Victorian College of the Arts (VCA)

At the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) we help students realise their potential, find their voice and contribute meaningfully to a global community of creative practice.

The VCA is known internationally as a leading tertiary institution for artistic invention. It has a proven track record of developing the change-makers of the future as evidenced by the achievements of its alumni. The VCA today offers a unique range of programs across the visual arts, performing arts and media, taught by staff who are experts in their fields.

The VCA is co-located with the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music on the University of Melbourne’s Southbank campus in the heart of Melbourne’s Arts Precinct. We respectfully acknowledge the people of the Boonwurrung and the Woi Wurrung, who have danced their dances, sung their songs and lived their culture on this land for tens of thousands of years.

VCA director's message

In this video, Professor Emma Redding, Director of the Victorian College of the Arts, welcomes you to our unique institution in the heart of Melbourne's Arts Precinct.

Our heritage

The Faculty was created in 2009 following the amalgamation of the University's Faculty of Music and Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts. It was renamed the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music in 2018 to reflect the primary undergraduate degree structures offered by the Faculty: the Bachelor of Fine Arts and the Bachelor of Music.

The Faculty is also home to the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development, which works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to identify, recruit and support potential and practicing Indigenous Artists to study and refine their academic and artistic skills.

The VCA was established in 1972 with the School of Art, which continued the lineage of the National Gallery of Victoria Art School, founded in 1867. This was followed by the creation of the School of Music in 1974, the School of Drama in 1976, the School of Dance in 1978 and Film and Television in 1992.

Our campus

Situated within in the centre of the arts district in the vibrant city of Melbourne, the VCA provides fertile ground for interdisciplinary research, practice and learning. We share the University of Melbourne's Southbank campus with our valued colleagues and peers from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, on land occupied by more than 1,000 generations of Australia’s first peoples.

The Stables and Art Studios
Performing Arts Buildings
Film and Television Building

Our disciplines

Acting and Theatre

Strengthen your performance and devising skills. Explore acting, devising, writing, dramaturgy and staging, with intensive, project-based learning. Enjoy and be challenged by collaborative practice on national and international productions.
View details about Acting and Theatre

Creative Arts Therapy

Combine dance or drama with skills in health and wellbeing to become a registered creative arts therapist. This graduate study teaches you to engage with clients across the lifespan while undertaking clinical placements in diverse settings.
View details about Creative Arts Therapy

Dance

Become part of the future of Australian dance. Prepare for a creatively and technically challenging career. Learn skills in contemporary and classical dance, across performance and choreography.
View details about Dance

Design and Production

Train to become a world-class production designer, technician or manager by specialising in technical production or design fields. Prepare for work in live performance, events, or film and television.
View details about Design and Production

Film and Television

Explore animation, screenwriting, direction and editing. Collaborate on an industry-standard short film. Develop critical analysis and apply it to your work as a cinematographer, director or editor. Engage with the broader history of screen culture.
View details about Film and Television

Indigenous Arts and Culture

Study with the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development. Through independent research, develop advanced skills in Indigenous arts and culture. Explore performance, writing, film, video or multimedia.
View details about Indigenous Arts and Culture

Music Theatre

Build on your talent to become an industry-ready, professional performer. Train in singing, acting and dancing, both individually and in combination. Develop your sense of individual expression through public performance.
View details about Music Theatre

Visual Art

Immerse yourself in studio-based practice. Experiment with concepts, materials, techniques and processes. Prepare for a career as a visual artist, or in a related field, like art curation, preserving artwork or design.
View details about Visual Art

Writing

Adopt an audience-driven perspective. Write for formats including film, television, gaming and online. Learn to interpret and apply critical analysis. Collaborate with peers to bring productions to life.
View details about Writing

News from the VCA

VCA50 Creative Development Grants: Enabling artists to innovate and inspire

10 June 2025
A creative practice grants scheme for graduates of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) has recently been significantly expanded to support 16 talented artists this year....
  • Victorian College of the Arts
  • Giving
View article for VCA50 Creative Development Grants: Enabling artists to innovate and inspire

VCA graduate and John Truscott Prize winner Ishan Vivekanantham designs ‘The Lyrebird’s Voice’ for Victorian Opera

29 May 2025
Master of Design and Production graduate, Ishan Vivekanantham is the 2024-2025 winner of the John Truscott Prize. This prize is part of a new, five-year collaboration with the...
  • Design
  • Production
  • Victorian College of the Arts
View article for VCA graduate and John Truscott Prize winner Ishan Vivekanantham designs ‘The Lyrebird’s Voice’ for Victorian Opera

Vivid, thrilling and ghastly: new theatrical adaptation of The Birds evokes climate disaster, terrorism and lockdown

29 May 2025
Malthouse’s new production of The Birds is a thrillingly realised take on the 1952 short story by Daphne Du Maurier. Adapted by Louise Fox and directed by Matthew Lutton, this...
  • Theatre
  • Victorian College of the Arts
View article for Vivid, thrilling and ghastly: new theatrical adaptation of The Birds evokes climate disaster, terrorism and lockdown

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Research at the VCA

Undertake scholarly, studio or performance-based research and practice within the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. Discover opportunities for collaborative and interdisciplinary development.

Explore our research