Australia Day @ Arts Centre Melbourne
War Horse
The National Theatre of Great Britain’s smash hit production, War Horse, is at Arts Centre Melbourne for its Australian premiere season. War Horse has won numerous prestigious awards and played to packed houses in London and New York. War Horse is a magnificent drama which tells the heart-wrenching story of Joey, the beloved horse of a boy named Albert. Sold to the cavalry at the outbreak of World War I and shipped to France, Joey is soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey. At its heart are astonishing life-size puppets, created by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, who bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to life on the stage.
Times: 2pm and 7:30pm
Venue: State Theatre
Tickets: Premium: $109.90 - $129.90
A-Reserve: $89.90 - $119.90
B-Reserve: $79.90 - $89.90
Book at the box office, at www.artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183
War Horse Workshop - National Theatre Puppetry Workshop
Devised by puppeteers and actors from the National Theatre, this workshop is designed to give students hands-on experience and understanding of how to create characters through the use of puppetry techniques employed in the production of War Horse.
Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm prior to 2pm performance
Venue: Amcor Lounge
Tickets: $15
Suitable for ages 10-16 (an adult must accompany children under the age of 12)
Bookings essential at the box office, at www.artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183
War Horse and The Breath of Life
A substantial collaborative exhibition developed with the National Theatre, London to support the Arts Centre Melbourne season of War Horse. The exhibition brings together the best elements of the National Theatre's exhibition Staging War Horse to be displayed alongside wonderful examples of contemporary Australian puppetry from the Performing Arts Collection and Melbourne physical theatre companies. The principal theme of this joint exhibition is how puppets are brought to life by artists, designers, puppeteers and actors, focusing on stories of life and death and the companionship of animals. War Horse and The Breath of Life features puppets of all kinds, animatronic creatures, costumes, films, photographs, original designs and purpose-built interactives.
Time: 9am until late
Venue: Gallery 1
FREE
Oh Suivant!
D’Irque sits down at his table to bring you a fresh and intimate circus experience. With his table and a chair, bouncing balls and accompanied by pianist Fien, D’Irque combines stunning circus techniques with simple theatrical elegance. Everyday objects combine with virtuoso juggling, risky acrobatics and humour. A funny, touching show that is suitable for all ages.
Time: 11am and 2pm
Venue: Fairfax Studio
Tickets: $20
Book at the box office, at www.artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183
Leo
What would happen if the laws of gravity were to suddenly change? Leo is a mind-bending, funny, surreal, and surprisingly touching work that challenges the senses and tests perceptions of reality through the clever interplay of live performance and video projection. The newest creation of the innovative Berlin-based Circle of Eleven, Leo leaves audience members wondering which way is up and which way is down.
Venue: Fairfax Studio
Time: 8pm
Tickets: From $25
Suitable for ages 10+
Book at the box office, at www.artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183
BLAZE – The Streetdance Sensation
A collection of pure talent; BLAZE is the show that brings the raw energy of street and break dance together with some of the most advanced digital projection and the hottest music in the world. With the success of shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Australia's Got Talent, our appetite for street dance is booming and now in their first ever tour of Australia, the BLAZE crew are heading to Hamer Hall for this must-see event.
Times: 3pm and 8pm
Venue: Hamer Hall
Tickets: From $ 42
Suitable for ages 8+
Book at the box office, at www.artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183
The Other Place
Described as New York’s most moving play of the year, Sharr White’s The Other Place drops you into a gripping thriller that keeps you gasping at every turn. Just as Dr Juliana Smithton’s research is leading to a potential scientific breakthrough, her life takes a disorientating twist. And from the moment she spots the girl in the yellow bikini a mystery begins to unfold that will engulf her brilliant mind. Theatre is rarely as powerful or emotionally satisfying as in this riveting drama. Multi-award-winning film director Nadia Tass returns to the stage to direct a cast led by Catherine McClements, with original compositions by Paul Grabowsky.
Warning: contains strong language and adult themes.
Time: 8pm
Venue: Playhouse
Tickets: From $33
Book at the box office, at www.artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 18
Australia Day @ Federation Square
Celebrate Australia Day at Fed Square with a free live music concert devoted to independent Aussie music. As part of the Fed Square Live summer series presented by The Push, Australia Day will feature an afternoon concert of rockin’ indie bands. During the day, The Square will be filled with a book market, community activities, free health and wellbeing classes, ACMI films on the Big Screen and the Australian Open Live Site.
