| 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
|   | Having trouble booking in for Rinky Dink? Weekends have been filling up, so think about strapping on your skates on weekdays or later at night.| 


Event Information

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.


Venue Access

*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

Composition and Sound Design: Mark Mitchell and Pascal Babare

Sound System Designer: Nick Carroll

Museum of the Moon: Luke Jerram

Arc ZERO Eclipse: James Tapscott


Artistic Team

Supporters

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

Having trouble booking in? Weekends have been filling up, so think about strapping on your skates on weekdays or later at night.


The Wilds

| 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).


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

City of Melbourne

This project was developed and commissioned by RISING.


Supporters 

*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 car park’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](/festival-program/by-this-lake)__

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*, 2021](/festival-program/parade-for-the-moon)__

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.

__Monira Al Qadiri, *The End*, 2017__

A hamburger levitates before your eyes. The most powerful food object in the industrialised world and a totem of US cultural expansion—floating precariously in space, ready to fall from grace.

__Curated by Grace Herbert__

Chinatown

Daniel's Car Park

Golden Square Car Park

Queen Victoria Women's Centre

Brien Lane

Across Chinatown

Smythe Lane

Reko Rennie

Lucy Bleach, By This Lake, 2021 

Tabita Rezaire, DEEP DOWN TIDAL, 2017

Lu Yang, Power of Will—final shooting, 2016

Patty Chang, Invocation for a Wandering Lake, 2016 

Parallel Park, Mission Surge, 2018 

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

Agnieszka Polska, The New Sun, 2017 

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 | The Wilds—Sidney Myer Music Bowl |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 26 May—Sun 6 June, 6.15PM, 8PM and 9.30PM |
| Duration | Please allow up to an hour to explore The Wilds, and then 1 hour for your sitting |
| Table for 2 | $180 ($90 per person) + booking fee |
| Table for 4 | $360 ($90 per person) + booking fee |
| Table for 6 | $540 ($90 per person) + booking fee |
| Notes | Ticket includes entry to *The Wilds*. Table sizes cannot be altered. The table’s ticket price includes a three-course animal protein or vegetarian menu. Due to the nature of the event, *The Lighthouse* is unable to change its menu items to accommodate specific dietary requirements |
|   | The Wilds is a one-way journey through the Bowl, there is no turning back |

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.


Our glowing beacon of gastronomy perched at the top of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl’s amphitheatre, the ultimate spot to take in the full expanse of [*The Wilds*](/festival-program/the-wilds)—our supernatural forest of ice, art, sound and moonlight.

Set against a backdrop of densely planted living bamboo, The Lighthouse brings the outdoors inside, with its radiant, 130-seat glass atrium immersing diners in warmth, plant life and bespoke lighting.

Helming The Lighthouse’s greenhouse restaurant and kitchen is acclaimed chef and restaurateur David Moyle—you know him from Franklin and Longsong (and as The Saturday Paper food editor). Moyle serves an original three-course menu, dynamically toying with signature techniques developed and refined over his illustrious cooking career, including dishes smoked to order from onsite smokers. 

For 11 years, Blackhearts & Sparrows have been shaping Melburnians wine palates, and for The Lighthouse, co-founder Jess Ghaie is shaping the wine list. Her penchant for extracting the best local and underground producers punching above their weight is on show here, and her selections add extra sparkle to the nooks and crannies of Moyle’s menu. The cult wine store also collaborates on a cocktail with Four Pillars Gin.

Bookings at The Lighthouse are limited and essential. Tickets include a three-course set menu (animal protein or vegetarian) and entry to The Wilds; drinks are extra. A full menu will be announced prior to your booking.

Enter the bistro of our dreams. A luminous atrium at *The Wilds*, serving an original three-course menu by David Moyle.


David Moyle

All dining packages for The Lighthouse include a three-course set menu (animal protein or vegetarian) and entry to The Wilds; drinks are extra. A full menu will be announced prior to the event.

