Bassline Productions (FReeZA Program)
“FReeZA is a Victorian Government initiative that supports young Victorians to get involved in their community by planning and running drug, smoke and alcohol-free music and cultural events for other young people.”
Celebrating the 2024 event crew
It was the ultimate backstage pass, getting hands-on experience in event management, while creating opportunities to connect with others in the community.
Maroondah’s Bassline Productions crew, a group of young people aged 15-25, met weekly to plan and run live music and cultural events throughout the year. Participants were given the chance to make decisions and lead in the staging of events, while expanding their networks within the community.
This year’s FReeZA graduates have put their training in audio-visual production, photography, graphic design and stage management into practice to deliver a variety of youth and community events. These include the Day Dreamers Gig, Baseline Beats and FReeZA Fright Night, as well as key Council events such as the Growing Wellbeing Activity Day, Children’s Twilight Picnic, and the Maroondah Youth Awards.
Ariella, a Year 10 student, is among this year’s FReeZA graduates. Together with the Bassline crew, she played a key role in supporting audio-visual production at the Billy Joel Tribute Show at Karralyka, working alongside staff to manage sound and lighting.
The crew also helped organise the Art Activators launch, an event attended by over 70 people that celebrated the work of three young artists at Maroondah Federation Estate, working closely with the creative producer and the artists to help bring the event to life.
Other highlights of this year’s program included the FReeZA summit at Collingwood Yards. Over 200 young people gathered at the summit to learn more about ‘The Push’, an organisation supporting youth-driven music and cultural events. FReeZA participants were challenged to plan and run an event in just one day, with their team creating an acoustic performance, a live band section, and DJ space.
For Ariella, who is interested in working in audio engineering, these opportunities provided valuable practical experience.
“FReeZA was a really good experience. We did training on photography, stage management, AV skills and that type of thing, so it was really good to have that experience as a base level so we can say ‘Yes, I can do that’ and have it on our resumé for work or even things through school,” Ariella said.
These experiences helped Ariella prepare for her upcoming Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects while also providing insights into her future career.
“I’m going into Year 11, Year 12 and VCE and [have] VET coming up. So, having the practical experience now in Year 10 was really good because it could help me see what I could expect going forward, and what I could see in the future in the industry. FReeZA is one of the best experiences I’ve had.”
Events in past years have included:
- Stuck in with Stuck Out (Instagram live stream)
- Beats to Get You on Your Feet (virtual 80s inspired workout)
- Ocean Grove headline show (Sold Out)
- Sulley's Scate Floor PIXAR immersive event
- Skate Competitions
- A Nightmare on Mt Dandenong Road (horror short film festival)
- Push Start Battle of the Band competition
- Retro Re-Lived (gaming lounge)
- Cinematic (short film festival)
- Void of Vision & Brooklyn
- Neon Dreams Dance Party
- Metal Fest
- Open Mic
- Connect art and cultural festival
- And more!
2025 FReeZA program
Applications are no longer open for the Bassline Productions FReeZA program. Council is currently assessing the allocation of funding following the recent decision by the Victorian Government not to renew its financial support for the Maroondah FReeZA program in 2025. We remain committed to ensuring that the services our Youth Services team provides continues to serve the community in the best way possible.