Arts Centre Melbourne Sets Families & Youth 2014 Winter/Spring Program Lineup

Contemporary retellings of classic fairy tales fit for all ages are among the highlights of Arts Centre Melbourne's spellbinding Families & Youth 2014 Winter/Spring program. From June to November, a unique mix of theatre, dance, circus, puppetry, rap and opera from seven countries will capture the imagination of the young and young at heart.

Arts Centre Melbourne Participation, Family and Youth Programs Manager Emer Harrington said the 2014 Winter/Spring program had a strong focus on story-telling, both traditional and immersive.

"I don't see children as a uniform group of people, rather they are all individuals who need to be exposed to new things,'Ms Harrington said.

"I generally try to make sure there is something for everyone - they can come and participate in a workshop, see a show or join in an interactive activity. There are different experiences for different personality types.

"The children get exposed to the work from different countries and through theatre learn about the world."

Young audiences will be introduced to the joys of opera when Arts Centre Melbourne and Victorian Opera present the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Hansel and Gretel on June 21. The magical fun continues when Hans Christian Andersen's famed fairytale characters come together direct from Denmark for a special dinner party at Hans Christian, You Must Be An Angel on November 15 and 16 at the Playhouse Rehearsal Room.

Children and their families can travel down the "high seas" in a Yarra River adventure in The Marlin Expedition (October 1-5), fall in love with a little dog who wants to take care of stones in Swedish theatre production Aston's Stones (June 18-22) and delight in the story of young off-key songbird Peggy O'Hegarty, whose not-so-dulcet tones save the day in The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly (August 9-10) by Australian playwright Finnegan Kruckemeyer. The fun continues with Terrapin Puppet Theatre's free interactive installation I Think I Can (October 1-5), where participants navigate a large-scale model railway with a miniature puppet.

Teens and their families will be wowed by the skills of New York-based Canadian rapper Baba Brinkman, who will use rap to explain the facts of evolution and origins of hip hop in The Rap Guide to Evolution (June 6-7). They will then have the chance to witness the breakdance, popping, locking and krumping skills of more than 20 teenage performers from Western Sydney in The Yard (August 13-16).The performance draws inspiration from the athletic skills and stories of the young multicultural students to explore the dynamics of the Australian school yard.

The season is complemented by a range of free pop-up events in Arts Centre Melbourne's foyer and Digital Learning Hub. They include the Bring It! Festival, featuring the Arts Centre Melbourne's award winning hip-hop program Dig Deep, and QUADwrangle, an interactive, multi-speaker installation recreating the sounds of the school yard. Young people will also get a chance to create and experience Hans Christian, Stories in The Wall, a digital installation inspired by the stories of Hans Christian Andersen.

During the season a range of workshops will also be available in the Digital Learning Hub including Bellissimo!, an opportunity to compose music for the Federation Bells in Birrarung Marr, and the Trop Jr. Filmmaking Course, where young people learn the skills to enter a film in Trop Jr., Australia's largest short film festival for kids.

With an international selection of the world's leading innovators in children's entertainment and home-grown creations by Australia's favourite family-friendly theatre companies, Arts Centre Melbourne's year-round Families and Youth program will offer enriching performing arts experiences for audiences of all ages.

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