| Venue| Flinders Street Station Ballroom |
| --- | --- |
| Festival Dates| Wed 26 May—Sun 6 June 1PM—11PM (Last entry at 10.20PM) | 
| New Dates| Mon 7 June—Wed 30 June 10AM—8PM (Last entry at 7.20PM) | 
| Accessibility Services | Audio Described tour on Sun 30 May, 1PM. Please contact our Ticketing team on 03 9662 4242 or via [email](mailto:ticketing@rising.melbourne) to book a spot |
| Duration | Please allow 1 hour for exploration |
| Price | $32—$36 + booking fee, persons under 12 enter free |
| Note | Closed public holidays |


Event Information

Entry is via Flinders Street Station at the Elizabeth Street end, near the Boost Juice.

ACCESSIBLE PARKING 

Street accessible parking bays are available on Flinders Street opposite the entrance to the Station. 

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

A major taxi rank is opposite the station on Flinders Street, and also on Swanston Street outside Flinders Street Station.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE 

A DDA compliant ramp will provide access from street level at the main entry point on Flinders Street. Lift access is available to Level 3 and there is one accessible toilet on this level. Guest Services Staff will be available to visitors who require any assistance. 

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM

There is an accessible bathroom located on the third floor. There is also an accessible automatic toilet available on Flinders Street close to the exhibition entrance.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 250m.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: The exhibition is housed within Flinders Street Station, which provides access to all Melbourne metro services.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Stop 5: Flinders Street Station, Swanston St (routes 35, 70 and 75) is directly in front of the station building housing the exhibition. Stop 13: Flinders Street Station (routes 1, 3, 3a, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72) is adjacent to the station on Swanston Street.

Venue Access

__Q. Is the exhibition suitable for children and families?__

A. This is a subjective question–we think Patricia Piccinini’s fantastical creatures inspire curiosity and empathy. The themes of the exhibition include resilience, care and an optimistic future. You know your kids and family best and what’s appropriate for them. We suggest checking out her [previous work](https://www.patriciapiccinini.net/495/76#) on her website and maybe [doing a google](https://www.google.com/search?q=patricia+piccinini&sxsrf=ALeKk00ecgVu3fmr5KxAuhzAe-MvR9x13Q:1615324545199&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZktrtkKTvAhWL4jgGHbdsAucQ_AUoAXoECBoQAw&biw=1900&bih=798). 

__Q. Who are the authorised ticket sellers for this event?__

A. RISING is the only authorised ticket seller for the exhibition at Flinders Street Station. 

__Q. My preferred time/day is sold out. Can I just show up?__

A. A small number of walk-up tickets will be available on the day at our Town Hall box office. We will also be releasing more sessions, which we can notify you about if you sign up to our Moon Mail.   

__Q. What time do I need to arrive before my session?__

A. As we are staggering entry to manage numbers, we ask that you arrive as close as possible to your allocated time.   

__Q. Is there wheelchair access to the venue?__

A. Yes, there is. Further information on how to access the venue will be provided to ticket holders closer to the event. 

Frequently Asked Questions

We are working with the Victorian Government and the Department of Health to deliver a COVID-Safe event for visitors, artists and staff. Find out what we're doing [here](https://rising.melbourne/covid-safe). 

COVID-Safe Information

Lead artist: Patricia Piccinini

Company: Drome Studio

Artistic Team

This program was supported by the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an  Australian Government initiative.

Commissioned by RISING.

Supporters

Trains speed in and out of Flinders Street Station, cutting through what were once the Birrarung’s fertile banks teeming with diverse species. But hidden above the station’s platforms, new life forms are emerging.

After holding Melbourne’s imagination for decades, the mysterious Flinders Street Station ballroom (and its surrounding hidden rooms) will open to the public to become *A Miracle Constantly Repeated*—an eco-system of hyper-real silicone sculptures, video, sound and light devised by Patricia Piccinini.

Working on the border of art and science, Piccinini has spent close to three decades exploring humanity’s relationship to technology and the environment. Her work has been exhibited at major Australian and international institutions and events including the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane; and the Vancouver and Venice biennales.

For her first extensive hometown show in almost two decades, Australia’s foremost visual artist will augment the ballroom’s architecture with enormous dioramas, sentient saplings, nurturing marine mammals and enormous life-sustaining foliage.

In *A Miracle Constantly Repeated*, technology and nature coexist and combine. It’s an empathetic vision of the future built on resilience and care.

Midtown

Flinders Street Station Ballroom

Comedy Theatre 

Melbourne Town Hall

Chapter House

  Max Watts

The Capitol

Artist Bar

PP Field

No Fear of Depths

PP Curious Imaginings

PP Couple

PP Life clings closest

PP perhaps

PP untitled

Hidden for decades, Flinders Street Station’s mysterious ballroom opens its doors for Australia’s pre-eminent visual artist.

Patricia Piccinini

A Miracle Constantly Repeated

| Venue | Sidney Myer Music Bowl |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 26 May—Sun 6 June; Sun—Thu, 5.30PM—11PM (Last entry at 10PM); Fri—Sat, 5.30PM—midnight (Last entry at 11PM) |
| Accessible Services |  Please look at the Venue Access drop-down for information on mobility around the site. Companion Card holders are eligible for a complimentary companion ticket. Please contact our Ticketing team on 03 9662 4242 or via [email](mailto:ticketing@rising.melbourne) to book | 
| Price | The Wilds only—$15, The Wilds + skating—$35 + booking fee|
| Duration | Please allow 1.5 hours for exploration. Total skating time is 40 mins (incl. getting boots, signing waiver and 20mins of skating time)) |
| Note | Children under the age of 2 may be admitted without a ticket. Children under seven must be accompanied by an ice-skating parent or guardian


A bespoke pathway has been created that meanders through the Bowl grounds. Due to existing slopes within the venue and the length of this one-way path (1.8-2km), this event requires assisted access for wheelchair users and those with restricted mobility.

If you have accessibility requirements you are encouraged to book a free companion ticket, so that a friend or carer may assist you along the pathway. There will be numerous rest points available along the journey and event staff available to assist if required. Please call 03 9662 4242 or email [ticketing@rising.melbourne](mailto:ticketing@rising.melbourne) to book.

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

There are four 4-hr wheelchair accessible parking spaces available on Linlithgow Avenue at the bottom of Gate 1. Alternatively the Arts Centre Melbourne Car Park is approximately 10 minutes from the entrance to the Bowl and has wheelchair accessible parking available on the bottom level.

