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  • Cadence

    Lindi Forde

    'Cadence' is a series of abstract artworks which began by delving into the allure and mysticism of indigo then moved into a brighter palette, evolving into a celebration of colour and rhythm.

  • kerosene & SIRENS

    VIMH

    A double bill of Benjamin Nichol’s acclaimed plays - the multi-Green Room award-winning 'kerosene', directed by Nichol and performed/co-directed by Izabella Yena, and the acclaimed 2022 Melbourne Fringe hit 'SIRENS', directed by Liv Satchell, co-created by Izabella Yena, and performed by Nichol.

  • Unsprung

    Janno McLaughlin

    Unsprung is a play on ‘spring’ and its connotations of hope, metaphor, new life, and new beginnings.

  • Image of large naked woman from behind

    Take Up Space

    Jemima Longworth

    Unapologetically present, Jemima's oil paintings explore the needlessly insistent sexualisation of the assumed woman’s form.

  • Samantha Hargreaves: Farewell Concert

    Samantha Hargreaves

    An afternoon of opera, Filipino folk-song, and golden age musical theatre, hosted by bass-baritone Eddie Muliaumaseali'i, and featuring Samantha Hargreaves (soprano), Coady Green (pianist), Bernardo Soler (guitarist), and Amanda Hargreaves (soprano).

  • Julius Caesar

    Melbourne Shakespeare Company

    Following the success of 'King Lear' at fortyfivedownstairs in 2021, Melbourne Shakespeare Company returns with the Bard’s political thriller 'Julius Caesar', directed by Richard Murphett.

  • Three black and white film strips with greyscale images of the artist working in his studio

    TRACCE – TRACES: Works 1992-2023

    Michelangelo Russo

    This survey exhibition spans more than four decades of Michelangelo Russo's evolving practice.

  • our worlds, our words

    Students of Parkville College

    Welcome to “Our Worlds, Our Words”: an extraordinary exhibition showcasing the creative talent of students across the Parkville College campuses.

  • Myra in Space

    Baggage Productions

    Alice Bishop directs the premiere of this new play by Bridgette Burton ('Rhonda is in Therapy'), the tragi-comic story of Myra Foreman, a woman who missed her life on earth and is now going to live it, in space.

  • A Home Among the Plum Trees

    Kelvin Lau

    Parental and institutional erasures of diasporic heritage, and its replacement with the values of Australian middle-class suburbia and professional status, were critically examined through this multimodal approach.

  • Take Up Space

    Jemima Longworth

    Unapologetically present, Jemima's oil paintings explore the needlessly insistent sexualisation of the assumed woman’s form.  They are inspired by women and non binary folk’s experiences with how they have been treated based on their bodies.

  • THE CROCODILE

    Spinning Plates Co.

    Back by popular demand! A return season of Cassandra Fumi's acclaimed production of 'The Crocodile' by Tom Basden, a play about art, animals, and what happens when you try to take on the system from within… a crocodile.

  • Near Sighted

    Kate Hunter

    Near Sighted is an audio-visual installation comprised of six tiny interactive dioramas.

  • Don’t Start

    James Hale

    Numbering in the thousands and piled up in no particular order, this is the stuff of nightmares for conservators.

  • Constellations

    Artefact Theatre

    Artefact Theatre Company's Matthew Cox directs Nick Payne’s gloriously romantic, award-winning hit, starring Mark Yeates ('Much Ado About Nothing', 'Mr Burns') and Bridie Pamment ('The Real Inspector Hound').

  • Lebenslust

    Dena Ashbolt and Gudrun Ilana Guriel

    An ambitious collaboration between artist an author, both inspired by time passing as revealed by movement.
    One woman's memoir with the intention of not only setting a stage of life in post war Germany, but also of exposing the intergenerational secrets she has recognised in her family. The manuscript has been in development for the past decade, and the working relationship with artist Dena Ashbolt started as a result of their mutual enthusiasm for images of movement.

  • Uncommon Threads

    Naarm Textile Collective

    The exhibition showcases innovative works, using a range of materials and techniques that challenge and subvert traditional ideas of textile art.

  • A Dodgeball Named Desire

    Bloomshed

    Bloomshed ('Paradise Lost' presented by Darebin Speakeasy) go up against a sub-elite AFL team in an all-out Battle Royale for the heart of an aging southern belle. Think dodgeball meets Tennessee Williams in this bold creation from one of Melbourne’s most exciting new companies.

