RISING

launches epic 2024 program of new music, art and erformances set to ignite Melbourne this June. Featuring 105 events, more than 480 artists, 23 new commissions, 6 world premiers, and 8 Australian premeires, set to take the city as a stage as winter begins from June 1 - 16. 2024
Across 16 nights, spanning three epic weekends, Rising will stretch down the spine of Swanston St and beyond as large scale instalations, free public events and world-class contemporary music, theatre and dance ignite the city's streetsm, venues and hidden spaces.
Historic arcades and back alleys will come alive with art exhibitions, performances, micro bars, art and dance classes. A transformed Melbourne Town Hall hosts a sprawling day aprty across the King's Birthday long weekend. Epic and etheral sound works echo from the Birrarung therough the CBD, St Paul's Cathedral becomes a site of mass music making, and First Nations art goes large at Federation Aquare

What's On

Shows for all ages and free workshops

the whole family can have fun exploring a world of wonder these winter school holidays, as Arts Centre Melbourne presents its mega Winter Families and Children program - with a variety of family-friendly experiences runing right through the holidaus from June 24 to July 9.
Frpm wonderful to wacky, to immeersive and sensory, kids can choose their own adventure and bring their parents along for the ride. The program will span multiple venues, with the Playhouse, Hamer Hall, and The Channelk becoming home to dancing, opera, artistic workshops, trickery and more - a treat for all tpo share.
For those kids ready to be delighted and disgusted, Roald Dahl's tale of gruesome two some The Twits (click on The Twits in white) will be brought to life at Arts Centre Melbourne's Playhouse from June 27 July 1. Packed with Dalecios mischief and hilarious mayhem, this adred classic will not only provife 'lols through the school hols' but encourage everone to trat others with love and care
.For family friendly opera Parrwang Lifts the Sky will finally have its world premiere to a live audience after 2021 Victorian Opera performances were cancelled as a result of the pandemic. Created by Yorta Yorta /Yi soprano, composer and artistic diector Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO, this long-aeaited and joyful opera is based on an origial story from Wadawurrung Country told to the children of the Wathaurong by community Elder the late Uncle David Tournier. Featuriing some of Australia's finest operetic talent, includong First Nation's Artsts Dhauntai Sherree, Jessica Hitchcock with Cheetham Fraillon herself and members of the Dhungala Children's Choir, ParrwangLiftd the Sky runs at the Playhouse from July

New Arts Centre Melbourne

Construction has begun on early works for the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation a $1.7 billion investent by the Victorian government in Australia's largest cultural infrastructure project. Arts Centre Malbourne's Theatres Building, renowned for its sparkling Spire, will commence its most significent refurbishment since opening on 1984.
The long-term project, delivered as part of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transforamtion will include completely refurbishing the State Theatre, Playhouse and Fairfax Studio, adding in new scenary lifts, loasing sock, green room, stage door, studio and function spaces, and a new western entrance into the new 18,000 square metres if public parkland connecting Hamer Hall to the new The Fox NGV Contemporary art and design gallery and beyond.
In the new State Theatre, there will be improvements to accessibility and audience comfort, upgrades to lighting. acoustic and digital streaming technology and restoration to the venue's mkuch-loved heritage-listed interiors. For the first time, wheelchair positions will be added across the stalls, serviced by two new DDA compliant lifts, so that wheelchair users and people with other mobility challenges can easlily move from the foyers to their seats. There will also be 68 new enhanced amenity seats with wider row and seatr options.
Elsewhere in Theatres Building there will be expanded banck-to-back facilities - including new rehearsal spaces, green rooms for artists and a new loading dock with additional scenery lifts. There will aqlso be an opportunity to view artists at work from a new event space above the new State Theatre Rehearsal Studio. These updates will equate to a 15 per cent increase in the potential niuimber of performances.
Two new restaurants and bars will be built, one at the building's new western entry, and the other at the northern façade overlooking Birrarung (Yarra) to Federation Square, at the start of 18,000 square metres of parkland.
Arts Centre Melbourne will remain open as usual throughout the workswith envents and shows on stage, The Protagonist and The Barre operating as well as the car park.
The State theatre will close for auditorium and stage house refurbishment in 2024 and reopen in December 2026.

The Woman in Black

Written in 1983 Susan Hill's The Woman in Black has become one of the most successful gothic novels in the English canon. A perfect example of horror and gothic writing, readers are transported to the eerie setting of Eel Marsh House in the small town of Crythin Giffiord in the north of England . The story is told through the first pwrson narration of Arthur Kipps, who begins the covel too distressed to share a ghost story with his family, and then recounts how as a young solicitor he was sent to overseethe funeral of Miss Alice Drablow, a client of his law foirm. along the way he encounters m,=any who seem unwilling or unable to share the secrets of Eel March House and he encouunters The Woman in black and begins to unravel the mystery f the haunted past and eerie spectre he sees.
Season: JUne 13 - July . 2024.

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