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

There is no formal drop off area onsite, however there is a small break in parking with curb cut access on Linlithgow Avenue at the bottom of Gate 1, which can be used for a quick drop off if needed.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

Gates 1 and 1A.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

Accessible toilets are located behind the Tier E stalls seating and near Gate 1, behind the lawn deck area.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

1800—2000m.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train stop: Flinders Street Station is a short tram ride of 10-15 minute walk from the venue. Outside Flinders Street Station, trams travel south on St Kilda Road to the venue.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Tram stops along St Kilda Road are wheelchair accessible, however not all trams servicing those stops are low floor. Tram tracker has information as to which tram will be a low floor tram.


*The Wilds* has timed and staggered entry for lower capacity limits to allow physical distancing. RISING is implementing contact tracing through digital check-ins using QR codes. 

Floor markers and signage will be in place to remind visitors to remain 1.5m apart and sanitiser stations will be at entry and exit points.

We are working with the Victorian Government and the Department of Health to deliver a COVID-Safe event for visitors, artists and staff. Find out what we're doing [here](https://rising.melbourne/covid-safe). 

Covid-Safe Information

Designer: Matt Adey

Cave Urban: Jed Long and Juan Pablo Pinto

Museum of the Moon: Luke Jerram

Arc ZERO Eclipse: James Tapscott


Nature has taken over the entire Sidney Myer Music Bowl, transforming its iconic amphitheatre into a supernatural forest of ice, art, music and moonlight. 

Enter through a bamboo forest and encounter mirrored illusions, architectural tunnels of light, large-scale sculpture, video art and the return of a beloved tradition—ice-skating on the bowl’s stage.    

From devouring cult snacks by the fire and fine dining in the atrium, to moving in and through artworks, or ice skating to a DJ beneath Luke Jerram’s giant *Museum of the Moon*, *The Wilds* is a one-way ticket to elemental experiences. Rug up and get lost. 

Find out more about ice-skating at [*Rinky Dink*](/festival-program/rinky-dink), then book below. Ice skating and *The Wilds* can only be booked together.

Arts Precinct

Sidney Myer Music Bowl

Arts Centre Melbourne

Hamer Hall

  Malthouse Workshop

Melbourne Recital Centre

  NGV International

Queensbridge Square

The Wilds 

Museum of the Moon

Ice Skating Lessons at Sidney Myer Music Bowl

Robert ‘Dipper’ Domenico skating at the Bowl, July 1984

Slivers of light flicker through a bamboo forest, moving and swaying to the beat. Architectural tunnels lead you through mirrored fields and roaring fires, to an ice rink lit by a giant moon.  

In partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne

Hold up! Do you want to book ice-skating as part of your experience of *The Wilds*?

Please note: You can book both standalone tickets to *The Wilds*, OR packages including ice-skating below. 

All ice-skating packages include admission to *The Wilds*. Companions and guardians will not be required to book an ice-skating package in order to supervise skaters from ringside where necessary.

Children under seven must be accompanied by an ice-skating parent.

The Wilds

| Venue | Southern side of the Birrarung (Yarra River)|
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 26 May—Sun 6 June, Sunrise and Sunset |
| Price | Free, no tickets required |

Event Information 

We are working with the Victorian Government and the Department of Health to
deliver a COVID-Safe event for visitors, artists and staff. Find out what we're doing [here](https://rising.melbourne/covid-safe).

Lead Artists: Deborah Cheetham AO, Byron J Scullin, Thomas Supple 

Contributing Artists: Carolyn Connors, Dunghala Children’s Choir, Marita Dyson (The Orbweavers), James Henry, Jess Hitchcock, Charles Maimarosia, Nai Palm 

Additional Sound Design: Joe Talia 

Audio Playback System Design: James Sandri and Pete Brundle (More Studio) with Jason Read (Optical Audio)

Commissioned by RISING.  

This program was supported by the Besen Family Foundation and the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative. 

Hear the water swirl and flow. Its currents chanting all around you. The rivers are singing now, in the first and last light of the day.  

Over 6 weeks in the lead-up to RISING, *The Rivers Sing* will wind its way along the Birrarung and Maribyrnong rivers, collecting and layering the voices of singers, in this large-scale sonic artwork composed by acclaimed opera singer Deborah Cheetham AO, with artists Thomas Supple and Byron J. Scullin.  

As their journey comes to an end, the voices swell in the heart of Birrarung, uniting an urban environment of concrete and glass and the landscape that lies beneath. Echoing from the water across the streets of our city. This is our call—head to an ancient meeting place on the river’s banks at sunrise and sunset, and hear a song for the stories yet to come.  

*The Rivers Sing* began its journey down the Birrarung and Maribyrnong at the TarraWarra Museum of Art for the 2021 Biennial. 

Remaining Tour Dates:

16 – 18 April
Maribyrnong River, Essendon West near Lily Reserve
Leading into sunset.

23 – 25 April
Birrarung (Yarra) River, Abbotsford, Collingwood & Kew near Abbotsford Convent and the Collingwood Children’s Farm
Arrive by 5:15pm

30 April – 2 May
Maribyrnong River, Footscray & West Melbourne near Footscray Community Arts Centre
Arrive from 5:00pm

Birrarung

Birrarung Marr

BM: The River F&B

Herring Island

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

The River

RISING’s call in the heart of the city. A large-scale sonic artwork uniting the suburbs, the city and Country with the people who call them home.  


Deborah Cheetham AO, Byron J Scullin, Thomas Supple

The Rivers Sing

| Venue | NGV International |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 26 May and Fri 28 May, 5.30PM, 7.30PM & 9.30PM; Sun 30 May, 12.30PM & 2.30PM; Tues 1—Fri 4 June, 12.30PM and 2.30PM; Sat 5 June, 5.30PM, 7.30PM & 9.30PM; Sun 6 June, 12.30PM and 2.30PM |
| Duration | 40 minutes approx |
| Price | $45—$50 + booking fee |
| Note | Complete lockout, late attendees will not be admitted; standing room only |

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Free street parking spots for people with appropriate permits are located outside the Arts Centre Melbourne on St Kilda Road, however these spots are in high demand.

Paid accessible parking is available at the Arts Centre Melbourne and Australian Ballet Centre Car Park.

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

Taxi drop off points are located outside the Arts Centre Melbourne.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Flinders Street Railway Station, opposite Federation Square, services all metro train lines.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Accessible tram stops are located directly outside NGV International, on St Kilda Road.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 200m

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

Entrance to NGV International are on street level with automatic doors.  Lift access to each floor of NGV International is available, with ramps and escalators throughout the building.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

An accessible bathroom is located on the Ground Floor of the building.

A Changing Places bathroom is also located nearby at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, approximately 300 metres from NGV International.

These are fully accessible toilets with full-sized change table, hoist system and basin, designed for the exclusive use of people with disability, their families and carers. 

