NEUROVISION, IMPROVISING CARE, and More Workshops Will Come to Arts Centre Melbourne

Arts Centre Melbourne has unveiled new workshops that will push the boundaries of performance practice, with workshops exploring neurodiversity, dementia and more. Open to all different ability levels, the workshops are part of PLAY, a dynamic program of creative workshops designed to teach and develop skills in the arts.

Inspired by the beloved Eurovision Song Contest, Neurovision makes its debut with a one-off vibrant cabaret spectacular on Sunday 24 May at Arts Centre Melbourne's The Show Room. Made in collaboration with disability-led not-for-profit Schizy Inc and comprised of a cast of Neurodivergent artists with lived experience, Neurovision will inject some much needed humour into mental health disability arts. Each performer brings a unique artform to their moment in the spotlight, from music, theatre, spoken word and experimental performance art.

Navigating a loved one's journey through dementia can be difficult. New experiential workshop Improvising Care (20 – 27 June) will explore how arts based techniques can support and improve communication with those with dementia. The first of its kind in Australia, the workshop is designed for the family members and loved ones of those on a dementia journey. Teaching them tools often employed by actors, like applied improvisation, to help support communication, connection and reduce stress levels. Made in collaboration with TBC Creative and facilitated by actor and theatre maker Trudi Boatwright, Improvising Care is supported by Dr Paulina La Rocca of the University of Technology Sydney.

New workshop series Punk the Beat! Let's W_ack! will teach Punking and W_acking, two exhilarating forms of club dance that call for giving attitude, posing and moving with power and presence. Born from the underground Queer dancefloors of the Black and Latinx communities of Los Angeles, Punking and W_acking have transformed dance into a social playground filled with radical joy and self expression.

Open to anyone curious to learn and hungry to build skills, workshop attendees will learn from 8 skilled members of Burn City W_ack, a Naarm/Melbourne dance community that have won battle titles around the world and dedicated over 10 years to perfecting the artform together. Punk the Beat! Let's W_ack! will culminate with themed performances and electrifying dance battles at a community showcase jam on Saturday 27 June where all are welcome.

Fusing creativity and cultural literacy The Rehearsal Room: Design of Life will provide an opportunity to go behind the scenes of the writer's room. In partnership with community led organisations Next in Colour and Black Wealth Connect,The Show Room will host open readings and workshops that develop plays written by African Australian artists from 18 May – 22 June. Practicing a model of radical transparency in the creative process, grounded in culturally specific methodology that centre African and African-Australian playwrights.

Arts Centre Melbourne's PLAY program for 2026 celebrates the power of the arts to connect communities said Arts Centre Melbourne Head of Creative Engagement Cynthia Nolan Myers.

“From the bold cabaret of Neurovision to the transformative, arts-based care techniques in Improvising Care, the PLAY program's new workshops are the direct result of a highly competitive EOI process designed to invite the arts sector and community to contribute to the programming. These partnerships highlight diverse voices, connect communities and offer a valuable chance to develop industry development and artistic skills."