The Lighthouse 

| 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) 

Production Manager: Nick Glen

Set and Costume Design: Emily Barrie  

Lighting Design: Niklas Pajanti  

AV Design: Sean Bacon  

Dramaturg: Mark Pritchard

Stage Manager: Jess Keepence

Performers: Dion Williams (Waradjuri from Narrandera and Wakaman far North Queensland), 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 | 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| 90 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?

Midtown

Flinders Street Station Ballroom

Comedy Theatre 

Melbourne Town Hall

Chapter House

  Max Watts

The Capitol

Artist Bar

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 | Cohen Place |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Thu 27 May—Sun 6 June, 8PM—3AM, last entry 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

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.

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 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

Buckle up for an intimate 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) |

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).

“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. 

Cult Australian improvisation icons—post jazz; beyond definition. Playing across multiple venues and formats, only at RISING.

The Necks

| Venue | The Substation |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 26—Sat 29 May, 7PM & 9PM; Sun 30 May, 5PM; Tue 1—Sat 5 June, 7PM & 9PM; Sun 6 June, 5PM |
| Accessibility Services | Audio described tours: Fri 4 June, 7PM and Sun 6 June, 5PM. Auslan interpreted performances: Thu 27 May, 7PM and Sat 5 June, 7PM. A tactile tour to be announced. Please contact our Ticketing team on 03 9662 4242 or via [email](mailto:ticketing@rising.melbourne) to book a spot. | 
| Duration | 60 minutes | 
| Price | $45—$50 + booking fee |


ACCESSIBLE PARKING

There is ample off-street parking in front of and behind the building, and four dedicated accessible parking spaces in the car park to the north of the venue entrance. There is also three accessible parking spaces on the opposite side of the road outside the Newport RSL.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Newport Station (Werribee and Williamstown lines) is a two-minute walk via the pedestrian tunnel.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 300m.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

There is a ramp to enter the main entrance to the building. There is an elevator located on the ground floor, to the left of the lobby, that will take you to levels 1, 2 and 3.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

There are accessible toilets on the ground and second floors.

Co-creators: Maurial Spearim, Eva Sifis, Manisha Anjali, Trevor Dunn, Nick Parr, Jess Kapuscinski-Evans, Ben Grant, Sean Kelly, Tom Doig, Persis Jade Maravala, Theo McMahon, Wani le frère,  Minsun Park, Yuyu Wang, Jonathan Homsey, Sean Miles, Jonathan Haynes, Priya Namana, Patrizia Paolini, Aliki Chapple, Brian Lipson, Fiona Ross, Jeremy Dixon, Seble Girma, Saba Senbeta, Lui Zhang, Warsame Ali, Karl Heinrich, Anton Rivette, Kerith Manderson-Galvin and David Woods 

Cast: Brian Lipson, Ben Grant, Nicci Wilks, Kerith Manderson, Amarachi Okorum, Bikram Singh, Vivian Nguyen, Vince Crowley, Michael Logo, Michelle Myers, Angus Cerini, Jonathan Homsey, Belinda Aitken, Lui Zhang, Fiona Ross, Seble Girma, Saba Senbeta, Warsame Ali, Jeremy Dixon, Karl Heinrich, Luke Byrnes and Fran Evans

Additional Film Cast: Sean Miles, David Woods, Daniel Quattrone, Briana Roberts, Harvey Garnaut, Louis Woods, Stanley Woods, Kate Kantor, Kate Fryer, Ellie Kent, Martijin Sedgfield, Trevor Santos and Ramas McCrae. 