Please visit the [NGV website](https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/plan-your-visit/access/#information-for-visitors-with-physical-disability-or-mobility-issues) for more information.


Co-creators: Lucy Guerin and Matthias Schack-Arnott     

Composition and Sound Design: Matthias Schack-Arnott 

Choreography: Lucy Guerin with the dancers 

Dancers: Deanne Butterworth, Tra Mi Dinh, Alice Dixon, Stephanie Halyburton, Helen Herbertson, Amber McCartney and Lilian Steiner 

Costume Design: Harriet Oxley

Lighting Design: Bosco Shaw 

System Design and Programming: Nick Roux 

Pendulum Design: Rob Larsen 

Production Management: Keith Tucker (Megafun) 

Executive Producer: Brendan O’Connell  

This project was commissioned through RISING’s A Call to Artist initiative, a program supported by Creative Victoria, City of Melbourne and Besen Family Foundation.

Supporters 

A pendulum’s graceful arc—the simple swing of a weight on its tether—contains centuries of scientific discovery. It’s a measure of time, gravity, earthquakes and music.

*PENDULUM* is an expansive performance installation created by percussive artist Matthias Schack-Arnott and acclaimed Australian choreographer Lucy Guerin. On an upper floor of the National Gallery of Victoria, dancers perform with dozens of suspended bells—each of which tolls, pulses and hums as it swings through space in unison with the dancers’ movements.

This immersive and hypnotic work places the human body in a state of flux, increasingly in command of, but still beholden to, the ebb and flow of time.


Pendulum 1

Pendulum 2

Pendulm 3

Pendulum 4

Pendulum 5

Witness a field of sound, light and motion. Human movement on a grand cosmic scale. 

Presented with NGV

Lucy Guerin Inc and Matthias Schack-Arnott

PENDULUM

| Venue | Malthouse Workshop |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 2—Fri 4 June, 8PM; Sat 5 June, 4PM and 8PM |
| Accessibility Services | Auslan interpreted show on Fri 4 June, 8PM. Please click [here](https://tickets.malthousetheatre.com.au/booking/production/syos/7158?sourcenumber=11419) to book via Malthouse Theatre |
| Duration | 75 minutes approx |
| Price | $45—$50 + booking fee |
| Warning | Strong language, sexual references, recommended for ages 15+ |

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

There are two accessible parking spaces directly in front of the Malthouse Theatre Building on Sturt Street, and two spaces to the rear of the Malthouse Workshop on Dodds St.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Flinders Street Station is a 12-minute walk or 7-minute drive away.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Stop 13 - Federation Square/Swanston St.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 200m.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

Located at the main entrance for the Workshop space, on the far side of the Outdoor Stage area, when you enter the precinct from Sturt Street.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

One accessible bathroom located in the main hall of the Malthouse Theatre, near the bar.

DOG SPENDING/REST AREA

The Workshop is adjacent to a large outdoor gravel area.

Writer: John Harvey (Saibai Island)

Director: Rachael Maza  (Yidinji, Meriam) 

Songwriter: Lydia Fairhall  (Worimi)  

Musical Director and Arrangements: Gary Watling (Wiradjuri) 

Sound Designer: James Henry (Yuwaalaraay and Yorta Yorta) 

Set and Costume Design: Emily Barrie  

Lighting Design: Niklas Pajanti  

AV Design: Sean Bacon  

Dramaturg: Mark Pritchard

Stage Manager: Jess Keepence

Performers: Nelson Baker (Nyikina), Monica Jasmine Karo (Gunai/Gunditjmara), Gary Watling (Wiradjuri) 

Supported by RISING and Sidney Myer Fund.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.  

Raye, a struggling country music star in the making, plays pub to pub along Australia’s vast desert highways, flogging demo CDs in the hope of returning home to her son Elvis. But when she meets Dan, another broken wanderer, a love affair unfurls over their four-day drive home to Alice Springs. 

*Heart Is a Wasteland*—originally conceived and performed in a sell-out season by Malthouse Theatre and Brown Cabs—combines First Peoples storytelling with live music, in a whisky-fueled battle of egos. It cuts to the country’s heart, recognising everyone’s individual right to love. 

ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s re-staging of *Heart Is a Wasteland* is a brand new production—in both vision and scale—featuring freshly conceived sets, musical arrangements by Gary Watling and adventurous audiovisual design; all reimagined to match the energy of its new young leads.

Storytelling and live music combine in a cross-country, whisky-fueled love story.

ILBIJERRI Theatre Company

Heart is a Wasteland

| Venue | Comedy Theatre |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Fri 4—Sat 5 June, doors open 7PM; set times TBC |
| Accessibility Services | The Comedy Theatre has a hearing loop within the Stalls seating. People with a hearing aid will need a ‘T switch’. Please contact the Comedy Theatre Box Office directly for more information on 03 9299 9800. |
| Price | $50—$54 + booking fee |

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Wilson Parking, Parkade, 34—60 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. Parking must be
booked online in advance via www.bookabay.com.au
Enter codeword: MARRINER (case sensitive) in the Discount Voucher field.

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

Taxi rank on Exhibition Street, just north of Lonsdale Street.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Parliament Station, services all metro lines.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Stop 10, Parliment Station / Macarthur Street. Trams 109, 11, 12

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 200m.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

The Comedy Theatre can provide a ramp into one of the front doors on Exhibition Street. A member of our security or front of house staff will be able to assist you on arrival at the theatre. At the doors facing on to Exhibition Street there is a small step, which as you move away from Lonsdale Street is reduced to a small lip. Doors are usually propped open during performances. The entrance opens directly into the foyer, which is small and can become quite congested.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

There is a unisex accessible toilet located in the Stalls inner foyer. Please go through the Stalls Foyer on the far right hand side, just before you enter the auditorium.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

For all wheelchair/accessible seating enquiries please contact the Comedy Theatre Box Office on 03 9299 9800.

STEPS

Patrons with difficulty negotiating steps are advised to book seating in Stalls area, as there are several large sets of staircases leading to the Dress Circle.

We are working with the Victorian Government and the Department of Health to deliver a COVID-Safe event for visitors, artists and staff. Find out what we're doing [here](https://rising.melbourne/covid-safe).

Connan Mockasin is something of a mystery, even in his home country of New Zealand. Tales abound of him wandering Wellington’s streets in shoes cobbled together from motorcycle tyres and sheepskin (hence the name); and projects with backstories about immunodeficient lounge lizards and human-dolphin love affairs. Then there’s his legion of famous fans and collaborators—including Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Charlotte Gainsbourg, James Blake, Dev Hynes aka Blood Orange, MGMT and Mac DeMarco—who’ve been drawn to his snail’s pace R&B, dulcet falsetto, woozy psychedelia and disregard for recording industry release schedules. 