Concert begins at 4.30pm
Price: Free
For more information, please visit: www.fedsquare.com
Big Screen Presentation
Throughout the day, you can view The Secret History of Melbourne. A specially curated program of rare and remarkable cinematic curios about Melbourne from its earliest days to now. From streetscapes, to the Royal Show to the football, you'll be fascinated by this unique take on our city. Presented in by ACMI and the National Film & Sound Archive. Curated by Spiro Economopoulos.
Australia Day @ Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Federation Square
Corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street, Melbourne
Australia Day Film Screenings
Times: 11am (The Sapphires) & 4pm (Picnic at Hanging Rock)
Cost: The Sapphires: Full/Concession $12, Seniors $6, ACMI Member $5
Picnic at Hanging Rock: Full/Concession $6, ACMI Member $5
Celebrate Australia Day at ACMI Cinemas with screenings of two special films – a modern gem in Wayne Blair’s crowd-pleasing, foot-tapping The Sapphires and an iconic classic in Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock, adapted from Joan Lindsay’s famous novel. Both will be screening in 35mm prints.
For further information: Phone 03 8662 2200 Email: info@acmi.net.au Website: www.acmi.net.au/film
Australia Day @ NGV International
Summer is best spent indoors! The National Gallery of Victoria is bursting with things to see and do at NGV Australia on Australia Day – and everyone’s invited. Enjoy great art, drink, shop, learn, play or enjoy a bird’s eye view of the Yarra from our café.
For further information: www.ngv.vic.gov.au
180 St Kilda Road
Melbourne
Exhibits include:
Radiance: The Neo-Impressionists*
Thomas Demand*
Rally: Contemporary Indonesian Art – Jompet Kuswidananto & EkoNugroho
Ballet & Fashion
Confounding: Contemporary Photography
The Four Horsemen: Apocalypse, Death and Disaster
Kids Space: An Excellent Adventure
*exhibition admission fees apply
Dates: All exhibitions open Australia Day and public holiday: Sat 26, Sun 27 & Mon 28 Jan
Times: 10am – 5pm
Cost: Admission to the NGV Collection is free. Entry fees apply to some special exhibitions.
Australia Day @ The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
Location: Federation Square, Corner Flinders and Swanston Street, Melbourne
Summer is best spent indoors! The National Gallery of Victoria is bursting with things to see and do at NGV Australia on Australia Day – and everyone’s invited. Enjoy great art, drink, shop, learn, play or enjoy a bird’s eye view of the Yarra from our café.
For further information: www.ngv.vic.gov.au
Exhibits include:
Jeff Wall Photographs*
Just sing what you feel
Negotiating this world: Contemporary Australian Art
Containment: 2012 Cicely & Colin Rigg Contemporary Design Award
NGV Studio: TEES
*exhibition admission fees apply
Dates: All exhibitions open Australia Day and public holiday: Sat 26, Sun 27 & Mon 28 Jan
Times: 10am – 5pm
Cost: Admission to the NGV Collection is free. Entry fees apply to some special exhibitions.
Australia Day @ Australian Centre or Contemporary Art
111 Sturt Street, Southbank
EVENT ACTIVITY: Desire Lines
DATES: 15 Dec – 3 March 2012
TIMES: Tuesday – Friday 10am-5pm, weekends 11am-6pm, Mondays by appt.
COST: Free
Artists take us off the beaten path and along the road less traveled in Desire Lines, a major survey exhibition that investigates the physical, conceptual and psychological tracks created by artists.
FOR FURTHER INFO: WWW.ACCAONLINE.ORG.AU TEL: 9697 9999
Photo: Francis Alys, The Guards, 2005
Australia Day @ Melbourne Aquarium
Corner King and Flinders Streets
Melbourne (Melways Reference 43 F10)
Activity Name: Australia Day $60 Family Offer at Melbourne Aquarium
Date: Friday the 25th of January to Monday the 28th of January
Times: 9.30am- 6.00pm
Cost: $60 (for entry for 2 Adults and 2 Children)
Visit Melbourne Aquarium with your family this Australia Day and see Seahorse Pier, a whole-new exhibit housing the largest collection of seahorse and seadragon species in the world. Experience a rainbow of stunning colours and weird and wonderful creatures in their new, mystically-themed underwater wonderland.
