire community at a traditional mock wedding in the Maude Street Mall on 6 April.

The wedding was part of a new and exciting initiative from Greater Shepparton City Council, Victoria, called Culture Corner.

On the first Saturday of every month, members from a different community in Greater Shepparton will set up from 10am-2pm in the Mall to showcase their culture.

Last weekend’s mock wedding was just the start of it – throughout the year locals can expect food markets, dancing, music, artworks and all sorts of traditional features from the many cultures and communities that call Greater Shepparton home.

The aim of Culture Corner is to create a buzz and atmosphere at the Mall by highlighting Greater Shepparton’s diversity.  

More than 14 percent of Greater Shepparton’s residents identify as being born overseas, and Culture Corner is another example of Council’s dedication to the region’s multiculturalism.

Council adopted the Greater Shepparton Multiculturalism Strategy 2019-2022 at the March Ordinary Council Meeting, which followed the Converge on the Goulburn festival, held on 16 March.

Council’s Multiculturalism Officer, Sarmed Yassin, said, “The people of Greater Shepparton come from all over the world, and we are proud to say that.

“With Culture Corner, we aren’t just trying to get Malaysian residents to the mock Malaysian wedding; it’s about showcasing one particular culture at a time to everyone and anyone in Greater Shepparton.

“We want people from every culture to experience new things, get involved, celebrate our region’s diversity and have some
fun with it.”