For his RISING appearance, Connan Mockasin will screen two new, never-seen-before episodes of his TV “melodrama” *Bost'n 'n Dobs'n* followed by an unplugged solo set.

Step into the idiosyncratic world of a true musical enigma. R&B from an alternate timeline. 

Connan Mockasin

“[*How Much Works* is] a quiet demonstration of how Edquist might just be one of the best singer-songwriters in the country.” 

“[Gregor’s *Destiny*] is psych-pop for oddballs: strange and unabashed.” 

| Venue | Comedy Theatre |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Sat 29 May—doors open 7PM; set times TBC |
| Accessibility Services | The Comedy Theatre has a hearing loop within the Stalls seating. People with a hearing aid will need a ‘T switch’. Please contact the Comedy Theatre Box Office directly for more information on 03 9299 9800. |
| Price | $30—$34 + booking fee. [Book here](https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/gregor-tickets/artist/727486) |


ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Wilson Parking, Parkade, 34—60 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. Parking must be
booked online in advance via www.bookabay.com.au
Enter codeword: MARRINER (case sensitive) in the Discount Voucher field.

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

Taxi rank on Exhibition Street, just north of Lonsdale Street.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train stop: Parliament Station, services all metro lines.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Stop 10, Parliment Station / Macarthur Street. Trams 109, 11, 12

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 200m.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

The Comedy Theatre can provide a ramp into one of the front doors on Exhibition Street. A member of our security or front of house staff will be able to assist you on arrival at the theatre. At the doors facing on to Exhibition Street there is a small step, which as you move away from Lonsdale Street is reduced to a small lip. Doors are usually propped open during performances. The entrance opens directly into the foyer, which is small and can become quite congested.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

There is a unisex accessible toilet located in the Stalls inner foyer. Please go through the Stalls Foyer on the far right hand side, just before you enter the auditorium.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

For all wheelchair/accessible seating enquiries please contact the Comedy Theatre Box Office on 03 9299 9800.

STEPS

Patrons with difficulty negotiating steps are advised to book seating in Stalls area, as there are several large sets of staircases leading to the Dress Circle.

We are working with the Victorian Government and the Department of Health to
deliver a COVID-Safe event for visitors, artists and staff. Find out what we're doing [here](https://rising.melbourne/covid-safe).

When travelling on the trams, please follow Public Transport Victoria's[ COVID-Safe Information](https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/more/coronavirus-covid-19/). 

In 2020 Melbourne artists Gregor and Sweet Whirl each released the acclaimed albums *Destiny* and *How Much Works*. In the grand surrounds of the Comedy Theatre, on a double headlining bill, they finally get to launch these accomplished bodies of work—each with an expanded backing band put together specifically for these shows.   

Gregor is one of Australia’s true pop eccentrics. Destiny’s full of left-field observations and intimate confessions, which draw you into its epic and engrossing psychedelic world. On *How Much Works*, Sweet Whirl’s Esther Edquist stakes her claim as one of the country’s best songwriters, delivering elating and effortless compositions, track after track.    

The two work so well together, they even put together a special RISING: SINGLES CLUB release for us. Listen to their radically reworked cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ['Have You Ever Seen the Rain'](https://rising.melbourne/wormhole/gregor-and-sweet-whirl).


Gregor

Sweet Whirl 

Get swept away by psychedelic and superlative jams. A long-awaited, double album launch, from two Melbourne songwriters of the moment.

Gregor and Sweet Whirl

| Venue | The Capitol |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Thu 3—Sat 5 June, 7.30PM |
| Accessibility Services | The Capitol is equipped with a hearing loop throughout the building. Please ask Capitol front of house staff for assistance if required. This event also has closed captions |
| Duration| 75 Minutes |
| Price | $42—$45 + booking fee |

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

There are a number of accessible parking spaces located on Little Collins Street and surrounding streets. Parking is also available at a number of nearby car parks, including Federation Square Car Park, which has accessible car spaces on each level.

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

Collins Street, north side, just east of Swanston Street.
Accessible parking bay and loading zone on Little Collins Street near corner of Swanston Street.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

Enter The Capitol Arcade from Swanston Street or Howie Place. Halfway through the arcade there’s a lift (between the jeweller and the dry cleaner). Take the lift up to The Capitol’s Foyer level. From the Foyer, a separate lift provides access to the Theatre, Salon and Lounge levels inside The Capitol.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

Wheelchair accessible amenities are located on the Foyer level. Facilities include a baby change area.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 200m.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: The Capitol is an approximately five-minute walk from Flinders Street Station or Melbourne Central Station.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Stop 6 - Town Hall & Collins Street – Routes 11, 12, 48, 109.


Commissioned by RISING and Sydney Opera House.

Renowned for her crystalline, deeply humane reflections on spirituality, technology, and the natural world, multiple Emmy award winning artist Lynette Wallworth turns the lens on herself in the soul- baring performance memoir *HOW TO LIVE…* 

With tenderness, intimacy, and humour, Wallworth unearths memories of her coming- of-age as prophetess in a radical Christian community, and recounts her exodus back to freedom. As she stages the drama of her loss of self and path to rediscovery, she finds a world governed by the influence of cults not unlike the one she left behind.

Using her artworks and a wry sensibility Wallworth navigates the beauty and the perils of shared belief systems. Her illuminating personal experience calls into question; how are we influenced, what are we seeking, and how can our realities co-exist? Where different worldviews collide is empathy more valuable than truth?

Join this spiritual search and rescue mission, as Lynette Wallworth remembers her coming-of-age as prophetess in a radical Christian community and recounts her path back to freedom by confronting life's biggest questions.

Lynette Wallworth

How To Live...

“Gladwin and his cast never shied away from verbalising the things liberal sensibilities deem morally wrong…. The beauty of the images and the intensity of the arguments give *Ganesh vs The Third Reich* its remarkable strength.”  

| Venue | Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Fri 4—Sun 6 June, 7PM |
| Duration| 1 hour 40 minutes, no interval |
| Price | $55—$65 + booking fee |
| Warning | Coarse language, adult themes | 

Event information

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Both levels of the Arts Centre Melbourne Car Park are fully wheelchair accessible, and have accessible parking bays.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Flinders Street Railway Station, opposite Federation Square, services all metro train lines.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Stop 14, St Kilda Road.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 200m.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

Entrance is on ground level with automatic doors.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

The Theatres Building (the building with the big spire) has accessible toilets on Level 3, 5, 6 (street level) and 8.  Hamer Hall has accessible toilets on all publicly-accessible levels, and changing facilities on Levels 2, 3, 5, 6 (street level) and 7.  Please ask venue staff for assistance in locating the closest accessible toilet to your location.

