Melbourne Arts Precinct facts for kids

The Melbourne Arts Precinct is a special area in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It's in the Southbank part of the city. This area is full of amazing places for art and performances. You can find art galleries, theatres, and music halls here. Many of these places, like Arts Centre Melbourne and the National Gallery of Victoria, get money from the government to help them run. The precinct also has offices and schools for people who work in the arts. Right now, a big change is happening. They are building a huge new art gallery called The Fox: NGV Contemporary. It will be Australia's largest gallery for modern art!

History of the Arts Precinct

In 2008, the Government of Victoria (the state government) announced a big plan. They said the Arts Precinct would get a huge upgrade worth A$128 million. A main part of this plan was to make Hamer Hall much better.

In 2009, two new buildings opened: the Melbourne Recital Centre and the MTC Theatre. These buildings were so well designed that they won a top award for public buildings in Australia!

In 2014, the Victorian government created a plan called the Melbourne Arts Precinct Blueprint. This plan helped them decide what they wanted the precinct to look like in the future. It also helped them choose which new projects were most important.

Later, in 2018, the Victorian government announced an even bigger plan. They would invest A$208 million to start a major makeover of the precinct. This included building a brand new modern art gallery, which would be part of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). They also planned to improve the State Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne. Plus, they would create lots of new public spaces for everyone to enjoy. To build the new gallery, they bought a building at 77 Southbank Boulevard and planned to take it down.

The money for this project grew even more! In 2020, it went up to A$1.46 billion. By November 2021, it had reached A$1.7 billion. This shows how important this project is to the state.

What You'll Find Here

The Melbourne Arts Precinct is located in Southbank, mainly around St Kilda Road. It's different from other theatre areas in the city. Most of the art galleries and performance venues here get money from the government. This means they are funded by the public.

Many arts groups also have their offices, TV and radio studios, and training schools in this area.

The Big Transformation Project

The huge makeover project, which started in 2018, is being managed by a new group. This group is called the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co). They are also in charge of making Federation Square a better place. In 2022, Katrina Sedgwick became the first leader of MAP Co.

In April 2022, it was announced that the new art gallery would be called The Fox: NGV Contemporary. This name honors Lindsay Fox and his wife Paula Fox. They gave a very generous A$100 million donation to help build the gallery.

The design for the new gallery was chosen through a big competition. A team of architects and designers, led by Angelo Candalepas and Associates, won the competition.

Public Art and Performance Places

Here are some of the amazing places you can visit in the Melbourne Arts Precinct:

• Arts Centre Melbourne: This huge place includes Hamer Hall (for concerts), the State Theatre, the Playhouse, and the Fairfax Studio.
• National Gallery of Victoria: A famous art museum.
• Victorian College of the Arts: This college has several venues like Grant Street Theatre and the Margaret Lawrence Gallery.
• Buxton Contemporary: A gallery for modern art.
• Southbank Theatre: Home to the Melbourne Theatre Company.
• Melbourne Recital Centre: A great place to hear music.
• Iwaki Auditorium: Located at the ABC Centre.
• Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA): Its building is also called Ngargee, which is a local Indigenous word meaning "gathering for celebration."
• The Coopers Malthouse: A theatre known for new and exciting plays.
• Sidney Myer Music Bowl: An outdoor music venue.
• Federation Square: This popular spot includes The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, ACMI (a museum about movies and digital art), and the Koorie Heritage Trust.

Arts Administration and Education

Many important arts organizations and schools are also located in the precinct:

• ABC Centre of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: This includes Studio 31 and is home to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO).
• The Australian Ballet: Australia's national ballet company, including the Australian Ballet School.
• Chunky Move: A contemporary dance company.
• Creative Victoria: A government body that supports the arts.
• Melbourne Conservatorium of Music: A music school.
• Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC).
• Malthouse Theatre.
• Musica Viva: An organization that promotes chamber music.
• Victorian College of the Arts (University of Melbourne): A leading arts college.
• Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS): A high school for talented young artists.

See also

• List of theatres in the Melbourne City Centre
• Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation