Arts Centre Melbourne has announced it will open the new Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA) within its iconic Hamer Hall in December 2025.
Located on the Hall’s upper terrace overlooking the Birrarung (Yarra River), the new cultural destination in the heart of Melbourne will be dedicated to celebrating Australia’s extraordinary performing arts legacy and stories from the global stage.
AMPA will present exclusive exhibitions, featuring both rare and treasured objects from the Australian Performing Arts Collection, while also showcasing the best touring international performing arts exhibitions.
The Australian Performing Arts Collection is the nation’s largest repository celebrating the performing arts, containing more than 850,000 objects relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre. Arts Centre Melbourne is the custodian of the Collection and cares for it on behalf of the people of Victoria and Australia.
The Collection contains elaborate costumes and iconic rare objects from stars of the Australian stage including Kylie Minogue, Barry Humphries, Nick Cave, Hugh Jackman, Peter Allen, Chrissy Amphlett and the Dames – Nellie Melba, Joan Sutherland, Olivia Newton-John and Edna Everage – as well as famed performing arts institutions including The Australian Ballet, Circus Oz, Melbourne Theatre Company and Opera Australia. Arts Centre Melbourne is the custodian of the Collection and cares for it on behalf of the people of Victoria and Australia.
AMPA will be delivered in phases. In Phase 1, AMPA will open to the public in December 2025 with almost 500 square metres dedicated to showcasing curated exhibitions including international touring exhibitions. In Phase 2, AMPA will grow to approximately 800 square metres.
AMPA’s first exhibition will be announced this September, and the gallery will open in December. Phase 1 of AMPA is made possible via significant support from Melbourne’s generous philanthropic community in addition to seed funding from the Victorian Government, through Creative Victoria.
“The new Australian Museum of Performing Arts will be an exciting new cultural destination in the heart of the city that will cement Melbourne’s reputation as Australia’s cultural capital,” said Minister for Creative Industries The Hon. Colin Brooks MP.
“Victoria has long been the beating heart of Australia’s performing arts, and AMPA will honour that rich legacy while inspiring future generations. It will not only showcase our national collection at a scale never before possible but also strengthen our visitor economy and cultural reputation on the world stage,” said the Minister.
“I’m so pleased to be bringing to life the long-held vision to make the riches of the Australian Performing Arts Collection more accessible to the Victorian community through new and expanded spaces,” said Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Karen Quinlan AM.
“Through treasured objects, iconic performers and a rich theatrical legacy, AMPA will enable us to share with the world the incredible performing arts history and stories of the stages of Australia and beyond.”
The Australian Performing Arts Collection was established in 1975. Two early major acquisitions were the J.C. Williamson Theatres Ltd Archive – a vast photographic and paper-based collection generated by what was the largest commercial theatre enterprise in the Southern Hemisphere for almost a century – and Dame Nellie Melba’s exquisite stage costumes and accessories.
Objects are currently accessible to the community via foyer displays in Arts Centre Melbourne’s venues Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building, a searchable online catalogue, a dedicated Research Centre, loans to other cultural institutions and through the behind-the-scenes Collection Store Tours at Hamer Hall. Iconic objects from the Collection can also be found in the Australian Music Vault in the Theatres Building.
For more information about the Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA), visit: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au for details.
Images: Member for Albert Park Nina Taylor MP, John Foreman AM, Lucy Durack, Minister for Creative Industries The Hon. Colin Brooks MP and Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Karen Quinlan AM – photo by Rohan Shearn | Australian Museum of Performing Arts – concept render by Scharp | Lucy Durack and John Foreman AM with a selection of Costumes from the Collection – photo by Eugene Hyland