A new outdoor photography festival is coming to Melbourne’s inner west this month, turning streets and public spaces into a large-scale exhibition. Running from 21 April to 31 May, the inaugural In Focus Festival will span Footscray and Yarraville, featuring 42 photographic works displayed across 10 public sites.
Installations will appear on billboards, lightboxes and temporary structures, with organisers aiming to bring art directly into everyday spaces rather than traditional galleries.
The program brings together a mix of established and emerging artists, including Atong Atem, Simon Terrill, Spencer Nguyen, Nicole Reed and Wenmiao Xin. Works range from portraiture and documentary to landscapes and community-focused storytelling.
The outdoor format means the exhibition is free to access, with visitors able to explore the sites at their own pace across the six-week run.
Alongside the street installations, a companion exhibition, The Art of Observation, is currently showing at the Civic Precinct and Community Hub, including Footscray Town Hall. The indoor program features 14 artists and expands on the festival’s focus on photography as a storytelling medium.
Mayor Mohamed Semra said the festival highlights the area’s creative identity.
“By transforming our streets and public spaces into an open-air exhibition, this Festival not only brings world-class art directly to our community, but also strengthens our City as a vibrant cultural destination. We’re proud to champion local artists, support our traders, and invite people from across Melbourne to experience the energy and creativity of the West,” Mayor Semra said.
The program also includes public events, workshops and talks. Highlights include a 1950s photo booth launch and screening of Back to the Future at Sun Theatre, as well as guided twilight tours departing from Footscray Station.
Youth workshops and community activities will run throughout the festival, including sessions at Phoenix Youth Hub.
In Focus is part of a broader push to embed creative projects into public life and support Footscray’s ongoing revitalisation.
More information is here.
