Art Center Melbourne's Families Summer Autumn 2020 Program Announced

Much-loved book characters brought to life on stage, dazzling acrobatics, a beatboxing superhero, mini dance parties and a transcultural dance work for babies await families in Arts Centre Melbourne's Families Summer Autumn 2020 program. From January - May 2020 children and their families will have the chance to experience engaging theatrical adventures and interactive experiences from Australia and beyond spanning theatre, dance, circus, music and creative workshops.

"We are celebrating artists from around the world and around the corner in this season of exciting works for young audiences. Across summer and autumn curious children as young as four months old can watch and participate with delight in a season spanning dance, theatre, circus and musical theatre - we are excited!,'' says Arts Centre Melbourne Creative Producer, Families and Children, Mary Harvey.

Arts Centre Melbourne's Families and Children program will celebrate the start of summer with 10 Minute Dance Parties, a free participatory event for all ages and abilities. Little groovers are invited to step inside a converted shipping container on Arts Centre Melbourne's forecourt to bust out as many dance moves as possible in just 10 minutes. Also in January will be fan-favourite The 91-Storey Treehouse and an internationally acclaimed award-winning work for 3 - 6 year olds, Stick By Me.

In February the program will presents two works as part of Asia TOPA, Arts Centre Melbourne's triennial festival of performing arts from the Asia Pacific. À a?? Làng Pha?', peformed by Nouveau Cirque du Vietnam is a dazzling acrobatic circus performance featuring juggling, balancing, contortion and daring feats. While Flower e?? is a beautiful trans-cultural dance/theatre piece by Sally Chance Dance (Australia) and Masil Theatre (Korea) for babies aged 4 - 18 months and their carers.

Later in the season Arts Centre Melbourne is delighted to present the stage adaptation of the book, Charlie and the War Against the Grannies. This new musical comedy, commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne and created by actor, comedian and children's author Alan Brough (ABC Spicks and Specks) will have its world premiere on the Playhouse stage. Starring Brough himself, this hilarious and playful work combines live music, puppetry and theatre to tell the story of Charlie Duncan and his best friend Hils, two 12-year-olds trying to stop a fiendish band of grannies plotting to take over the world.

The last performance of the season will be Dr AudiYo's Giant Adventure, the story of a beatboxing clown-come-superhero performed by theatre-maker and comedian Holly Austin. On a bare stage Austin uses only her voice, a microphone and wireless looping technology to bring to life a wondrous world of giants, music and cats.

Throughout the year children also have a chance to unleash their creative side in hands-on in interactive workshops at The Channel, Arts Centre Melbourne's high-tech learning lab. Located in iconic Hamer Hall, The Channel is Arts Centre Melbourne's state-of-the-art workshop and performance space. Designed for children and their families, these workshops give participants the chance to create, mix and record their own music, create vivid posters, learn a new magic trick or try their hand at puppeteering. This year Arts Centre Melbourne is partnering with St Martins Youth Arts Centre to offer two workshops.

Arts Centre Melbourne's year-round Families Program was launched in August 2009 and has grown in reputation to become a highly respected program nationally and internationally. Featuring intimate and large-scale theatre from some of the world's most respected companies and a diverse range of interactive workshops, the program is robust and growing in size, scale and scope.

As part of the program Arts Centre Melbourne also presents some of the best Australian and international performances and programs for children with disability and their families to enjoy.