Join Jewel Box and The People of Cabaret group as they guest curate a series of performances and talks for MPavilion 2021, including a short acoustic set of original material by South Indian, Melbourne-based vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Lynn Jacob.

Founded in 2018 by cabaret lover David Gonzalez and launched at MPavilion, Jewel Box Performances was created with the goal of raising the profile of early career Black, Indigenous and People of Colour artists. Originally intended to provide marketing support and mentorship, the program has evolved into a commissioning grant at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. The Jewel Box Grant now provides three artists of colour each year a $2,000 commission, the covering of show registration fees, advertising and marketing support, one-on-one mentoring sessions with Fringe’s marketing team and access to the Jewel Box Performances team and former participants.

The People of Cabaret is a collective dedicated to amplifying, uplifting, nurturing and supporting artists who are Indigenous and/or Bla(c)k and/or people of colour (IBPOC) working in the sparkling, scintillating worlds of cabaret, circus, burlesque, drag, theatre and other live performing arts. Whilst shaking up the industry through activism and advocacy offstage, they also produce award-winning shows—each an extravaganza of glitz, glamour, hilarity and variety. With appearances at Sydney Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Midsumma, they have also won the Spirit of the Fringe Award at Melbourne Fringe (2020) and a Green Room Award for Best Ensemble (2021).