Sixteen years ago a group of Australians rocked the political landscape with Escape from Woomera, a video game putting players in the shoes of a refugee escaping detention

Contemporary artist, Cai Guo-Qiang, create all new art works inspired by his home country’s culture and its enduring philosophical traditions, including a monumental installation of 10,000 suspended porcelain birds.

Now in its third year, UMMTA is proud to be producing 4 snippets of music Theatre work in ‘The Sitzprobe’ at the Lithuanian Club

Once again performers from Ballarat National Theatre take you back to a time

This year, Charlotte Smith surrounds herself with some of Australia’s most exciting entertainers

Ana will be presenting her TEDx Talk from Hamburg and will also engage the audience with some Q&A afterwards.

Taryn Simon is widely recognised as one of the most exciting and renowned conceptual artists of her time,

Join us in celebrating the launch of Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories, the highly anticipated collection of new Australian LGBTQ+ fiction for young adult readers!

BlakWiz is the deadliest live quiz show, with trivia questions that connect the dots all the way to the Dreamtime.

All speeches at this event will be Auslan interpreted. (Join the Jazz Assembly in the world premiere of a brand new piece of music commissioned specially for this chorus of voices).

Sylvester is a truly multidisciplinary artist who works in staged photography, sculpture, video, installation, performance and music.

Undateable. Unemployable. Unstoppable.

Little Kids’ Day In will be a fun day especially for kids aged 5 and under, their parents and carers. (Auslan session runs from 11am-1pm)

BIG IDEAS, BIG IMPACT: creating understanding through International cultural projects.

Haunted House, Monument of Love, Great Continent. Cloudstreet is all that and more! (Encounter the epic story of Cloudstreet in two parts).

Haunted House, Monument of Love, Great Continent. Cloudstreet is all that and more! (Encounter the epic story of Cloudstreet in two parts).

A dual presentation of Chinese art and culture past and present.

Death is wild and unpredictable, when it comes to the end of my life, my trust is with myself.

Dive into a mesmerising world of total circus as the astonishing spectacle of Wunderage unfolds around, beside and above you.

What kind of King would you be?

Grab your mouse ears and get ready for the ultimate interactive event at Disney On Ice celebrates Mickey and Friends.

There are two sides to every story, and every story has a song.

THE CABIN! is a horror show written by kids, for adults.

From the makers of Grug and Grug and the Rainbow, comes a slightly sideways tale about unexpected friendship, finding where you fit and learning to mix it up a little.

Based on the beloved book by Shaun Tan, follow the little red leaf into this spectacular new work of musical theatre for ages 7 and older.

Based on the beloved book by Shaun Tan, follow the little red leaf into this spectacular new work of musical theatre for ages 7 and older.

This award winning script has been transformed by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) into a side-splitting stage comedy with a stirring love story at its heart.

A BOGAN AND BOURGEOIS BATTLE FOR A SUBURBAN BACKYARD.

Adventure, laughs and contemporary Aboriginal culture.

Adventure, laughs and contemporary Aboriginal culture.

The world of Laser Beak Man is brought to life in puppet form by the creative minds of Dead Puppet Society.

A non-stop, exhilarating party through the decades of dance, featuring Darebin’s dazzling dancing stars! A participatory dance performance, where audiences can learn dance moves and strut their stuff.

If there is a new normal, everyone’s crazy and nobody’s ill.

Don’t miss RAGTIME, a musical about a new century, the golden age, an effervescent era of optimism when anything seemed possible and prospects seemed boundless.

This event recognises and celebrates the genuine impact young people have made to the biggest social and economic challenges of our time.

Spot is one of the most loved dogs in the world, and he’s coming to Melbourne! 

In this complex world, old patterns of behaviour play out, old wounds are re-exposed and ultimately, a new reality where three becomes two must be found.

Wodonga Brass presents this traditional Carols by Candlelight.

A recipe for the end of the world: take men, politics and the internet. Stir gently.

