University of Melbourne and Arts Centre Melbourne strengthen ties through new partnership

From L-R: Professor Richard Kurth, Professor Sara Wills, Fiona Poletti, Professor Marie Sierra, Professor Emma Redding, Tammy Willenberg, and Mark Baldwin.
From L-R: Professor Richard Kurth, Professor Sara Wills, Fiona Poletti, Professor Marie Sierra, Professor Emma Redding, Tammy Willenberg, and Mark Baldwin.

The University of Melbourne and Arts Centre Melbourne are delighted to announce a new partnership, set to foster cultural development within the Melbourne Arts Precinct and beyond.

This partnership builds on a longstanding relationship between the two organisations, driven by a shared commitment to promoting connection, artistic innovation, and collaboration in the Arts Precinct.

Five priorities underpin the partnership:

  • Precinct and Place
  • Training and Learning
  • Indigenous Knowledges
  • Research, and
  • Programming and Venues

These priorities will be realised through the development of new collaborative projects, enriched learning experiences for students, and platforms for cultural collaboration and interdisciplinary research.

This partnership extends existing collaborations, which have provided opportunities for University of Melbourne students from the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation to work on projects with significant holdings from Arts Centre Melbourne’s Australian Performing Arts Collection (APAC), such as the remarkable Akira Isogawa costumes acquired from the Sydney Dance Company wardrobe.

Formalising this agreement will also enhance career pathways for University of Melbourne students from the Victorian College of the Arts and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, providing them with professional development opportunities, hands-on industry experience, and unrivalled access to Arts Centre Melbourne’s state-of-the-art performance facilities.

VCA Music Theatre students performing on Arts Centre Melbourne's State Theatre stage in Morning Melodies.

This announcement comes at a pivotal moment for both organisations, as they reaffirm their commitment to integrating Indigenous Knowledges into research, engagement, and teaching practices and seek to create a culturally safe space for First Nations people and artists in the Precinct.

This work is underpinned by the University of Melbourne’s recently launched Indigenous Strategy, Murmuk Djerring, and complemented by Arts Centre Melbourne’s appointment of Troy Walsh as Executive Director of First Nations, Equity, and Inclusion.

The University of Melbourne is a significant cultural institution holding sizeable collections and a network of more than 15 museums and galleries, each playing a vital role in teaching, research, and student engagement, as well as benefiting local and global communities.

Through its partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne, the University will enhance its cultural offerings and further establish Melbourne's reputation as one of the world's premier cities of culture.

University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global Culture & Engagement, Professor Michael Wesley, said: “We’re proud to partner with our colleagues at Arts Centre Melbourne to deliver new projects that will enhance the cultural life of our city.

“By strengthening this relationship, we not only broaden prospects for our students and researchers but also reinforce the University of Melbourne’s standing as a global hub for arts, culture, and Indigenous knowledge.”

Arts Centre Melbourne Chief Executive Officer Karen Quinlan AM said: “This partnership builds on a longstanding relationship between the two organisations, driven by a shared commitment to education, connection, artistic innovation, and collaboration. I look forward to seeing a wide-reaching impact on training and learning, First Nations knowledge, programming and research.”