Production Manager: Dans Sheehan

Set Design: Eloise Kent

Lighting Design: Richard Vabre

Sound Design and Composition: James Paul and Theo McMahon

Dramaturg: Kamarra Bell-Wykes

Fish Design and Construction: Trina Gaskell

Stage Manager : Bec Cooen

Writing Facilitation and Editing: Anton Rivette and David Woods

Producers: Dans Sheehan and David Woods

Line Director: Sarah Kriegler

Production Support: Patricia Sexton

Stunt Design and Choreography: Kate Fryer, Dislocate

Rigger: Christian Schooneveldt-Reid and Ryan Taplin

Film: Takeshi Kondo

Movement Consultant: Thomas Bradley

Original concept / Lead Artist / Director: David Woods

Development Facilitiation: Priya Namana, Anton Rivette and David Woods

Development Producer: Erin Milne, Bureau of Works

Concept Development: Samara Hersch, Brain Lipson, Priya Namana, Anton Rivette and David Woods

Presented with The Substation. 

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. 

Devolving, shaming and space invading. Fear, conspiracy, collapse, terror, frustration, solidarity and hope. Mud wrestling. *THIS.* is a brutally funny, raw and unflinching response to the theme of infuriation. 

Internationally acclaimed theatre-maker David Woods (Ridiculusmus, Back to Back Theatre, Sydney Dance Company, Malthouse) brings together an alliance of 30 collaborators to debunk pomp and power: Victorian, Cantonese, Syrian, Bundjalung, American, Yemeni, Greek, Gamilaraay, British, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Korean, Ethiopian, Somalian, Congolese and Aotearoa—Pākehā (settler) and Māori—makers transform three floors of The Substation into a choose-your-own-adventure performance installation.

Play a part in moulding progressive hope from the decay of today. Where will you start? 

A portrait of the present with its skin peeled off.  Three levels of choose-your-own-adventure theatre. And mud wrestling.

Shorthand for “How good is this” “Fuck This”  / A popular non-committal re-posting tag / anagram of shit.

THIS.

| Venue | Comedy Theatre |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Sun 6 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 | $30—$34 + booking fee. [Book here](https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/grand-salvo-tickets/artist/2776197) |


Over one night of lush instrumentation and songwriting, Melbourne’s Grand Salvo and The Orbweavers join forces for the first time since 2006 to mark career milestones with their RISING performances.  

Grand Salvo’s Paddy Mann celebrates the project’s 21st anniversary, during which he’s released seven albums that jump between sparse allegory and ornate, heavily orchestrated baroque-folk. Along with a full band, Mann plays tracks from the simple guitar-based songs heard on his first album *1642–1747*, all the way through increasingly complex compositions, culminating with 2018’s *Sea Glass*—a rumination on memory, loss and the passing of time. 

Opening the evening are The Orbweavers, who 10 years ago released *Loom*—a celebrated collection of dark folk music, inspired by the human and natural history of the Merri Creek region. They play a selection of the album’s songs which, in examining our relationship to nature, are only becoming more relevant a decade on. 

Orbweavers

Baroque folk and textural song. Two career milestones celebrated in the gilded surrounds of the Comedy Theatre. 

The Orbweavers 

Grand Salvo

“To the Yolngu, our songs, paintings, and dances are our books—they tell us where we have come from and where we are going to… They are our maps, our law books, our title deeds and our family history.” 


| Venue | Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 26—Thu 27 May, 8PM |
| Duration | 75 minutes |
| Price | $70—$90 + booking fee |
| Note | Lockout at start of performance, alternative entry permitted after the first song | 

Music by: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupiŋu, Erkki Veltheim & Michael Hohnen  

Directed by: Don Wininba Ganambarr & Nigel Jamieson  

Musical Director: Erkki Veltheim 

Design & Creative Associate: Jake Nash 

Cinematographer: Paul Shakeshaft   

Video Design: Mic Gruchy 

Lighting Design: Mark Howett 

Sound Designer: Steve Francis   

Creative Producer: Michael Hohnen  

Producers: Anna Reece and Mark Grose      

Performed by: Jamie Yunupiŋu, David Yunupiŋu, Robert Burarrwanga, Nebuchdneear (Nebbie) Nalibidj, James Gurruwiwi and Terrence Gurruwiwi


