The Performing Arts Collection at the Arts Centre, Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 is the largest specialist performing arts collection in Australia, with over 450,000 items relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre in Australia and of Australian performers overseas.

Highlights of the collections

• the Australian Archives of the Dance
  Australian Archives of the Dance
  The Australian Archives of the Dance is Australia’s oldest specialist dance archive. Established by The Australian Ballet in 1972, the Archive was transferred to the Performing Arts Collection of the Melbourne Arts Centre in 1998.-Collection:The Archive includes over 50,000 items covering the...
  
  
• The Australian Ballet Collection
• J.C. Williamson Theatres Ltd Collection
• Nellie Melba
  Nellie Melba
  Dame Nellie Melba GBE , born Helen "Nellie" Porter Mitchell, was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century...
  
   collections, including the Nellie Melba Stage Wardrobe and the John Lemmone Collection
• Kylie Minogue
  Kylie Minogue
  Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
  
   Collection
• Nick Cave
  Nick Cave
  Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
  
   Collection
• Peter Allen
  Peter Allen
  Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
  
   Collection
• Juke Magazine Archive
• Ashton Family Circuses Collection
• Kristian Fredrikson
  Kristian Fredrikson
  Kristian Fredrikson was a New Zealand-born Australian stage and costume designer working in ballet, opera and other performing arts. His work was acclaimed for its sumptuous, jewel-like quality, and a sensuous level of detail....
  
   Collection
• Kenneth Rowell Collection

Exhibitions

The Performing Arts Collection holds frequent exhibitions in its galleries (Gallery 1, Gallery 2, St Kilda Road Foyer Gallery and Smorgan Family Plaza). Exhibitions subjects have included AC/DC

AC/DC

AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...

, Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue

Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...

, Peter Allen

Peter Allen

Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...

, and Nick Cave

Nick Cave

Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...

.

Virtual Galleries

• Icon Gallery
• Kylie: the costume collection
• Leading Ladies
• Drawn, Worn, Reborn : the Split Enz Costume Collection
• Rock Snaps : Photographs from the Laurie Richards Collection
• Fools’ Paradise
• A Step in Time : 40 Years of The Australian Ballet
• Sidney Myer Music Bowl : 50th Anniversary

External links

• Collections & Research, the Arts Centre, Melbourne

37°49′13"S 144°58′6"E