Australian Performing Arts Collection

The Australian Performing Arts Collection at Arts Centre Melbourne is the largest specialist performing arts collection in Australia, with over 680,000 items relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre in Australia and of Australian performers overseas.

History

Established as the Performing Arts Museum in 1979, it is now officially known as the Australian Performing Arts Collection.

Highlights of the collections

The Australian Ballet Collection
J.C. Williamson Theatres Ltd Collection
Nellie Melba collections, including the Nellie Melba Stage Wardrobe and the John Lemmone Collection
Kylie Minogue Collection
Nick Cave Collection
Barry Humphries Collection
Peter Allen
Juke Magazine Archive
Ashton Family Circuses Collection
Circus Oz Collection
Sydney Dance Company Collection, and personal collections from Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon
Kristian Fredrikson Collection
Kenneth Rowell Collection
Reg Livermore Collection
Bell Shakespeare Collection
Chamber Made Opera Company Collection
Playbox Theatre Company Collection
Kenn Brodziak Collection, relating to The Beatles Australian Tour
Chunky Move Collection
Handspan Theatre Collection
Split Enz Costume Collection
Australian Archives of the Dance

Exhibitions

The Australian Performing Arts Collection holds exhibitions the galleries throughout Arts Centre Melbourne (Gallery 1, Gallery 2, St Kilda Road Foyer Gallery and Smorgon Family Plaza). Exhibitions subjects have included AC/DC, Kylie Minogue, Geoffrey Rush, Peter Allen, and Nick Cave and have toured nationally and internationally. The current exhibition, The Australian Music Vault, is a collaboration with the music industry.

Directors

Frank van Straten (1984-1993)
Janine Barrand

External links

37°49′13″S 144°58′6″E / 37.82028°S 144.96833°E / -37.82028; 144.96833

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States
People	Trove 2 3 4