Doors open for Geelong Arts Centre’s transformed Little Malop Street building

This weekend is seeing the Geelong Arts Centre welcome patrons to the grand opening of its transformed Little Malop Street building, raising the curtain on the $140 million project.

Open from today, the Victorian Government backed project, the milestone comes after more than four years of design, construction, and collaboration.

The Little Malop Street redevelopment has created Australia’s largest dedicated regional performing arts centre - centred on a 764-seat theatre Play House - establishing a new landmark for Geelong with two new theatres alongside new bars and event spaces and a dining destination called Tutti.

The weekend’s grand opening showcase events features multi-ARIA-Award winning singer Jessica Mauboy along with an Australian comedy triple header starring Dave Thornton, Dilruk Jayasinha and Lizzy Hoo.

Opening festival events aim to offer something for all tastes and all ages, including community open days and backstage tours, a concert by Missy Higgins, Opera Australia’s The Barber of Seville, a performance from 1980s hitmakers Pseudo Echo and Windmill Theatre Company’s new musical puppet show for children and families HICCUP.

Beyond its opening events, the Centre already has more than 1,000 events already booked in across its venues in the months ahead.

Looking forward to the weekend’s events, Geelong Arts Centre Chief Executive and Creative Director, Joel McGuinness advised “the grand opening festival marks the culmination of years of dedication, passion, and community collaboration, reaffirming Geelong Arts Centre's commitment to extraordinary cultural expression for the region, Victoria, and beyond.”

The new building results from a collaboration between the Geelong Arts Centre, ARM Architecture, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the wider First Nations community who have worked together to welcome Country into the very fabric of the design and found opportunities for deep collaboration.

Welcoming the new building, Victorian Minister for Creative Industries, Steve Dimopoulos stated "Geelong Arts Centre of old helped kickstart the careers of Rachel Griffiths, Guy Pearce and Dave Thornton and now this transformed facility will inspire a whole new generation."

Martin Foley to chair Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation
Former Victorian Arts Minister Martin Foley has been announced as Chair of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation - the body heading the arts precinct redevelopment, including a new $1.7 billion contemporary art and design gallery - replacing experienced company director James MacKenzie.

The appointment has been reported by AAP as politicisation of the public service.

Images: The new Story House theatre with seating from Maxwood Technology (top), the building's exterior western facade with artwork by Kait James (middle) and its level one foyer (below). Credit: Peter Foster.