*We give thanks and pay our respects to the Yolŋgu people of North East Arnhem Land with whom this work has been created, and on whose country this work has been created. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, learn and work and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders.*

This project was initiated by the Yunupiŋu family and Skinnyfish Music   

Produced by Perth Festival and Skinnyfish Music  

Supported by Buku-Larrngay Mulka Centre – Yirrkala Arts Centre and The Mulka Project   

Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) the album was produced by Skinnyfish Music with musical orchestrations and compositions by Erkki Veltheim   

This production has been assisted by the Australian Government's Major Festivals Initiative, managed by the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc., commissioned by Perth Festival, Darwin Festival, Adelaide Festival, Rising, Sydney Festival and Brisbane Festival. 

The Inspiration behind Dr Gurrumul Yunupiŋu’s seminal album *Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)* brought to the stage in a hypnotic performance, supported by the MSO. 

A buŋgul is a ceremony, a gathering ground: a meeting place of dance, song and ritual. 

Dr Gurrumul Yunupiŋu’s posthumously released album, *Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)*, is a landmark moment in Australian music. It transcends its author’s death and celebrates his life, by bringing together western and his Yolŋu family’s musical traditions.

Buŋgul is a celebration of that record’s legacy, created on Country in North East Arnhem Land, with the Yunupiŋu family. In a hypnotic performance, live Yolŋu dancers and songmen present the songs, dances and paintings that inspired Djarimirri; accompanied by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; and directed by Senior Yolŋu Don Wininba Ganambarr and Nigel Jamieson.  

The heart and soul of a masterpiece made real. 

Bungul hero image

Gurrumul's Mother's Buŋgul, Gurrumul's Grandmother’s Buŋgul, Gurrumul's Manikay 

With the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Buŋgul

| Venue | Malthouse Workshop |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 26—Fri 28 May, 8PM; Sat 29 May, 4PM & 8PM |
| Duration | 45 minutes approx |
| Price | $45—$50 + booking fee |

Concept, Direction & Choreography: Amber Haines and Kyle Page

Music: Ellen Arkbro

Composition/Sound Design: Alisdair Macindoe

Lighting Design: Niklas Pajanti

Costume Design: Harriet Oxley

Inflatable Set Design: David Cross

Dramaturgy: Gideon Obarzanek

Performers/Choreographers: Sara Black and James O’Hara

Supported by RISING's Dancing Architects.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Major Festivals Initiative, managed by the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc., Brisbane Festival, RISING, Ten Days on the Island and Stanford Live.  

Tens of thousands of years ago, a genetic mutation gave rise to the physical manifestation of red hair in humans. Now, like many, they are endangered.  

Air is slowly emptying from a large transparent inflatable structure, ultimately sealing its inhabitants in preserved isolation. 

Dancenorth uses the plight of its dancers as an allegory for a contracting world. A world where ecosystems and minorities are progressively being suffocated and silenced. 

Epic and intimate, *RED* illuminates the universal challenge of our survival: sustaining diverse and resilient social and biological ecosystems.

Time is running out. 

Dancenorth Australia 

| Venue | Arts House |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Thu 27—Sat 29 May, 6.30PM, Wed 2—Sat 5 June, 6.30PM |
| Duration| Approx. 50 minutes |
| Price | $45—$50 + booking fee. Tickets also available from Arts House [here](https://artshouse.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/9033) |
| Note | Please ensure you arrive promptly. Late-comers will not be permitted. |

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Two on street accessible spaces outside the post office on Errol Street. There are also two accessible spaces on Queensberry Street (150m from the accessible Errol Street entrance).

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

Loading zone and accessible parking spaces on Queensberry Street before the corner of Leveson Street.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Arts House is 1.1km from North Melbourne Train Station, approximately 16 minute walk or 1.2km from Flagstaff Station, approximately 15 minute walk.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Stop 3 - Lincoln Square/Swanston Street

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 100m.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

80 Errol Street (next to the North Melbourne Post Office).

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

There are wheelchair accessible, gender-neutral toilets on each floor and you can access all levels via a lift.

