Southgate's SummerSalt Outdoor Arts Festival Begins 23 Jan

From 23 January-21 February, Southgate's promenade will come alive with music, dance, circus, theatre and art. The precinct is an integral part of the new SummerSalt Outdoor Arts Festival featuring unique and creative collaborations by Melbourne's leading arts organisations.

The SummerSalt program features an eclectic range of free events on the banks of the Yarra River in the Southgate precinct. Festival goers can experience interactive theatre, puppetry, storytelling and giant art installations along the promenade.

The riverside program showcases engaging and thought-provoking works from vibrant independent artists, and is set to entertain tens of thousands of visitors this summer.

Born in a Taxi, one of Melbourne's most highly regarded physical theatre ensembles present three physical and interactive shows at the Southgate pedestrian bridge. Ragtime gangsters from the days of black and white movies, a giant whale whose stomach you can enter to uncover the mysteries of the deep, and an interactive life size chess board with a bossy queen, cunning pawn and silly knight to dish out the rules of a fairy tale game.

SummerSalt at Southgate also features Melbourne Fringe 2014 People's Choice Award winner Long Answers to Simple Questions (Games), by Tom Davis. Showcasing the elite skills of artists who have worked with Circus Oz, Circa and Cirque du Soleil, the physical performance explores, with humour and kindness, the importance of relationships and community through grief and loss.

Many promenade shows are characterised by their immersive nature, where audiences are given an opportunity to interact with performers. Dancefarm Gameshow sees 'Mr Hotwheel' ask audience members to spin the wheel in order to manipulate the dancers through a game of chance. Puppeteer Lana Schwarcz invites viewers to peer into the world's smallest theatre and enjoy a one-minute puppetry show of The Curator, who needs your help to find the missing piece in his exhibition.

More information on the SummerSalt program at Southgate is available here. The full program is detailed in the attached media release.

Visitors to the summer festival can also take advantage of a diverse range of Southgate's restaurants and bars, including three talked-about new additions. Italian restaurant and wine bar ARTUSI, Bavarian bier hall Hophaus and native North American inspired restaurant Amarok all opened in mid 2014. A range of boutique retailers including vintage and fair trade fashion, designer homewares, art deco jewellery and antique art can also be found within the precinct.

Southgate is located in the heart of Melbourne; adjacent to the Arts Centre Melbourne on the Yarra River, opposite the sprawling heritage listed Flinders Street Station.

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