HEARING AUGMENTATION

Assisted-listening devices for use in all seats of Arts Centre Melbourne venues (plus on Guided Tours and for meetings) are available free of charge. These devices use standard headphones or connect with hearing aids via a neck loop. Please speak to our staff when you arrive for assistance with obtaining these devices.

INTRA SITE TRANSPORT

Wheelchairs can be booked for use in our buildings through the Welcome Desk on (03) 9281 8298.


Director, Devisor and Design: Bruce Gladwin 

Performers: Mark Deans, Simon Laherty, Scott Price, Luke Ryan and Brian Tilley 

Additional Performance: Georgina Naidu 

Devisors: Mark Deans, Marcia Ferguson, Bruce Gladwin, Nicki Holland, Simon Laherty, Sarah Mainwaring, Scott Price, Kate Sulan, Brian Tilley and David Woods 

Lighting Design and Technical Direction: Andrew Livingston, Bluebottle 

Design and Set Construction: Mark Cuthbertson 

Design and Animation: Rhian Hinkley 

Composer: Jóhann Jóhannsson 

Mask Design and Construction: Sam Jinks and Paul Smits 

Costume Design: Shio Otani 

Translation: Karen Witthuhn and Greg Bailey 

Script Consultant: Melissa Reeves 

Creative Development Actors: Brian Lipson, James Saunders and Sonia Teuben

Associate Direction: Kate Sulan 

Sound Engineer: Marco Cher Gibard 

Stage Manager: Alana Hoggart 

Production Manager: Bao Ngouansavanh 

Company Manager: Erin Watson

Senior Producer: Tanya Bennett 

Executive Producer: Tim Stitz 


Artistic team

Supported by the Bowness Family Foundation. 

Back to Back Theatre is supported by The Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria, the City of Melbourne, Sidney Myer Fund, Keir Foundation, 2009 Kit Denton Fellowship, National Theatre Studio (London), Geelong Performing Arts Centre and Goethe-Institut (Melbourne).

The premiere season of *Ganesh Versus the Third Reich* was supported by Keir Foundation, Melbourne Festival, Malthouse Theatre, National Theatre Studio (London) and ANZ Trustees.


A small theatre company is rehearsing their new play. Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings, is on a mission to reclaim the swastika—an auspicious symbol in Indian religions mis-appropriated by the German Nazi party in World War 2. But as the work is created, the company’s dynamics become increasingly strained. 

In *Ganesh Versus the Third Reich*, layers of history and experience overlap. As with all Back to Back Theatre productions, the work is partly performed and devised by people living with disability—a fact made all the more poignant as the actors play the Nazi soldiers who once sought to exterminate people like them. 

In this play within a play, the actors question whether they should be making it at all, wrestling with their right to embody characters and cultures to which they don’t belong.  

__*Ganesh Versus the Third Reich* is part of RISING’s retrospective of Geelong’s pioneering Back to Back Theatre, along with [*Food Court*](/festival-program/food-court) and [*small metal objects*](/festival-program/small-metal-objects).__

Ganesh Hero

Ganesh 2

Ganesh gallery 1

As they rehearse a play about a Hindu deity’s confrontation with a racist dictator, a small theatre company’s dynamics become increasingly strained.

Back to Back Theatre 

Ganesh Versus The Third Reich 

| Venue | Herring Island |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Overnight Wed 26 & Thu 27 May 6PM—2.35AM (last bath 12.30AM); Overnight Fri 28 & Sat 29 May 6PM—8.35AM (last bath 6.30AM); Overnight Sun 30 May 6PM—1.35AM (last bath 11.30PM); 
|   | Overnight Wed 2 & Thu 3 June 6PM—2.35AM (last bath 12.30AM); Overnight Fri 4 & Sat 5 June 6PM—8.35AM (last bath 6.30AM); Overnight Sun 6 June 6PM—1.35AM (last bath 11.30PM)
|   | No bathing overnight on Mondays or Tuesdays  |
| Duration | 2 hours and 5 minutes approx | 
| Price | $10 per entry into the draw (terms and conditions available [here](https://rising.melbourne//flow-state-raffle-terms-and-conditions))| 
| Note | A maximum of 10 entries per person is permitted | 

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Parking is available at Powerhouse Rowing Club and along Alexandra Avenue.

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

Powerhouse Rowing Club driveway.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Given the overnight hours for the Flow State experience, public transport to the site is limited and not recommended.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

The first meeting point at Powerhouse is accessible from the front door. The ramp to the boat landing is steep and requires assisted access for those with mobility issues.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

Adequate accessible bathrooms (including showers) are not available at the Powerhouse so patrons with access needs will be asked to shower before they arrive. There is one accessible toilet available on Herring Island should a participant require it.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 300m.

HEARING AUGMENTATION

Part of the sound installation uses bone conduction technology to experience sounds under water.

DOG SPENDING/REST AREAS

No specific area, but many appropriate grassy areas available on the island.

INTRA SITE TRANSPORT

Boat transport is required to complete experience.

Flow State is a solo bathing experience taking place in a remote part of the city. There are some physical constraints involved in accessing the work, thus we have classified this work as requiring accessibility assistance. 
Please contact our customer service team if you would like to discuss the particular details involved in participating in this experience.

A boat takes single participants from Como Landing at Powerhouse Rowing Club across to Herring Island and back. Both boat landings may be slippery, and steep ramp gradients mean that wheelchair users will require the assistance of a friend or carer to alight safely. 

As the experience takes place at night with low, atmospheric lighting, those with low vision are also encouraged to bring a companion. A free companion ticket is available for this work should you require it. 

The pathway from the landing on Herring Island to the bath where you will experience the work is approximately 50m long. It is relatively flat but the gravel may be uneven in places. The bath is between 450-500mm in height. Participants are required to shower before changing into special robes. As adequate accessible showers are not available on site, we ask that you please shower before attending the event.


__Q. When will I be notified if I am successful?__

A. We will draw bath winners on Monday 17 May, and new bathers will continue to be allocated until all the baths are filled.

__Q. What happens if I can't attend the session I've been allocated? Can I attend another session or get a refund?__

Due to the exclusive nature of the baths, we can't be flexible with bathing times. 

__Q. Will anyone be able to see me naked?__

A. While you will have full privacy during your experience, all baths will be supervised from a distance for your safety.

__Q. Can I wear swimwear or clothes in the bathtub?__

A. The work has been designed to be best experienced nude—conduction through the body is a large part of the work. That said, we want you to be completely comfortable, so we won't ask you to remove swimwear if this is a dealbreaker for you!