INTRA SITE TRANSPORT

Internal lift for access between floors.

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: Jackson Castiglione 

Sound Designer and Composer: Kate Neal 

Lighting Designer: Amelia Lever-Davidson  

Child Welfare Producer: Romi Kupfer 

Producers: Erin Milne and Xavier O'Shannessy 

Production Manager: Bec Etchell 

When parents separate, their children feel it too. But how often are their voices heard? 

Based on the original production by French/Algerian theatre maker Mohamed El Khatib, *The Dispute* turns the tables on the common narrative of family separation.  

Six children take the stage to share their stories, questions and perspectives on their parent’s separation; and those of other young people like them. They ask burning questions and put the event into words, telling it how they see it. 

Each of the young performers has taken an active part in the creation of the work. Their observations reveal an intelligence and awareness that is moving, sweet, funny and insightful. *The Dispute* is audacious, mischievous and emotional. 

Children take the stage to describe their parents’ separation in their own words. 

Presented with Arts House

Mohamed El Khatib and Jackson Castiglione

The Dispute

| Venue | Melbourne Town Hall |
| --- | --- | 
|Session one |Sat 5 June, 12PM—3PM | 
|Session two |Sat 5 June, 4.30PM—7.30PM | 
| Duration | 3 hours | 
| Price | $85 + booking fee | 
| Note | This is a licensed event, 18+ |


ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Greenco Parking Pty Ltd
Council House
200 Little Collins St
Melbourne Vic 3000
NB height limit 2m

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

Collins Street, north side, just east of Swanston Street.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Flinders Street Station, all lines.

Nearest accessible tram stop: City Square/Swanston Street, Stop 11 •	1 EAST COBURG – SOUTH MELBOURNE BEACH •	3 MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY – EAST MELBOURNE (WEEKDAYS) •	3A MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY – EAST MELBOURNE (WEEKENDS) •	5 MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY - MALVERN •	6 MORELAND – GLEN IRIS •	16 MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY - KEW •	64 MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY – EAST BRIGHTON •	67 MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY – CARNEGIE •	72 MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY – CAMBERWELL Collins St, stop 6 •	11 – WEST PRESTON – VICTORIA HARBOUR •	12 – VICTORIA GARDENS – ST KILDA •	48 – NORTH BALWYN – VICTORIUA HARBOUR  •	109 BOX HILL – PORT MELBOURNE

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

Copper Doors, Swanston Street Entrance (to the left of the main doors).

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

Ground floor, turn right when exiting lifts.

INTRA SITE TRANSPORT

Internal lift for access between floors.

*Veraison: the onset of ripening grapes*

In late summer, vineyards across the country begin to see their carefully nurtured fruit ripen. Acids developed over cool nights give way to the sugars accumulated from days sitting under the hot summer sun. It’s a moment of transformation and a reward for months of patience.  

This is the sentiment behind *Veraising*—RISING’s sprawling tasting of natural, organic and minimal intervention wine. After months of waiting the time has arrived to gather again and enjoy the ultimate end product of viticulture, the coming together of old friends and new, to share stories and forge new memories. And open many bottles.  

*Veraising* features over 200 wines from over 30 independent winemakers and suppliers from Australia and abroad. Your ticket includes entry, a tasting glass and unlimited tastings. Snacks on the day are in the capable hands of Tom Sarafian (Bar Saracen, Little Andorra), who has been at the forefront of pushing wine-bar dining to new heights. It’s going to be a grape-fuelled party to close the festival’s 2021 food and wine program. 