Yarra City Arts presents an evening of conversation about the power of storytelling through different art forms, and the morals and ethics associated with telling stories.

The Storytime program is for children aged 3-5 years, their parents and carers.

Green Day’s explosive, award-winning Broadway phenomenon American Idiot is getting set to take Doncaster by storm.

The Emerging Writers’ Festival is a not-for-profit organisation whose foundations are built on supporting emerging writers.

The two-day event provides a unique platform for producers, artists and theatre-makers to make connections and showcase their work to a wide range of venue managers and programmers with the ultimate aim of facilitating touring.

“Beg, borrow or steal tickets. Your kids will love you for it.” – Stage Whispers

The two-day event provides a unique platform for producers, artists and theatre-makers to make connections and showcase their work to a wide range of venue managers and programmers with the ultimate aim of facilitating touring.

In her latest book, Greek to Me, Norris shares her love of all things Greek. Of course, it’s about language ….

Featuring Joel Bray’s trademark confection of conversation, dance and all-you-can-eat audience participation, Daddy is a sweet feast with a deadly aftertaste.

Taking dance theatre and weaving in threads of stand-up, visual art, multimedia and performance, this production has dazzled and charmed audiences since its 2018 premiere.

But, so, there’s the plan, some idea, and then there’s nature, and you, everyone, you adjust. And your life, is the adjustment.

The concert comprises stunning performances by young performing artists. The performances will be selected from Top Class 2019; a concert series of works presented in February and March.

Australia’s favourite duo Peking Duk return in 2019 with their Biggest Tour Ever – and they are providing Auslan access!

Here’s what you need to know: The ocean is rising. We caused it. We’re going to fix it but someone has to die. 

What do libraries mean to us – as public places and civic institutions? Why do attacks on libraries evoke a special kind of horror?

For his troubles, he’s been knighted and he’s topped bestseller lists, but he’s also sometimes hit raw nerves at home and abroad.

Forbidden Laughter celebrates the powerful performance medium of Butoh, inviting audiences to experience surreal narratives within a bizarre and mysterious installation at the rustic Industrial School, Abbotsford Convent. 

Four Letter Word Theatre gives you a Double Bill show offering two unique responses to a term that highlights the prejudice and paradox, the illusion, delusion and confusion at the heart of the Australian psyche.

Experience a youth-driven, Blak arts intervention as dis rupt takes over Hamer Hall for a groundbreaking afternoon of live music, performance and visual arts.

If books function as tools of empathy, what happens when we never see ourselves in them, let alone at the centre of a story?

Free, all welcome, no need to book.

Special event art project workshops

Rachel Kushner is among America’s brightest literary stars.

Auslan interpreters will be present for pre and post match entertainment at the MCG.

The F Word Address is our annual talk from an outstanding Australian woman on a pressing feminist issue.

(SOLD OUT)TIM MINCHIN, internationally renowned award-winning musician, comedian, actor, writer and composer, will return to the Australian stage with his first national tour since 2012.

Diana Nguyen just wants more work in the entertainment industry. She wants to buy a house and raise her fantasy children. And she suspects that if Pauline Hanson could focus more on Asians again she might be able to keep her dreams alive

Sketch comedy stalwarts Dr. Duck are back with a new show of all-new sketches. Clever, witty, sharp and satirical.

The Storytime program is for children aged 3-5 years, their parents and carers.

Wil’s reputation for delivering an outstanding, brand-new hour of comedy every year speaks for itself. He has sold out Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre for the last 11 years which surely has to be some kind of record. 

Cal’s been at this whole life thing for a while now, but she still hasn’t quite nailed it. How can you reach your potential when someone left it on the top shelf?

CRAIC-LING is a fast-paced sketch show featuring a tutorial in how to hold a baby, a Gregorian chant about drunken monks and a step by step guide in how to kill an actor.