Melbourne Aquarium is open every day of the year, from 9:30am until 6pm.
For further information, visit www.melbourneaquarium.com.au, email info@melbourneaquarium.com.au, or call 03 9923 5999
Australia Day @ Scienceworks
Location: 2 Booker Street, Spotswood
Activity Name: Carnival of Science
Date: Daily
Times: 10am – 4.30pm
Cost: Adults $16, Concessions $5, Child $6 (includes general entry to Scienceworks and entry to Carnival of Science exhibition)
Explore the science behind the sideshow – without losing the mystery of the carnival! Navigate the maze of mirrors, try the strength tester, discover the science behind your favourite sideshow alley game and much more! Perfect for curious minds aged 6 years and over.
For further information: 13 11 02 or museumvictoria.com.au
Australia Day @ Immigration Museum
400 Flinders Street
Melbourne
Exhibit: IDENTITY: Yours, Mine, Ours
Open daily 10am- 5pm
Cost: Adults $10 Children Free Concessions Free
Take a fresh and challenging look at personal identity – who we are, who others think we are, and what it means to belong and not belong in Australia. The exhibition focuses on how our cultural heritage, languages, beliefs and family connections influence our self-perceptions and our perceptions of other people.
For further information: Museumvictoria.com.au 13 11 02
Australia Day @ IMAX Melbourne Museum
Location: Carlton Gardens
11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Activity Name: The Last Reef 3D
Date: Daily
Time: Open daily 10am - 10pm, session times on website
Cost: Adults $18 Child $13.50
Concessions $14.50, Family $55 (2 adults, 2 children)
Fly across iridescent tropical reefs, brush through a cloud of a million jellyfish, visit an alien world where the closer you look, the more you see,
The Last Reef 3D showcases the magnificence of coral reefs around the world, whilst highlighting the effects of industry on our life sustaining oceans.
For further information: www.imaxmelbourne.com.au 03 9663 5454
Australia Day @ Melbourne Museum
Address: Carlton Gardens
11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Birds of a Feather, holiday program
Date: Daily
Times: Open daily 10am- 5pm
Cost: Adults $10 Children & Concessions $5
Live Performance: Waa & the Seven Sisters. Come and enjoy a live performance filled with laughter, dance and song, whilst you travel back in time and discover one of Koorie Victoria’s most beloved Aboriginal creation stories. Three performances daily 11am, 1pm & 1pm.
There will be lots of ‘Bird’ activities going on, including making and decorating your own Eagle glider to take home. You can also Download our new Time Lens apps and play this game to discover the treasures and gems around the museum.
For further information visit www.museumvictoria.com.au or call 13 11 02
Australia Day @ Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne
Location: Woodland Picnic Area
Exact Location Cnr Ballarto Road and Botanic Drive, Cranbourne
Melways ref: 133 K10
Activity Name Family Nature Ride
Date 26 January 2013
Time 10am-12pm
Cost FREE
Celebrate Australia Day with a relaxing ride through stunning native bushland. Grab your bikes and pedal along this easy 6km loop while looking out for native Australian wildlife. Get tips from Bicycle Network Victoria about riding safely and information about your local bike paths. Suitable for all ages. Picnic facilities and playground available.
Further information Call (03) 5990 2200 or visit www.rbg.vic.gov.au
Australia Day @ Melbourne Town Hall
90 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Free event
Completed in 1870, the Melbourne Town Hall has a fascinating history as the heart of the city’s cultural and civic life. Experience the grandeur of the wood-panelled Council Chamber, stand on the Portico where the Beatles waved, and sit in the Lord Mayor's chair. The tours run for 1 hour 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. To book phone 9658 9658 or email townhalltour@melbourne.vic.gov.au. Bookings recommended as numbers are limited.
Australia Day @ Big Day Out
Flemington Racecourse
Epsom Road, Flemington
From 11am
Melbourne Big Day Out music festival is located on the gorgeous green surrounds of Flemington Racecourse. For more information visit; http://www.bigdayout.com.