__*Veraising* is part of Mess Hall, RISING’s bustling food hub of ritual, ceremony and congregation at Melbourne Town Hall. Other food and wine events at Mess Hall include [*Late Night Yum Cha*](/festival-program/late-night-yum-cha), [*Stock Exchange*](/festival-program/stock-exchange), [*The Dinner Party*](/festival-program/the-dinner-party) and [*Tjanabi*](/festival-program/tjanabi).__

A sprawling tasting of over 200 natural, organic and minimal intervention wines. 

Ticket includes all wine tastes and a wine glass to keep

Veraising

“*small metal objects* turns the notion of theatre and the everyday inside out. It is a pure, open-hearted, complex and breathtaking production and a unique meditation on human worth.”

| Venue | Queensbridge Square |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Sat 29 May, 4.30PM; Sun 30 May—Tue 1 June, 1PM and 4.30PM |
| Duration| 50 minutes |
| Price | $54—$60 + booking fee |

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Paid parking at Wilson Parking, 2 Riverside Quay. Entry height is 2m.

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

Taxi Rank on Riverside Quay, in front of the Eureka Building.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Flinders Street Station is a 9-minute walk via the Sandridge Bridge and Flinders Walk pedestrian routes.

Nearest fully accessible tram stop: Stop 5: Elizabeth St/Collins St (Route 109)

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Seated event. 

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE

The performance takes place outdoors with accessible spaces available on the ground level of the seating bank.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

There is a 24 hour accessible public toilet available on Southbank Promendade, a 2-minute walk from Queensbridge Square.

There is also accessible bathrooms and a baby change room located in nearby Southgate shopping centre.

HEARING AUGMENTATION

All audience members are supplied with a headset.

DOG SPENDING/REST AREAS

Park areas are available along Southbank Promenade.

Devisors: Bruce Gladwin, Simon Laherty, Sonia Teuben, Genevieve Morris and Jim Russell

Director: Bruce Gladwin

Performers: Simon Laherty, Genevieve Picot, Jim Russell and Brian Tilley

Sound Design and Composition: Hugh Covill

Costume Design: Shio Otani

Associate Director: Ingrid Voorendt

Sound Engineer: Marco Cher Gibard

Stage Manager: Nikki Watson

Production Manager: Bao Ngouansavanh

Company Manager: Erin Watson

Senior Producer: Tanya Bennett

Executive Producer: Tim Stitz


Supported by the Bowness Family Foundation.

*small metal objects* was developed with support from Creative Victoria and assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council. Initiated through the Victoria Commissions, supported by the Victorian Government, through the Community Support Fund.


Professionals rush across the square, past laughing families and mounted police patrolling its fringes. All are oblivious to the deal going down in their midst. 

When *small metal objects* opens, you’re sitting outside, surrounded by the city’s movement and sound. A drama unfolding somewhere nearby is beaming into your personal set of headphones. Gary and Steve (people who often go unnoticed) are here to complete a transaction with two ambitious executives, but the deal’s not entirely going to plan.

As the drama of small metal objects escalates around you and an oblivious public, its ensemble cast—lead by actors living with disabilities—employ a fictional narrative, based on their lived experience, to explore how respect is withheld from some members of society.

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


Small Metal Objects 1

Small Metal Objects 2

Small Metal Objects 3

A shady deal’s going down. It’s happening in full view, but only the audience knows.

Back to Back Theatre

small metal objects

| Venue | Meat Market |
| --- | --- |
| Dates | Wed 2—Fri 4 June, 8.30PM; Sat 5 June, 4PM & 8.30PM |
| Duration | 70 minutes approx |
| Accessibility Services | Audio Described show on Sat 5 May, 4—5PM. Please contact our Ticketing team on 03 9662 4242 or via [email](mailto:ticketing@rising.melbourne) to book a spot. |
|   | Hearing loop facilities have been installed in the Meat Market's Flat Floor Pavilion to enhance sound quality and eliminate background noise for people who are hard of hearing. |
| Price | $45—$50 + booking fee. Tickets also available via Arts House [here](https://artshouse.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/9032) |
| Warning | Nudity, adult themes, suitable for ages 16+ |

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

Multiple spaces available on Blackwood and Courtney Streets.

