Two new world class arts venues open in Southbank
Two high profile additions to Melbourne’s arts precinct - the new MTC Theatre (left) and the Melbourne Recital Centre (right), side by side on Southbank Boulevard
Melbourne's arts precinct in Southbank is set to expand significantly with opening of the brand new Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC) and the new Melbourne Theatre Company Theatre (MTC Theatre), a $128 million project initiated and delivered by the Victorian State Government.
Located on Soutbank Boulevard near the National Gallery of Victoria International, the MTC Theatre opened on 28 January with the world premiere of Poor Boy, starring Guy Pearce. Described as ‘a work of art for the performing arts’, the new MTC Theatre houses two performance spaces: the Sumner Theatre, a state-of-the-art 500 seat venue, and the flexible Lawler Studio for more small-scale and edgy work. The venue also contains a box office, two stunning foyer areas with bars, Script - a hundred seat licensed café with an outdoor seating area for another 36 people, and two VIP function rooms both with fabulous views over Southbank.
Right next door and opening on 8 February, is the new Melbourne Recital Centre, which features two new performing spaces designed specifically for the presentation and furtherance of fine music: the 1000-seat Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, named in honour of Victoria’s most generous and longest serving philanthropist (and MRC patron) Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, and The Salon, a small 150 seat performance space which is designed for more intimate performances and also doubles as a recording studio. The MRC also houses an additional two broadcast and recording studios as well as two practice rooms, a rehearsal room, five dressing rooms, an ensemble room, function rooms and a cafe bar.
The MTC Theatre and the MRC will host two joint public open days on Saturday 7 and 15 February. Further details can be found on the websites for both organisations.
2009 will also see the unveiling of the new ground floor of Australian Centre for the Moving image (ACMI) at Federation Square, which is currently undergoing a major redevelopment to be turned into a new permanent exhibition of history of the moving image. One of the most ambitious showcases of its kind anywhere in the world, the new exhibition Moving Worlds: The story of film, television and digital culture will cover over 1600 square metres and is anticipated to garner major international attention to this already world class venue.
For further information, go to:
Melbourne Recital Centre: www.melbournerecital.com.au
Melbourne Theatre Company: www.mtc.com.au
Australian Centre for the Moving Image: www.acmi.net.au
Media Contacts:
Melbourne Recital Centre: Rée Izett Ph: 0418 101 399 or email: reeizett@gmail.com
Melbourne Theatre Company: Christy Hopwood Ph: (03) 9684 4527 or email: c.hopwood@mtc.com.au
Australian Centre for the Moving Image: Cory Parfett, Ph: (03) 8663 2362 email: cory.parfett@acmi.net.au