Kylie Minogue Donates to Arts Centre Melbourne's Australian Performing Arts Collection

By: Mar. 18, 2015
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

Melbourne-born international performer and superstar Kylie Minogue has generously donated more than 20 incredibly significant and rare costumes to Arts Centre Melbourne's Australian Performing Arts Collection.

The 20 costumes (comprising more than 60 items in total) include ensembles worn during the X2008 Tour - designed by Jean Paul Gaultier - and a number designed by Dolce & Gabbana for the Kylie - Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour 2011.

Kylie Minogue has also donated a very rare jacket that was worn in her famous 'Locomotion' video clip (1988) and costumes worn in video clips 'Better Than Today', 'All the Lovers' and 'Get Outta My Way' (2010). The tour costumes also include shoes, head dresses and accessories.

"I'm thrilled to donate more of my costumes from various shows, including 'X 2008' and 'Aphrodite Les Follies 2011' to the extensive collection already housed by the Australian Performing Arts Collection," Ms Minogue said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews accepted the generous donation on behalf of Arts Centre Melbourne backstage at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night prior to the Melbourne performance of Kylie's 'Kiss Me Once Tour'.

Kylie is a long-time supporter of the Arts Centre Melbourne's Australian Performing Arts Collection.


Her first donation was in 1991 and in 2003 she generously donated more than 300 of her spectacular costumes and accessories to Arts Centre Melbourne. There are close to 1000 items in the entire Kylie Minogue collection.

President of the Victorian Arts Centre Trust Tom Harley said he was absolutely thrilled by Kylie Minogue's generous gift to the Australian Performing Arts Collection.

He said that Kylie Minogue's donation added further stars to the stellar Performing Arts Collection of Arts Centre Melbourne.

"We need to create a permanent exhibition home for all the material. Such a home is an important component of our current master planning for Arts Centre Melbourne," Mr Harley said.

"We already have the Collection and curatorial and exhibitions expertise, the next step is to share this extraordinary collection of treasures with the wider community."

One of the donated costumes - a red silk dress designed by Jean Paul Gaultier for the 'X2008' tour - will be on display in Arts Centre Melbourne's Smorgon Family Plaza from tomorrow, 19 March, for two weeks.

Arts Centre Melbourne's Australian Performing Arts Collection is the leading performing arts collections in Australia. It is Australia's largest and most important collection of performing arts history and traditions. Established in 1975, it is formally recognised as a State Collection and encompasses the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre. The Collection features over 600,000 items including costumes, designs, photographs, set models, puppets, props, posters and programs.



Videos