ACCESSIBLE DROP OFF

Loading zone and accessible parking spaces near Blackwood Street entrance.

DISTANCE COVERED BY PARTICIPANT

Under 100m.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS

All spaces within the Meat Market feature D.D.A. compliant bathrooms.

OTHER ACCESSIBILITY NOTES

Some areas within Meat Market with cobblestone floors can be slightly bumpy due to their uneven surface. For more information and to access a mobility map, head [here](https://meatmarket.org.au/about/accessibility-statement).

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Nearest accessible train station: Flagstaff Train Station is a 21 minute walk away.

Nearest accessible tram stop: Stop 3 - Lincoln Square/Swanston Street

Co-creators: Anna Breckon and Nat Randall

Director: Anna Breckon

Writers: Anna Breckon and Nat Randall in collaboration with Andrew Brophy

Performers: Dina Panozzo, Nat Randall, Carly Sheppard and Anni Finsterer

Set design: Genevieve Murray (Future Method Studio)

Choreographer: Victoria Hunt

Lighting design: Karen Norris

Music Composition: Nina Buchanan

Sound Design: Daniel Herten

Cinematographer: Ross Turley

Lead camera operator: EO Gill

Light sculpture: Megan Hanson

Video work on TV: Matthew Griffin

Camera Operators: Lucy Parakhina, Lux Eterna and Jenny Atherton 

Vision Mixer: Rowena Crowe

Hair and Makeup Design: Sophie Roberts

Costume Designer: Emma Louise Price/ LUCKY BREAK CREATIVE

Intimacy Choreographer: Danielle Micich

Intimacy Consultant: Michela Carattini

Dramaturg: Miranda Harcourt

Production Manager: Dominic Hamra

Stage Manager: Meg Deyell 

Producer and tour manager: Fenn Gordon for Tandem

Sections of script devised by Paul Blenheim, Genevieve Giuffre, Sapidah Kian, Peter Paltos and Carly Sheppard.

From the acclaimed makers of *The Second Woman*, *Set Piece* sits at the intersection of theatre, film and dance.

Loosely taking the premise of *Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf* as its starting point, *Set Piece* examines intergenerational lesbian coupledom. 

Genre bending and full of wit, it shifts from realism to fantasy and from the clichéd to the inventive, using film techniques, theatre citations, pulp fiction, interview material and improvisations to explore queer erotic dynamics.

With saturated lighting, a cinematic score, close-up filmed images, and a lush set creating synesthetic pleasure, *Set Piece* is an evolving exploration of desire and intimacy.

.css-ksgdz4{opacity:1;-webkit-transition:opacity 0.5s;transition:opacity 0.5s;}The Wilds

Golden Square

The Lighthouse

David Moyle

Heart is a Wasteland

ILBIJERRI Theatre Company

How To Live...

Lynette Wallworth

Ganesh Versus The Third Reich

Back to Back Theatre

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

Veraising

small metal objects

Back to Back Theatre

Set Piece

Anna Breckon and Nat Randall

DRMNGNOW and Kobie Dee

Pookie and SOVBLKPSSY

SEASONS in Blak Box

Utp

A Miracle Constantly Repeated

Patricia Piccinini

Late Night Yum Cha

Clamm

Brick Head and Voice Imitator

Wandering Stars Lantern Making

ArtPlay

Lynette Wallworth in Conversation

Tony Buck

Easy Riders

APHIDS

From the Bottom of the Well

XANI

PENDULUM

Lucy Guerin Inc and Matthias Schack-Arnott

Vanessa Worm, Party Dozen and Eden Burns

Club Purple

Stuart Ringholt

Heavy Congress

Flow State Raffle

Sara Retallick and Amanda Roff

Sunset Studies

Augie March

The Wilds