Arts & Culture

“Luminous pulse” shines through Cheng Lei’s story

May 20th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

A “gripping and unexpectedly revealing” work written and performed by journalist Cheng Lei that is premiering at Arts House this month is not just about retelling the suffering of her three-year detention in China, Lei says, but “explor[ing] something universal”.

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A tram ride through fear, memory and survival: VIGIL arrives at Arts House this April

April 15th, 2026 - Gabrielle Shi

This April, Melbourne audiences will have the chance to step inside a powerful new work that transforms one of the city’s most familiar spaces into something far more unsettling.

Local comedy club focused on fun, mixed lineups

April 15th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

Around the corner from the Comics Lounge, tiny Club Voltaire has been hosting funny, free-spirited shows for more than two decades and the comedians are serving up the laughs every Sunday night, with or without the Comedy Festival.

“Special school” satire set to open at Arts House

March 18th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

A fierce, funny work lifting the lid on “special education” will play at Arts House in North Melbourne, which has commissioned the piece, over six nights in March.

Love Letters to North Melbourne Pool

March 18th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

A crowd-sourced history of North Melbourne Pool launched last month is “a rich tapestry of a book” and “a great artefact of the community”, according to its local not-for-profit publisher.

Lunar New Year casts glow at Arts House

February 18th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

The first installation to be shown in a new downstairs exhibition space at Arts House is an atmospheric meditation on chance and life that has been programmed with “a nod to the Lunar New Year”.

On the West Melbourne streets where she lived

February 18th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

Thanks to a stroke of luck the City of Melbourne’s Art and Heritage Collection is staging an exhibition of work by social documentary photographer Viva Gibb, who over 20 years “lovingly portrayed” the North and West Melbourne neighbourhoods where she lived.

NGV’s Kids on Tour comes to Kensington and Flemington

January 14th, 2026 - Nicole Manolitsas

For the month of January, NGV’s Kids on Tour has returned to venues across metropolitan and regional Victoria. Offering free art-making programs and activities for children, teens and families, this summer is set to cure any boredom.

Arts House unveils bold, community-led 2026 season of music, theatre, performance and immersive art

December 17th, 2025 - Arts House

Arts House has unveiled a bold and wide-ranging 2026 program, setting the stage for a year shaped by community connection, experimental performance, intergenerational storytelling and major new commissions from some of the country’s most compelling contemporary artists.