Arts Centre Melbourne Announces Summer Offerings

Sit down with a cheeky tea-drinking tiger, paint your very own house or join a secret journey through the nooks and crannies of the theatres

An exciting summer program featuring the grand on-stage mayhem of a mischievous tiger, 7000 decorated little houses and a secret journey through the Theatres Building makes Arts Centre Melbourne the destination for families this holiday season.

The fun begins when Judith Kerr's best-selling and much loved children's book The Tiger Who Came to Tea is brought to life live on stage in a musical play at Arts Centre Melbourne's Playhouse from January 2-18. Direct from the UK and adapted and directed by David Wood, it tells of an unexpected guest who creates tea-time mayhem and is packed with magic, songs and clumsy chaos. There will also be Tea for Tiger, a pre-and post-show activity where children can meet a larger than life character and create something special to take home!

The Arts Centre Melbourne Lawn is also the place to be this summer, with free arts events Home and The Future Postal Service inviting families to take part in interactive large and small scale projects which encourage you to think differently about where you live and how you interact. Arts Centre Melbourne's interactive arts project, Home, will see 7000 distinctively decorated small wooden houses fill the streets, parks and city spots for the public to discover, move, share and follow on social media through their journey. From January 10 to 26 families can join in the fun by attending one of the house decorating workshops, Friday night dances, Saturday concerts, or Sunday afternoon jam sessions on the verandah of the Big House on the Arts Centre Melbourne lawn. Children and their families are also invited to take part in a high-energy mail delivery game that captures their thoughts and helps deliver them to new friends. Part-game and part-installation, The Future Postal Service by Maybe (__) Together will pop up from January 13-24.

After checking out the activities outside it is time to head inside into a journey through the labyrinth that is Arts Centre Melbourne in upsidedowninsideout from January 20 to 25. Armed with an interactive storybook, families follow clues through hidden pathways to discover a secret at the heart of the building. After checking out the nooks and crannies, head to Arts Centre Melbourne's Gallery 1 to see Flash! - a free exhibition of performing arts photography from the Performing Arts Collection. From January 17-22 there will also be a vintage selfie event, Flash! Say Cheese! for children and their grown-ups.Also in store for the older kids and families in January is contemporary circus work, Beyond by Circa which blends trapeze and wacky feats of strength, and The Illusionists 2.0, a jaw-dropping magic show featuring seven masters of illusion.