A multidimensional mandala made up of mash-ups, mojos and meditations

Alice Tovey’s new show, Garbage Monster, explores the parts of ourselves and our society that we hide away. 

Echoing Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Parks’ Brechtian epic tells a mesmerizing tale of vengeance, violence, and sacrifice through both story and songs.

Gratuitous, ridiculous, hilarious, and possibly hazardous, Melbourne’s maestros of kids’ comedy return to the Festival.

Tyler Tolman will be sharing with you the latest science and what is actually causing our bodies to regenerate, renew, rebuild and restore; called RejuvenEssence.

In her brilliant debut hour, Sarah questions how this girl is being raised and reflects on her own upbringing, identity and sexuality.

A stand-up comedy night presenting Australia’s funniest young comedians.

A heartfelt-comedy about family, culture and the strength of women. “Joyful, and laugh-out-loud funny from start to end…” Suzy Wrong

Geraldine does things like mushroom hunting now, even though she doesn’t really like Mushrooms. Clearly things are going well.

Claire’s favourite dinosaur is a Pterodactyl. Other favourite things include going to Aldi, her murderous goldfish Gavin, fighting the patriarchy, and cheese. 

Tom doesn’t have a real job any more. Please come and give him some of your hard-earned money in exchange for the product of laughter.

Tommy Little is a genius. He has the nude bungee jumps, broken bones and shit tattoos to prove it.

Warning: Some of the advice contained in this show may jeopardise your future personal and financial security. Attendance is compulsory ?

Mark Watson – sporting a cupboard full of UK awards, a famously high joke-rate and a lightning-fast metabolism – returns to his adopted home with the show that stormed the Edinburgh Fringe.

This 1-day festival will raise funds used to help young Australians with disabilities fulfil their potential through their grant program.

Join one of the UK’s finest comedians for a show exploring the difficulty of finding out who you are in such a rapidly changing world.

Learn about the period of travel and the impact on Calder’s progression from a painter who made his living sketching and making toys to creating work that critics would describe as ‘drawing in space

The screening is the must-see documentary TransMilitary that explores the experience of some of the 10-15,000 transgender people that currently serve in the U.S. military

Everyone assumes Joe’s money has bought him happiness, but what he really needs is a friend.

In this conversation, presented in partnership with Human Rights Watch, we’ll focus on some key issues and priorities, especially relating to disability rights in the region and in conflict zones.

Alexander S. C. Rower is President of Calder Foundation and grandson of the artist.

Everyone assumes Joe’s money has bought him happiness, but what he really needs is a friend.

As both an artist and activist, Julie McNamara (Artistic Director of Vital Xposure) has a unique voice in Disability Arts internationally.

Join Melbourne’s Arts Industry at the iconic Comedy Theatre on the 1st of April as we celebrate and applaud the achievements of our talented peers.

Includes a Q&A with film-maker Lynn-Maree Milburn and NGV curator Beckett Rozentals.

The Casey Kids Carnival is a free day of activities for children of all ages. The event will include live performers, rides, interactive games, roving entertainers, face painters, art and crafts and live animals

Carly Findlay and Lee Kofman are both authors of new memoirs that examine how our bodies shape who we become, and what it’s like to look different.

Funny, moving, surprising and engaging, Queerstories has been selling out shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, bringing storytellers from all walks of life to the stage.

WITH: Carly Findlay, Rebecca Lim, Hope Muthambu, Danielle Binks. Anthologies can be a wonderful way of networking, increasing your literary footprint, contributing to causes you believe in, sharing your experiences, or even starting a writing career.

Hundreds of everyday guitarists from across Melbourne take over Hamer Hall in one epic free concert, playing alongside a line-up of Aussie music legends. 

Based on a true story, Picasso and His Dog tells the heart-warming tale of a man and his dog, and the art that their friendship inspired.

The Darebin Community & Kite Festival is an outdoor cultural and community celebration and perennial favourite.

