Fast Fashun: Reimagining youth culture through participation
Monash University Performing Arts Centres (MPAC) has announced the recipients of its 2027 commissioning program, supporting three ambitious new projects that bring artists and researchers together to explore some of the most pressing questions of our time.
Through the David Li Sound Gallery Commission and MPAC Creative Development program, artists are given the opportunity to develop new work in collaboration with Monash experts, drawing on research, facilities and interdisciplinary partnerships to transform ideas into performance.
The 2027 recipients are sound artist and composer Aviva Endean, writer and performer Tom Ballard, and fashion waste creatives Fast Fashun, whose projects span climate science, astrophysics, philosophy, youth culture, sustainability and social participation.
MPAC Head of Programming Ruth Oakley said the recipients exemplify the unique role commissioning plays within a university context.
"At MPAC, commissioning is about creating opportunities for artists and researchers to think and imagine together. We are part of a research institution where great ideas and their exploration are currency. Our role is to carry this purpose, and break new ground, through an engaging, public artistic program."
"Music performance about air turbulence, philosophical comedy about the sun, high volume fashion waste turned into creative participation – this is a suite of projects that would only emanate from MPAC at Monash University! We are thrilled to support these distinct artistic voices, where all three proposals share deep commitment to curiosity, experimentation and collaboration."
Creating with research
At the heart of MPAC's commissioning model is the belief that artists and researchers can generate new knowledge together. Through access to Monash expertise, specialised facilities and curatorial support, artists are encouraged to extend their practice while exploring research questions in new and unexpected ways.
The 2027 cohort reflects the breadth of possibilities that emerge when artistic imagination intersects with academic inquiry.
Aviva Endean: exploring climate through sound
Recipient of the David Li Sound Gallery Commission, Aviva Endean will create Clear Air Turbulence, a new 50-minute electro-acoustic work inspired by the atmospheric phenomenon of invisible turbulence and its increasing prevalence in a changing climate.
The Naarm-based clarinettist, composer and sound artist is renowned for creating immersive listening experiences that explore sound, space and human connection. Her new work will investigate the relationship between breath, wind and sound in motion, using the David Li Sound Gallery's Meyer Constellation system to transform the venue itself into an instrument.
The project proposes engagement with researchers from Monash's earth, atmosphere and environmental sciences community, creating a dialogue between contemporary sound practice and climate research.
Tom Ballard: finding meaning at the end of the world
Through the MPAC Creative Development program, writer, performer and broadcaster Tom Ballard will develop The Sun Is Going To Explode, an ambitious new solo theatre work exploring how humans find meaning in the face of cosmic impermanence.
Combining comedy, storytelling, science, philosophy and theatrical spectacle, the work responds to the eventual death of our sun and the profound questions this raises about existence, mortality and purpose.
Ballard plans to collaborate with Monash researchers in astrophysics and philosophy, investigating where scientific understanding meets human wonder. The project will draw on expertise from the School of Physics and Astronomy and philosophical scholarship to create a performance that is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant.
Fast Fashun: Reimagining youth culture through participation
Fast Fashun will develop DEAD FASHUN SOCIETY, an interactive installation and participatory performance exploring youth identity, belonging, conformity and climate anxiety through fashion waste and collective play.
Designed primarily for teenagers and young adults, the project transforms reclaimed clothing into a participatory environment where audiences experiment with self-expression, collaboration and public participation.
Through collaboration with Monash researchers across sociology, education and psychology, the work will investigate how participatory arts experiences can foster confidence, agency and connection while examining the relationship between youth culture, consumer behaviour and environmental responsibility.
From idea to stage
The commissioned projects will now enter a period of research, development and experimentation, with support from MPAC and connections to Monash researchers helping shape each work's next stage of life.
The program reflects MPAC's ongoing commitment to championing new Australian work and cultivating innovative artistic practice within the broader Monash ecosystem.
By connecting artists with researchers, facilities and communities, MPAC's commissioning program continues to create pathways for ideas to evolve – from early concepts and creative development through
