Yo! Come and step into a world where neon is king, Reeboks pump, mixtapes spin, skateboards are tight, and the dance floor is alive with epic 90s moves, think, Vogueing, The Robot, Grinding and the Macarena, just to name a few crunk* classics!
Night at the Museum: Play, at the National Museum of Australia promises to transport you back to a time of unbridled 90s fun with a nostalgia-filled Dior Saddle Bag.
We got down with the 411* with 90s kid and event organiser Penny Vaile at the National Museum of Australia to delve into the inspiration behind this nostalgic 90s celebration and discover what attendees can look forward to.
FUSE: Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the "Night at the Museum: Play" event?
PENNY: Night at the Museum has always been a program about giving 'adults' permission to play and to engage with collections and exhibitions in a light-hearted way. This time around we're inspired by our exhibition Riding the Olympic Wave: Breakthrough Sports and we landed on 'Play' as a theme. Play is something that is common to everyone and allows for a wide scope of interpretation.
We'll have a temporary skate park, board game lounge, a pop-up arcade and breaking performances and workshops. We'll also have exhibition tours from some of our curators and lightning talks from a variety of interesting people.
What made you choose the 90s theme for this event?
The 90s was a very playful, exuberant decade. It also saw the rise in profile of a few of the sports featured in Riding the Olympic Wave: Breakthrough Sports, including breaking and skateboarding. Here at the National Museum of Australia more than a few of the team are 90s kids, me included, so it's a wave of nostalgia we're happy to surf.
What are you most excited about for Night at the Museum: Play?
There's so much to be excited about with Play! We have a full and exciting program on the night that will keep people entertained for hours. But for me, having Tigerlily, Australia's number one female DJ, as our closing act is exciting but sois the enthusiasm that this event has generated in the community. It's always exciting to see people having a great time and enjoying the Museum.
Can you tell us about the special menu being offered at the Museum Café on the evening?
The menu is still being developed but what we've seen so far looks tasty, and fun! The Museum's café will be open on the night, and there will also be snacks at pop-up bars around the building and a feature cocktail on the menu too!
What kind of feedback have you received from previous "Night at the Museum" events?
Feedback for Night at the Museum is always positive. Our past events have shown that people really enjoy being able to experience the Museum in a different way. But for me I think the standout piece of feedback we've received was after last year's Night at the Museum: Queer when someone wrote that they really felt a sense of community.
How does this event celebrate and showcase Australian culture and history?
A lot of Australian culture and identity is based in play and in sport, so we're using this program to explore and celebrate Australia's on-going love of play and competition. We're also partnering with the Australian Institute of Sport which has been interesting; learning more about who they are and what they do, they're also a super enthusiastic bunch of people so it's been a lot of fun.
Are there any surprises or special moments planned that you could hint at?
Whether you're a fan of BMX, winning a boss fight on the Atari, shooting hoops with future 'giants' of the NBA – I'm not kidding the basketball players we have coming are 7 feet tall! -- or want to get your groove on to a mega-mix of hits from the 90s, there will be something for everyone.
We also have really exciting performances and interactive experiences, including LED 'fire' twirling, the chance for people to try out aerial sling, roaming acrobats and neon body paint sessions.
People should keep an eye out for a pipeline 'wave' in the Gandel Atrium. I won't give too much away at this stage except to say surf's up dudes!
What do you hope attendees will take away from their experience at "Night at the Museum: Play"?
We always hope that people have a great time, but we also want people to come away with a sense of the National Museum as a living institution, a place for all stories where everyone can feel as sense of recognition and belonging. Equally important, we want people to come away with the sense that no matter your stage in life or how busy and hecticlife can be, you should always make time for play and for the things that give you joy, and which are fun!
So get your Bling on kids, Night at the Museum: Play is happening, Friday 30 August 2024, 6.30–10.30pm.
Some fun 90s Slang we used in this article that you can revive at "Night at the Museum: Play"
- Scrub: a guy who has no money and no prospects and lives off of others; according to TLC “a scrub is a guy that thinks he’s fly and is also known as a busta, always talking about what he wants, and just sits on his broke ass”
- Yo: aka “hey”
- Homey: aka “friend”
- Whatever: a passive-aggressive way of saying “agree to disagree”
- Talk to the hand: aka “I don’t want to hear anymore of it,” make sure to put your hand up when saying this expression
- I’m outtie: aka “I gotta go”
- Dang it: a-not-so-offensive version of “d@mn it”
- Fly: aka “cool”
- Fresh: aka “cool”
- Tight: aka “cool”
- This is so phat: aka “that is so cool”
- All that and a bag of chips: a compliment that describes someone or something that is very, very, very cool and special
- Dead presidents: money or paper bills
- No diggity: aka “no doubt”
- What’s crackalackin: aka “what’s up” or “what’s happening”
- What’s the dealio: aka “what’s going on” or “what’s the deal”
- My bad: aka “I’m sorry” or “it’s my fault and I’m sorry”
- Crunk: very excited; a type of hip-hop dance music
- As if: another way of sarcastically saying “yeah, right”
- Clowning: to joke around and act very silly
- Crib: aka “house”
- Bling bling: very expensive and very flashy jewelry
- Ice: aka “diamonds”
- Hella: aka “very” or “a lot”
- Let’s bounce: aka “let’s leave”
- No, duh: aka “isn’t it obvious”
- You’re trippin: aka “you’re joking” or “you’re crazy”
- Yadda-yadda-yadda: an interjection used to end a long, boring talk; aka “blah blah blah”
- Cowabunga: an expression used to express excitement
- Buggin: to act crazy
- What’s the 411: aka “what’s the information” or “what’s going on”
- Voguing: Was a highly stylized, modern house dance originating in the late 1980s and early 90s that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s. It is inspired by the poses of models in fashion magazines.
GET IN THE MOOD WITH THIOS 90s MIXED TAPE
READ FUSE ONLINE
READ FUSE DIGITAL