The tapestry of Melbourne’s multiculturalism was on display at this weekend’s Antipodes Festival, a celebration of Greek heritage that brings together various cultural expressions in an immersive street experience for Greeks and non-Greeks.

To explore the significance of this festival in multiculturalism Australia, I talked to Dr Andonis Piperoglou, Hellenic Senior Lecturer in Global Diasporas at the University of Melbourne, whose work focuses on migration, identity, and multiculturalism.

The festival as a multicultural expression

For Dr Piperoglou, the Antipodes Festival is more than just an annual celebration of Greek culture. It is a manifestation of how cultures interact, blend, and reshape themselves in a diasporic setting.

“This festival is a considerate contributor in multicultural Australia as we actually see how cultures are blending on the street.

“While this festival has a long history, coming out of the multicultural movement of the seventies and beyond, we can see today Antipodes as a modern-day manifestation of the Greek diversity.”

He says that the festival serves as a space where Greek identity is expressed through food, dance, and shared cultural practices.

“Greek culture is embodied, Greek culture is retained, reworked, and also rejected in the diaspora in an embodied sense. Meaning if we dance, that’s part of our body’s expressivity, that’s a certain type of rule-breaking, that’s different, if you will, from the conformist Anglo-Australian culture.”

Piperoglou adds that “eating different foods and literally getting a taste of different cuisines and different offerings from different parts of the Greek-speaking world” is an expression of diversity.

“The Cypriot food stall is one of the most popular ones – an expression of Greece’s diverse cultures and at the same time, we see a representation of what could be a global Greekness.”

He highlights the key role played by what he refers to as the three C’s in academia—costume, cuisine, and the church.

“Interestingly enough, I saw the archdiocese also have their own food truck,” he says.

Greek identity in the diaspora

One of the themes Dr Piperoglou explores is the fluidity of Greek identity in Australia.

“Greekness in the diaspora is not a fixed concept—it’s constantly being reworked, retained, and sometimes even rejected.”

“This embodied experience means that we express Greek culture through movement, food, and interactions. But at the same time, it raises questions about how Greek culture is perceived and adapted outside Greece.”

A crucial part of this evolving identity is language. When asked whether Greek culture can survive without the Greek language, Dr Piperoglou acknowledges the complexity of the issue.

“Language changes over time, and diasporic communities develop their own linguistic patterns. While some young Greek Australians don’t speak fluent Greek, they still strongly identify with their Greek heritage. The question then becomes: What parts of culture do we choose to retain, and what do we let change?”

Belonging is another core element of the Greek diasporic experience. “Many of us in the diaspora live in what I call a ‘healthy space of confusion’,” Dr Piperoglou says.

“We are constantly negotiating what it means to be Greek and what it means to be Australian. There is no rigid definition—it’s an ongoing process that shapes our identity.”

The role of institutions and policy

As far as the much lauded multiculturalism of Melbourne, he Piperoglou is critical, and says “there is work to be done”.

“These generational dynamics are important to think about in the context of diaspora. It is possible that you are third or fourth-generation Australian but still identify with Greece, India, Italy, and so on, therefore, this has to be considered as part of multicultural policy.

“Multiculturalism is not only about assisting migrants but also their children and grandchildren and the state has to accept this as part of a cohesive multicultural country.”

He says work has to be done in “intercultural relations—supporting transcultural embracement”.

“There should be much more investment and resources given to different cultural groups exploring what it means to them to live together and share their experiences. Two very practical points for the government to consider: Think of multiculturalism as an intergenerational thing and also think of multiculturalism in a very serious sense of many cultures living together.”

When it comes to institutional support for multiculturalism, Dr Piperoglou reflects on the challenges faced over the years. “There was a time when multiculturalism was a central federal policy, but certain political shifts undermined it,” he says.

“Despite this, events like the Antipodes Festival show that at a grassroots level, multiculturalism is alive and thriving.”

He notes that there is still work to be done, particularly in maintaining language programs and cultural education.

“Australia is an overwhelmingly monolingual society, which is quite different from Europe, where multilingualism is the norm. We need to invest more in language education and cultural programs to ensure that future generations remain connected to their heritage.”

Redefining what it is to be Greek

Dr Piperoglou emphasises the importance of festivals like Antipodes in redefining what it means to be Greek Australian.

“My favourite part of this festival is that it breaks the boundaries of the city; it allows us to be on the street. It allows us to be loud. This festival contributes to multiculturalism in so many ways: it gives us zest, it gives us life, it amuses us, and it allows us to think about how there are alternative ways to be Australian.”