Arts Centre Melbourne

A huge congrats to our very own Emma Holgate for being awarded Runner Up at the 2024 Australian Training Awards (Trainee of the Year category) in Canberra last Friday. "One of the most exciting parts of this experience was getting to meet all the fellow finalists in other categories and hear about everyone's journey. Being a finalist invites us all to join the Australian VET Alumni to continue to advocate and represent training across Australia, and I look forward to my involvement in the future to keep sharing my story and supporting women and First Nations people in the live performance space," said Emma. Congratulations, Emma. Learn more about the other finalists: https://lnkd.in/gU9NEJtr

We're pleased to announce the appointment of new members to our Foundation, including respected businesswoman and entrepreneur, Anastasia Fai Kogan. “We are delighted to welcome Anastasia to the Foundation. She joins a group of generous, committed and energised individuals who enable Arts Centre Melbourne to be a place where all Victorians are welcome and belong. Anastasia’s business acumen and deep understanding of the digital world, audience and brand on an international scale will bring a welcome perspective to the Foundation,” CEO Karen Quinlan AM said. Anastasia joins fellow new Foundation members Peter Jopling AM KC, Lily Ong, Wilson Lai and Katrina Knowles. A warm welcome to our new members.

Today we announce the first new commission for our Australian Performing Arts Collection in 40 years with a work from photographer Bill Henson. One of Australia's most acclaimed photographic artists, Henson's new commission, 'Untitled 2024', features David Hallberg, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, captured in striking contrast against the ongoing transformation of our State Theatre. Continuing the legacy of John Truscott, who designed our interiors and filled them with new Australian artworks, our new contemporary artist program will identify contemporary Australian artists and fund them to create new works for Arts Centre Melbourne. Henson's work will be on public display in the Theatres Building at Arts Centre Melbourne, when the State Theatre reopens after refurbishment. Learn more about the new contemporary artist program: https://lnkd.in/gQeppnap 📸: Behind the scenes photography by Kristoffer Paulsen. 📸: Image of David Hallberg, Bill Henson and Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Karen Quinlan by Mark Gambino.

We're delighted to announce the Victorian Arts Centre Trust, which oversees Arts Centre Melbourne, has welcomed two new trustees: Dr Janine Mohamed and Ms Nhung Mason.   "We are thrilled to welcome Dr Janine Mohamed and Ms Nhung Mason who recently joined our highly skilled Trust team. Each bring considerable expertise, credentials and perspectives to the table. Both appointments are an important part of us delivering on our commitment to being an equitable and inclusive organisation, and our focus on ensuring our priorities, strategic and operational decision-making reflect the diverse, contemporary community we are here to serve," said Victorian Arts Centre Trust President, Mr Ian Carson AM.   Dr Janine Mohamed, a Narungga Kaurna woman from South Australia, has been a champion of nursing and health policy for Indigenous communities in Australia for more than two decades. In 2020, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in nursing by Edith Cowan University and, in 2024, was named Victoria’s Australian of the Year for her dedication to fighting racism and improving health outcomes for Indigenous communities. Mohamed currently holds the position of Deputy CEO First Nations at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).   Ms Nhung Mason is Accenture’s Client Group Lead for Australia and New Zealand advocating for women in leadership. Originally a refugee from Vietnam, Mason has worked across Consumer Industries for almost 20 years. Voted as 40 Women to Watch in APAC from Campaign Asia-Pacific in 2018, Mason's focus has been on working with organisations to deliver customer/consumer-centric and data driven transformations. She is passionate about diverse teams and believes that it is the combination of different strengths that lead to the strongest teams. Welcome Janine and Nhung.

Today is Ausmusic T-Shirt Day! 🎶 A day for celebrating Australian music and raising funds for musicians, crew, and music workers doing it tough. Funds raised go directly to Support Act to provide crisis relief, wellbeing helplines, mental health programs and more. All donations today will be doubled: https://lnkd.in/gYUQyPHM

Today we're proud to announce The Leaper Foundation, spearheaded by Mrs Jenny Leaper OAM and Dr John Leaper OAM, has pledged a transformative gift of $5 million to Reimagining Arts Centre Melbourne, Arts Centre Melbourne’s major redevelopment of the Theatres Building (under the iconic Spire). “We are honoured to receive such a generous gift from the Leaper family – one of the most significant philanthropic gifts Arts Centre Melbourne has ever received. Our donors play a pivotal role in the impact and legacy of our work and share our commitment to enriching the lives of our creative industries and the Victorian community,” said Karen Quinlan AM, CEO Arts Centre Melbourne. The Leaper Foundation gift contributes to Reimagining Arts Centre Melbourne, which will deliver significant improvements to the Theatres Building, including accessibility upgrades, an expanded Loading Dock and a new flexible rehearsal space and studio. In recognition of their support, The Pavilion – the flagship function space in the Theatres Building under Arts Centre Melbourne’s Spire – will be renamed The Leaper Family Pavilion from 1 January 2025. An enormous thanks to The Leaper Foundation for their generous and continued support.

"★★★★1/2 It’s rare to find a production that is able to weave together scripting for kids that’s just as amusing for adults. But this is the production’s greatest achievement. The jokes that have been modernised for these strange times (think: references to Elon Musk and the like) don’t fall flat; they’re hilarious. And there are enough double entendres and adult humour to maintain the concentration of the adults amid the fart jokes, physical humour and special effects for the kids." Isabelle Oderberg, ArtsHub Catch Peter and the Starcatcher until 1 December at the Playhouse. Book tickets: https://lnkd.in/gY3xe5Dg

"It is incredibly moving – I wept, several times when I saw the production in Singapore earlier this month. When I share that detail with Todd Eckert, head of Tin Drum, he beams at me across Zoom. That’s exactly what they wanted, he says." Kerrie O'Brien, The Age In an Australian exclusive, Asia TOPA presents 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. 19 February - 16 March | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Book tickets: https://lnkd.in/gsMg6_8n

"★★★★1/2 Made in China 2.0 is equal parts educational, unsettling, and gripping. Chong’s work isn’t just theatre; it’s a conversation starter, a testament – and a reminder – of the power of a single voice to provoke, connect, and perhaps even inspire change. You need to see it." Nina Culley, Limelight Ending tomorrow – don't miss Made in China 2.0, a moving examination of the role of the artist and provocateur in uncertain times. Book tickets: https://lnkd.in/gEYWsr7y

"★★★★ It’s riotous fun to watch comedians going full panto mode – [Pete] Heliar in a mermaid costume ukulele in hand; [Colin] Lane corpsing his way to glory after being heckled by an audience member. Paul Capsis, Lucy Goleby, John Batchelor, and Ryan Gonzalez all add to the hilarity in a production that demonstrates exactly why the show won five Tony Awards on Broadway, while also letting the slickness slide into a distinctly Australian flavour of suburban pantomime that makes it unique." Cameron Woodhead, The Age. Read the full review: https://lnkd.in/gR5_jWaX Embrace your inner child in this hilarious swashbuckling prequel to Peter Pan that will have you hooked from the moment you let your imagination take flight. Until 1 December | Playhouse. Book tickets: https://lnkd.in/gY3xe5Dg