__Q. What happens if I miss my boat to the island?__

A. If you're successful in the raffle, we'll send you full details on how to get to Herring Island - including your boat departure time.  If you miss the boat, you miss the bath. 

__Q. Will the bath be cleaned before I get in?__

A. You will be asked to shower and scrub before your bathing experience.
There is an extensive filtering process that will take place between bathers to ensure the water is purified between each experience. There is also a mineral compound in the water, normally used in hot springs and public baths. Baths will be cleaned and refilled as necessary between bathers. 

__Q. Where can I store my belongings? Will they be safe?__

A. You'll be able to place your clothes and belongings in a secure locker for the duration of your bathing experience.

Lead Artist: Sara Retallick  

Artist in Collaboration: Amanda Roff  

Technician: Raphael Buttonshaw 

Collaborative Costume and Graphic Design: Quinn Delaney-Veldhuis 

This project was commissioned through RISING’s A Call to Artist initiative, a program supported by Creative Victoria, City of Melbourne and Besen Family Foundation. 

It’s the middle of the night and you’re alone on an island, floating in the heart of a city. *Flow State* uses bathing, sound, light and sensation to probe our awareness of space and time—an experience like no other for a few lucky souls. 

After disrobing and showering you’ll travel by boat on the Birrarung (Yarra) river to Herring Island, where you’ll disembark and climb into a private, heated, sound-making bathtub. Soundwaves in the water—heard as they travel through the body’s fluid tissue; and vibrate the skull and inner ear nerves—intermingle with soundwaves in the air, inviting you to enter multiple states of consciousness. 

*Flow State* is a high-value, thematically complex and technically adventurous experience; and its ambition means it’s only available to a small group of festival goers. RISING believes art is an essential service that should be accessible to all, so is offering tickets to *Flow State* exclusively via a low-cost raffle. Buy up to 10 raffle tickets for the chance to take part in this singular festival experience.  

Transcend space and time in a sonic bathing experience on Herring Island. 

Sara Retallick and Amanda Roff 

Flow State

| Venue | Golden Square Carpark |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 26 May—Sun 6 June, 6PM—12AM (Last entry at 11PM) |
| Accessible Services | AUSLAN tour on Thu 27 May, 7-9PM; Audio Described tour on Wed 2 June, 7-9PM. 
|   || A designated accessible vehicle transport service will operate from ground floor from the Lonsdale Street drop off point to level 6 of the site for entry and return.  Companion Card holders are eligible for a complimentary companion ticket. |
|   ||Please contact our Ticketing team on 03 9662 4242 or via [email](mailto:ticketing@rising.melbourne) to book any of these services. |
| Duration | Please allow 1 hour for exploration |
| Price | $23—$32 + booking fee |


This activation takes place in a multi-level car park that does not have lift access. Participants traverse five flights of stairs to reach the start of the exhibition, and cover a distance of 370m to view all of the works. To exit the venue one must go down two flights of stairs. The journey involves some ramps and inclines due to the existing design of the car park. There is a sit-down bar and numerous rest points along the journey. 

We have an assisted access plan in place for those with mobility needs. Please ensure you book one of our Accessibility tickets by contacting our Ticketing team on 03 9662 4242 or via [email](mailto:ticketing@rising.melbourne) and letting us know of your access requirements.

Accessibility ticket purchasers are entitled to a free companion ticket so that a friend or carer may assist you with the journey. The RISING team can transport those with Accessibility tickets via a wheelchair accessible vehicle to the higher levels of the car park. 

Please see below for more details regarding our accessible entrance and parking.

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

- 2 x accessible parking bays available on ground floor of Golden Square Car Park—enter from Lonsdale Street. Additional accessible parking can be arranged on a case-by-case basis, in liaison with rising access team and golden square carpark staff.
- 1 x accessible parking spot available on corner of heffernan lane & lonsdale street and also available on street [throughout CBD](https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/health-support-services/accessing-melbourne/pages/mobility-maps.aspx).

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

There is a designated area assigned to accessible drop off via Lonsdale Street entry point through the carpark boom gates. Area will be sign posted.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

Lonsdale Street entry point through the car park boom gates. Area will be sign posted.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM

Ground floor next to accessible drop off point. Another bathroom is on the rooftop in the covered annexe.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANTS

370m across two levels.

DOG SPENDING/REST AREAS

Numerous rest areas positioned across both levels of the Golden Square Car Park site.

INTRA SITE TRANSPORT

A designated accessible vehicle transport service will operate from ground floor from the Lonsdale Street drop off point to level 6 of site for entry and return.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Melbourne Central Station, access via Swanston Street and Flinders Street Station, access via Swanston Street and Flinders Street Station.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Melbourne Central Station/State Library Tram Stop (Swanston Street between Little Lonsdale Street and La Trobe Street).


City of Melbourne

This project was developed and commissioned by RISING.


*Golden Square* is our swirling vortex of contemporary art from Australia and abroad—a concrete temple to big ideas.  

Starting on the car park roof you’ll take in an iconic skyline lit up by [building-sized projections](/festival-program/the-hearts-of-the-people). Grab a cocktail from Fancy Free’s pop-up bar—Melbourne’s impressively pedigreed travelling bar crew (The Black Pearl, Leonardo’s Pizza Palace)—before navigating new commissions from major Australian contemporary artists, including underfoot murals and melting columns of frozen lake water. You’ll then head down through the carpark’s lower levels exhibiting video, performance and sculptural works.

In its first year, *Golden Square*’s curator Grace Herbert has used the theme *Inland Tides* to examine migration, colonisation, technology, consumerism and an environment in flux. Celestial bodies move aquatic swells, fresh water meets salt, minerals are deposited, and information exchanged. By the time you reach street level, the world’s going to look different. 

## Artists  

__Patty Chang, *Invocation for a Wandering Lake*, 2016__

A dead beached whale and the hull of a ship are washed by the artist on the shores of Newfoundland. *Invocation for a Wandering Lake* is part of *[the hearts of the people are measured by the size of the land](/festival-program/the-hearts-of-the-people)*.

__[Reko Rennie, *Initiation OA_RR*, 2021](/festival-program/reko-rennie)__

Rennie, driving a custom Holden Monaro, cruises the Western suburbs, performing burnouts as a form of contemporary Kamilaroi/Gamilaroi mark making to an operatic score composed by Deborah Cheetham AO. 

__Lu Yang, *Power of will—final shooting*, 2016__

Digital self-portraiture caught in the flow, emerging inflated, glowing and new. 

__Parallel Park, *Mission Surge*, 2018__

Piloting a land-bound kayak requires perfect timing and even pressure. An absurd, erotic marathon and durational performance moving through Golden Square. 