Come celebrate this global day with words and wonder! There will also be a display of storytelling books and resources.

Fresh from London’s West End, the boys are back in town with a dazzling new show, featuring their trademark heart-stopping blend of insanely talented cabaret burlesque, comic capery and circus to die for – all with punkish swagger. 

This provocative, bold dance theatre work examines just what it is that makes us human in a desensitised age.

World Problems is a funny and poetic reflection of our monolithic, interconnected world

This a ticketed event that brings the entire community together to celebrate Ballarat’s wonderful diversity!

Based on a true story, Picasso and His Dog tells the heart-warming tale of a man and his dog, and the art that their friendship inspired.

Funny, moving, surprising and engaging, Queerstories has been selling out shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, bringing storytellers from all walks of life to the stage.

A sweeping, operatic dance of bodies, words and women.

The Storytime program is for children aged 3-5 years, their parents and carers.

Joel Bray is black. Well, he’s white, but black. Y’know? He’s trapped in a hotel room somewhere in Melbourne and you, the audience, are trapped with him.

Refik Anadol is world-renowned for exploring the relationship between art and machine intelligence.

At a time when the majority of the world’s population is urban, climate change presents grave new risks for the world’s cities and forces city folks to figure out how to survive.

Do you remember your first dance? From baby steps and blue-light discos to bridal waltzes and professional debuts, First Dance takes you back to that exhilarating, nerve-wracking or fun moment that you may not even recall.

Featuring diverse emerging and established local and international publishers, artists and writers.

Come to Banyule’s annual Kids Arts Festival where everyone gets to play, create, experiment and have fun!

Come and see the culturally vibrant and diverse community of Casey. 

Featuring diverse emerging and established local and international publishers, artists and writers.

As part of Melbourne Design Week, John Wardle introduces audiences to the development of the project and its re-creation at NGV Australia.

Four First Nation female artists, each from a different Country within Australia, invite you to share in a conversation that they have been yarning about for years.

Design and museum professionals discuss the opportunities that a collaborative approach to the presentation of art and design brings, reframing the past to connect to the future.

‘Don’t feed the trolls’ – it’s the conventional wisdom of the internet. But who are the trolls? What motivates them? And, beyond ignoring them, how do we limit the destruction they wreak on people’s lives?

ChillOut, Australia’s number one Queer Country Pride festival, ­is held in the gay capital of regional Victoria – Daylesford – in Hepburn Shire.

Trocadero Art Space and Loving Feminist Literature are excited to present an afternoon of feminist performance as part of Love Letters To Feminisms | International Women’s Day GCP and in celebration of International Women’s Day

Allan Campbell examines the significance of place in the life and work of Hans and Nora Heysen.

Opening of exhibition – “Becoming” – celebrating ageing and challenges ageism through creativity, community and connection.

Free and accessible, it’s an evening out for all with a perfect blend of celebration and revolution – because why shouldn’t they exist as one?

Learn Hip Hop with the young crew from Urban Youth in a 50 minute masterclass. Bring your friends or join complete strangers, and dance to you drop.

The Lady in the Van is a mostly true story of the fascinating relationship between the award-winning British writer and his long-term guest.

Woven’ is an interactive performance that links the audience, performers and the environment together to create a shared experience

Temporal Proximities features work by contemporary Australian artists

How much of our best writing, art and music do we owe to crushes, and the intensity they lend to our days and nights? And, actually, how much of our worst?

Meaningful relationships often begin with the sharing of food. During Refuge Lab 2019, take a seat at the table with INASI, an old Tongan festivity of the first harvest.

Join radio producers and presenters Areej Nur and Samira Farah to unpack the process of curation and the often inaccessible structures in programming within Melbourne artistic institutions.

The Fair Play Symposium focuses on tangible ways to improve equity and inclusive practice in the Victorian creative industries.

The Fair Play Symposium focuses on tangible ways to improve equity and inclusive practice in the Victorian creative industries.