Arts Centre Melbourne

A huge happy 40th birthday today to our Theatres Building ✨ 🎂 From its glittering Spire and lush interiors by John Truscott, to the generations of incredible shows that have graced its stages, our beloved Melbourne landmark is a feast for the senses – both inside and out. For four decades the Theatres Building has been a cultural heartbeat of Melbourne, bringing the best of performing arts to life across our State Theatre, Fairfax Studio, Playhouse, and our newest venue, The Show Room. Here’s to another 40 years of unforgettable performances. Photos by @walking_perspective – a big thank you for always showing love to our beautiful building.

How do you strike the balance between heritage and modern? In the final episode of Building an Icon, Tim Ross explores the upgrades to the Theatres Building as part of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation. From preserving heritage to meeting modern needs, discover how this cultural landmark is evolving for the future while honouring its past. Building an Icon is a three-part series exploring the architecture, art and design of our Theatres Building as we celebrate its 40th anniversary. Watch Building an Icon: https://lnkd.in/gf8aDGDH #ArtsCentreMelbourne #Architecture #MelbourneArtsPrecinct NH Architecture

Keen to know how to level up your event production skills? Led by Tom Dickins, Creative Producer at Arts Centre Melbourne, this intensive three-hour workshop taps into 15+ years of hands-on experience in touring, performing and producing across festivals around the globe. Unpack the secrets to thrive in diverse festival scenes, from Melbourne Fringe to Edinburgh Fringe, and curated events like Darwin Festival and VIVID Sydney. Enhance your skills in building audiences, press engagement and touring logistics, to help set the stage for your festival success story. Tom's insider knowledge spans every angle, from crafting the perfect press release to reviewing applications from programming. Get ready for practical advice that will arm you with the essential tools for self-producing national and international tours, and propel your independent show or company into the spotlight. Book now: https://lnkd.in/ePkHDCR8

When John Truscott designed our interiors, every detail mattered. From the public art on our walls to the table lamps, nothing was overlooked. Everything was carefully conceived to create a seamless visual feast the moment you walk in. In episode 2 of Building an Icon, Tim Ross chats with our Curator, Steven Tonkin, to explore the story behind Truscott's breathtaking interiors and highlight key pieces from our public art collection. Building an Icon is a three-part series exploring the architecture, art and design of our Theatres Building, celebrating the 40th anniversary of this much-loved cultural landmark. Watch the rest of Episode 2: https://lnkd.in/gQg29fKb

"A desperate sense of black comic menace takes hold at the ease with which ideology or prejudice can shut off access to reason or empathy and make monsters of people, well before the ’80s horror tropes pile up and the fake blood begins to flow." Cam Woodhead, The Age No one's spared in the whip-smart debut of Werewolf, from Australian writer Van Badham. With twists, shocks and 80s horror film tropes, Werewolf is both darkly funny stage noir and serious social commentary on the new clash between old extremes. Until 26 October. Book tickets: https://lnkd.in/gUKivhdk

In an Australian exclusive, our friends at Asia TOPA present KAGAMI: a ground-breaking, mixed-reality collaboration from legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and US film studio Tin Drum. One of the most acclaimed shows of recent years, KAGAMI is a new kind of performance. Audiences are invited to wear glasses that fuse three-dimensional moving images with the real world, and experience an intimate, never-before-seen work that puts you on stage with Sakamoto himself. Book tickets: https://lnkd.in/gFzjqKTv KAGAMI is exclusive to Asia TOPA 2025. Asia TOPA — the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts — is a joint initiative of Arts Centre Melbourne and the Sidney Myer Fund, supported by Creative Victoria. A three-week, city-wide celebration of dance, theatre, music, visual art, ideas and more, stay tuned for the full Asia TOPA performance announce on 12 November. #AsiaTOPA2025 #AsiaTOPA

"It begins like almost every stand-up comedy act ever. A neurotic, skittish performer stands on a bare stage with a microphone dropping punchlines like confetti. But then Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen begins to unravel, and the audience realises they’re watching a tightly-wound dramatic monologue with a twist." Michael Harry, Broadsheet This dark comedy about vulnerability, intimacy, ego and truth wowed audiences at Edinburgh Festival in 2022 and London in 2023, and now it's Melbourne's turn. From the Olivier Award-winning producers of Fleabag and Baby Reindeer and starring Tony and Olivier-nominated actor Samuel Barnett - don't miss out on Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen, coming to Arts Centre Melbourne in January 2025.

After five years, Asia TOPA returns to Arts Centre Melbourne and its collaborator venues 20 February – 10 March 2025, with a huge program of new art and performance from across the Asia-Pacific. Asia TOPA – the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts – is a three-week, city-wide celebration of dance, theatre, music, visual art, ideas and more, alongside a new nightlife program. First look brings international blockbuster, KAGAMI, a ground-breaking, mixed-reality experience created by legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto in collaboration with US film studio Tin Drum. Plus Home Bound, the 9th Betty Amsden Participation Program, a massive, participatory installation on Arts Centre Melbourne's forecourt, led by ropework artists Luke George and Daniel Kok. For Home Bound we're also calling for your donations of rope. Book tickets to KAGAMI and find out how to participate in Home Bound: https://lnkd.in/fam-syw

As part of the 40th celebrations of our Theatres Building, we’re thrilled to reveal the first episode of Building an Icon – a mini-documentary series about its architecture, art and design. Episode 1 sees “design nerd” Tim Ross meet with curator Isabella Chwasta to learn about the early inspiration for the Spire, architect Sir Roy Grounds’ original intentions, and how it evolved into the Spire we have today. Watch episode 1 of Building an Icon: https://lnkd.in/gf8aDGDH

"Dean [Bryant, the director] and I have been developing his idea that Evan isn’t one of those socially anxious people who wants to avoid people and issues. Instead, we see him as hyper-aware, really good at reading situations. He’s just unable to interact with them. [What] I really want to show in my Evan is this longing for connection." Beau Woodbridge, Dear Evan Hansen Dear Evan Hansen is the raw and inspiring story of a socially anxious highschooler who is suddenly thrust into the spotlight when he inadvertently invents an important role for himself at the centre of a tragedy. Currently in rehearsals, Dear Evan Hansen opens in Sydney this month before heading down to Arts Centre Melbourne in December. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/grQNpwmc