__Tabita Rezaire, *DEEP DOWN TIDAL*, 2017__

Fibre-optic cables and sunken cities. Transoceanic networks and drowned bodies. Water as a conductive interface for communication.  

__Lucy Bleach, *By This Lake*, 2021__

Glowing, frozen blocks of lake water on Golden Square’s roof slowly melt; while marine microphones embedded within record the cracking ice as the melt leeches out of the carpark and into the city. 

__Jason Phu, James Nguyen, Nabilah Nordin and Veisinia Tonga, *[Parade for the Moon](/festival-program/parade-for-the-moon)*, 2021__

Mythical beasts, creatures of the night and spiritual beings march sporadically throughout the night in a parade of collective moon worship.  

__Agnieszka Polska, *The New Sun*, 2017__

The sun sings a gospel—trolling you in the moments before extinction. 

__Curated by Grace Herbert__

Chinatown

Daniel's Car Park

Golden Square Car Park

Queen Victoria Women's Centre

Brien Lane

Across Chinatown

Cohen Place 

Tabita Rezaire, DEEP DOWN TIDAL, 2017

Patty Chang, Invocation for a Wandering Lake, 2016 

Parallel Park, Mission Surge, 2018 

Lucy Bleach, By This Lake, 2021 

Jason Phu, James Nguyen, Nabilah Nordin and Veisinia Tonga, Parade for the Moon, 2021 [blue dot] 

Agnieszka Polska, The New Sun, 2017 

Lu Yang, Power of Will—final shooting, 2016

Reko Rennie

Our spiraling, sparkling Chinatown art car park. A concrete cavern of melting ice sculptures, a laser-eyed inflatable, kayak performance, cocktails and moon parades. 

Golden Square

| Venue | Chinatown |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Thu 27 May—Sun 6 June. Tues - Thurs, 8PM—12AM, last entry 11PM. Fri - Sun, 8PM—3AM, last entry at 2AM. (Not open Mondays) | 
| Accessibility Services | Pre-recorded Audio Description is available for people who are blind and vision impaired. While everyone is welcome, please note *The Nightline* is an audio-driven experience and may not be suitable for people who are hard of hearing  | 
| Duration | Approx 40 minutes  | 
| Price | $18—$20 + booking fee | 
| Warning | This work contains real voice messages, with some coarse language and reference to death and dying |
| Note | This work is immersive and occurs in low light conditions. Guests will be lead into and out of the experience by a concierge. It will not be safe to bring in late-comers once a session has commenced |


We are working with the Victorian Government and the Department of Health to deliver a COVID-Safe event for visitors, artists and staff. Find out what we're doing [here](https://rising.melbourne/covid-safe).


Director: Roslyn Oades  

Sound Artist: Bob Scott  

Lighting Design and Coding: Fausto Brusamolino  

Site Design: Clare Britton  

Nightline Concierge: Katia Molino  

Switchboard Design: Greg Cameron, Amandala Music Technologies 

Production Manager: Keith Tucker, Megafun 

Project Producer: Michaela Coventry, Sage Arts 

Supported by City of Melbourne. 

This project was commissioned through RISING’s A Call to Artist initiative, a program supported by Creative Victoria, City of Melbourne and Besen Family Foundation. 

*The Nightline* Melbourne edition has been generously assisted by the City of Melbourne and the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. The prototype edition of *The Nightline* was commissioned by Utp. 

At a mysterious underground listening club, a host leads you to your table. The lights are turned down low as the venue’s workers go about their business. Placed in front of you is an old, rotary-style, telephone and switchboard.  

This is your direct connection to *The Nightline*—a collection of over 600, real-life, anonymous messages left by the city’s residents between midnight and 6am. The messages, interwoven with a sound score, are just for you, no one else will hear the voice speaking to you on the other end.  

The special hotline—by audio-theatre maker Roslyn Oades and sound artist Bob Scott—has received messages from truckies alone on the open road, pokies winners and bored shift workers eating Vegemite scrolls; musical serenades and poems; angry rants and confessions of love. Find companionship with the sleepless—pick up the handset and let the night speak to you. 

Hundreds of voices, recorded under the cover of dark, wait for you in a mysterious listening club. 

Roslyn Oades, Bob Scott and collaborators

Waiting up for a late night call? When booking a session for after midnight, make sure you’re selecting the right day and date. For example, if you’re heading to something else on a Friday night, and want to catch a 1AM session afterwards, you’ll need to book 1AM on the Saturday.

The Nightline

| Venue | Dromana Drive-In |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Fri 4—Sat 5 June, gates open 7PM |
| Duration | 4 hours |
| Price | $100 per car + booking fee |
| Warnings | 18+ event. Adult and sexual themes, coarse language, violence, drug use and nudity |
| Note | Please arrive as close to 7PM as possible to allow time for parking and to enjoy the specially programmed audio warm up. |


Classification 

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Up to six dedicated accessible parking bays will be made available within 50m of toilet and Food and Beverage services.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 100m.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

All vehicles will use the same entrance.

Co-Creators: Sandi Sissel, Willoh Weiland and James Brennan 

Music Director: James Brennan 

Writer: Willoh Weiland 

Curatorial body: Briony Kidd, Tali Polichtuk 

Performance Directors: James Brennan, Willoh Weiland 

Designer: Megan Perkins 

Produced by: Turning World 

Executive Producer: Tam Nguyen 

Producer: Laura Hale 

Site and Technical Design: Paul Lim & Bosco Shaw (Additive)

Film Editor: Peter Brennan

On the way down the highway a voice comes over your car radio. Deep Throat’s taken over the station and they’re going to school, scare and guide you beyond the cinematic male gaze. They have some avenging to do.    

*Deep Throat Drive-In*—devised by celebrated cinematographer Sandi Sissel with Willoh Weiland and James Brennan—is a rewilding of the drive-in space. It journeys through Sandi’s forty year career in journalism and film, examines misogyny tropes and affirms non-binary and gender diverse bodies in cinema.  

Australian goth meets Hollywood kitsch in a night of classic cars, monstrous performers, speaker stacks and back-seat make outs. Order up buckets of popcorn, or custom hampers, and let Deep Throat lead you into what can best be described as a live and recut, sex-positive night at the flicks. 

Satellite

Dromana Drive-In

Newport RSL

The Substation

Trades Hall

Festival Hall

Collingwood Neighbourhood House

Melbourne Museum

Meat Market

Arts House

Princes Park

Buckle up for an intimate, snack-fuelled night of cinema at Dromana Drive-In.

Sandi Sissel with Willoh Weiland and James Brennan

Each ticket permits entry for one car load.

