Suitcase: Emerging Voices

The Boite's Suitcase Open Mic is an event that recognises the contribution that musicians have been making to our lives for thousands of years and the invaluable heritage they carry with them as they move from one place to another.

These events do not adhere to any particular genre or style. We offer musicians from all backgrounds and languages an opportunity to be heard in a city that abounds with diversity but has limited outlets for showcasing it musically. And we celebrate the creative contribution that they all bring to the musical landscape of Melbourne.

Suitcase Open Mic will take place at Open Studio on the second Wednesday of each month and will also be live streamed on Facebook. They are free to attend (pay as you feel to support the venue).

Join the Suitcase

Suitcase is a program that supports early-career musicians with an opportunity to showcase their work and connect with peers and audiences. The project aims to showcase new voices and equip them with tools to help them access professional opportunities in the future, with a particular focus on celebrating the creative contribution that migrants bring to the musical landscape of Melbourne.

Since 2020, Suitcase has provided support for musicians to record themselves, and share their videos with The Boite’s extensive audiences. Musicians were offered access to professional recording equipment and assisted (sometimes remotely) to record a 15-minute set. The videos were mixed, edited and published on The Boite's YouTube channel, website and social media. Once a month, Suitcase held a showcase event during which the videos were premiered and the musicians interviewed live.

Expressions of Interest

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“There were many beautiful aural and visual moments…difficult to pinpoint the strongest memory. It had an ephemeral feeling - I wanted to hold onto a moment but it passed and moved onto another captivating piece”

- Audience member during Melbourne lockdowns