Deep Throat Drive-In

“If *Food Court* returns somewhere, go wherever it takes you, without question.”  


| Venue | Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 26—Sat 29 May, 6.30PM |
| Duration| 65 minutes, no interval |
| Price | $60—$70 + booking fee |
| Warning | Occasional coarse language, adult themes, recommended for ages 14+ | 

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Both levels of the Arts Centre Melbourne Car Park are fully wheelchair accessible, and have accessible parking bays.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Flinders Street Railway Station, opposite Federation Square, services all metro train lines.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Stop 14, St Kilda Road.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 200m.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

Entrance is on ground level with automatic doors.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

The Theatres Building (the building with the big spire) has accessible toilets on Level 3, 5, 6 (street level) and 8.  Hamer Hall has accessible toilets on all publicly-accessible levels, and changing facilities on Levels 2, 3, 5, 6 (street level) and 7.  Please ask venue staff for assistance in locating the closest accessible toilet to your location.

HEARING AUGMENTATION

Assisted-listening devices for use in all seats of Arts Centre Melbourne venues (plus on Guided Tours and for meetings) are available free of charge. These devices use standard headphones or connect with hearing aids via a neck loop. Please speak to our staff when you arrive for assistance with obtaining these devices.

INTRA SITE TRANSPORT

Wheelchairs can be booked for use in Arts Centre buildings through the Welcome Desk on 03 9281 8298.


Devisors: Mark Deans, Rita Halabarec, Nicki Holland, Sarah Mainwaring and Scott Price

Director and Set Design: Bruce Gladwin

Performers: Mark Deans, Sarah Goninon, Sarah Mainwaring, Scott Price and Tamika Simpson

Music: The Necks – Chris Abrahams (Piano), Lloyd Swanton (Bass) and Tony Buck (Drums)

Set Design and Construction: Mark Cuthbertson

Lighting Design and Technical Direction: Andrew Livingston, Bluebottle

Animated Design: Rhian Hinkley

Sound Design: Hugh Covill

Costume Design: Shio Otani

Associate Director: Tamara Searle 

Understudies: Erin Pocervina, Jessica Walker 

Sound Engineer: Lachlan Carrick

Stage Manager: Alana Hoggart

Assistant Stage Manager: Jo Leishman 

Production Manager: Bao Ngouansavanh

Company Manager: Erin Watson

Senior Producer: Tanya Bennett

Executive Producer: Tim Stitz


Supported by the Bowness Family Foundation. 

*Food Court* was developed with support from the Australian Government’s Major Festivals Initiative, managed by the Australia Council, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body, in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Melbourne International Arts Festival and Sydney Festival. 

*Food Court* was initiated through the Victoria Commissions, supported by the Victorian Government, through the Community Support Fund.

The premiere season of *Food Court* was co-commissioned by the Melbourne International Arts Festival and supported by Alcoa.

Two performers start relentlessly taunting a stranger; their barbs and insults repeated in surtitles splayed across a giant black curtain. The fabric pulls away to reveal a forest obscured by opaque plastic, and the ordeal escalates. 

When Back to Back Theatre first performed *Food Court*’s harrowing scenes in 2008, audiences were both confronted and transfixed. Its cast of actors, each living with disabilities, built a world of malice and domination, one that made visible the abuse so often inflicted on the vulnerable and marginalised. 

Once again, this unflinching, essential work will be accompanied by an increasingly intense, improvised live score by seminal post-jazz trio, *The Necks*.

*Food Court* is part of RISING’s retrospective of Geelong’s pioneering Back to Back Theatre, along with [*small metal objects*](/festival-program/small-metal-objects) and [*Ganesh Versus The Third Reich*](/festival-program/ganesh-versus-the-third-reich).


Food Court 1

Food Court 2

Victoria’s uncompromising and pioneering theatre company examines domination and power to a live score by cult, post-jazz band, The Necks. 

Back to Back Theatre with The Necks 

Food Court

“It is a fairly safe bet to say that no other group in the world sounds quite like The Necks... extraordinary empathy and discipline.”

| Venue | Comedy Theatre |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 2—Thu 3 June, doors open 7PM; set times TBC |
| Accessibility Services | The Comedy Theatre has a hearing loop within the Stalls seating. People with a hearing aid will need a ‘T switch’. Please contact the Comedy Theatre Box Office directly for more information on 03 9299 9800. |
| Price | $50—$54 + booking fee. [Book here via Ticketmaster](https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/the-necks-tickets/artist/1615598) |

“The greatest trio on Earth” is how the New York Times described The Necks—Australia’s improvisational conjurors. You could say The Necks play jazz, but just like that big swing from the NYT, that description would be too simple. Typically performing two extended and improvised pieces, their modal jazz prises open tectonic plates and unknown realms, before elevating the audience to a higher ground.  

As RISING’s band In Residency, The Necks perform across multiple venues and formats—their only shows in the world in over a year. As a unit, they send piano, drums, percussion and bass strings swirling around the Comedy Theatre; and provide an escalating, dramatic live score to Back to Back Theatre’s restaging of its seminal work *[Food Court](/festival-program/food-court)*. And in solo performances, band members [Chris Abrahams](/festival-program/chris-abrahams) and [Tony Buck](/festival-program/tony-buck) play the Melbourne Recital Centre.  

Post-genre, never still, always changing, The Necks are a world unto themselves. 

.css-ksgdz4{opacity:1;-webkit-transition:opacity 0.5s;transition:opacity 0.5s;}A Miracle Constantly Repeated

Patricia Piccinini

The Wilds

PENDULUM

Lucy Guerin Inc and Matthias Schack-Arnott

Heart is a Wasteland

ILBIJERRI Theatre Company

How To Live...

Lynette Wallworth

Ganesh Versus The Third Reich

Back to Back Theatre

Golden Square

The Nightline

Roslyn Oades, Bob Scott and collaborators

Deep Throat Drive-In

Sandi Sissel with Willoh Weiland and James Brennan

Food Court

Back to Back Theatre with The Necks

THIS.

Buŋgul

RED

Dancenorth Australia

The Dispute

Mohamed El Khatib and Jackson Castiglione

Yung Lung

Chunky Move

Set Piece

Anna Breckon and Nat Randall

Veraising

small metal objects

Back to Back Theatre

SEASONS in Blak Box

Utp

Heavy Congress

Late Night Yum Cha

Easy Riders

APHIDS

Chris Smith: Second Hand Smoke Album Launch

Lost Animal and OV Pain

Club Purple

Stuart Ringholt

Flow State Raffle

Sara Retallick and Amanda Roff

Sunset Studies

Augie March

A Miracle Constantly Repeated