  • Of Dingoes & Witch-Hunts

    Sharon Monagle

    “Of Dingoes and Witch-hunts” is inspired by familiar stories of Australian women and their journey to equality; powerful metaphors of suppression, persecution and an evolving struggle that speaks to our history, our culture and values.

  • The Community Art Card Project

    Robert Lee Davis

    Robert Lee Davis The Community Art Card Project 31 October - 11 November 2023 hours: Tuesday - Friday: 12pm - 7pm Saturdays: 12pm - 4pm admission: Free Playing cards are used in communities across the globe and offer ways to strike up conversation and be part of a group. In partnership with St Michael’s Grammer…

  • Orlando

    Antipodes Theatre Company

    The world premiere of a bold new folk musical adaptation of Virginia Woolf's seminal novel 'Orlando', a whirlwind tale of romance and betrayal in which a young poet changes gender and lives for over 200 years.

  • The House That Jack Built

    Darren Vukasinovic

    Darren Vukasinovic The House That Jack Built 17 November - 9 December 2023 hours: Tuesday - Friday: 12pm - 7pm Saturdays: 12pm - 4pm admission: Free ...a journey of outer and inner reflections... A descent into the mind of madness. The House That Jack Built is an immersive photoprose exhibition featuring original fine art photography…

  • Vampire Lesbians of Sodom

    Little Ones Theatre

    Following the enormous success of 'Psycho Beach Party' over a decade ago, Little Ones Theatre (led by director Stephen Nicolazzo) returns for one last time to bring you another camp travesty from Charles Busch, New York’s Queen of Queer Theatre. It's time to laugh and get your fangs out, just in time for Christmas!

  • Sunday Summer Jazz with The New Impromptu Quartet

    The New Impromptu Quartet

    Exploring a world of styles and influences from jazz to latin, funk, reggae, and soul with a fresh and open musical approach. Danceable grooves, deep rhythmic bass lines, and driving percussion characterise The New Impromptu Quartet's sound.

  • Emerging Artist Award 2023

    A prestigious award and exhibition showcasing exciting talent from emerging artists.

  • The Inheritance

    fortyfivedownstairs

    After acclaimed seasons in the West End and on Broadway, winning both the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Play, 'The Inheritance' by Matthew López (inspired by E. M. Forster's novel 'Howards End') will have its Australian premiere in a bold new production directed by Kitan Petkovski ('The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven') and featuring a cast of 13 actors.

  • Dreamscapes

    v?

    v? Dreamscapes 3 - 10 February 2024 hours: Tuesday - Friday: 12pm - 7pm Saturdays: 12pm - 4pm admission: Free an exploration of the duality between the conscious and the unconscious Melbourne-based abstract artist v?, best known for her captivating art videos on social media, is set to unveil her debut exhibition "Dreamscapes" at fortyfivedownstairs…

  • In Waking Hours

    Joe Whyte

    Joe Whyte In Waking Hours 13 February - 9 March 2024 hours: Tuesday - Friday: 12pm - 7pm Saturdays: 12pm - 4pm admission: Free ...fleeting moments in the life of the city... In Waking Hours presents an evocative collection of Melbourne-inspired streetscape paintings from 2023 National Emerging Art Prize winner Joe Whyte. Drawing inspiration from the…

  • The Whisper

    Brodie Murray

    In this story of courage and bravery directed by Maryanne Sam ('Coconut Woman', Yirramboi Festival), a tip-off sparks a journey of Indigenous family survival, made by horse and cart under the cover of dark. Set against the racialized backdrop of 1940s Australia, a Ngarrindjeri family must make the impossible choice to leave home and country forever. “I wanted to write this play to honour family, legacy, the stories of survival of people from South Eastern Australia, and to honour my Nan and her journey” says playwright Brodie Murray.

  • Milked

    The Ninth Floor

    Paul is trying to find a job. Snowy is trying to find himself. Fate, in the form of a cow named Sandy, has other plans. Iain Sinclair ('A View From The Bridge', MTC) directs the Australian premiere of Longman’s heartfelt black comedy, featuring Laurence Boxhall ('The Mousetrap', Comedy Theatre) and William McKenna ('Harry Potter and the Cursed Child').

  • fortyfivedownstairs Chamber Music Festival 2024

    Coady Green and fortyfivedownstairs

    Following the success of the inaugural Chamber Music Festival in March 2023, renowned pianist Coady Green has again curated a diverse program of 14 events, including multiple Australian premieres, collaborations with Lyric Opera and the Wilin Centre, and performances from an incredible lineup of artists such as pianist Michael Leslie, soprano Antoinette Halloran, actors Helen Morse and Paul English, and ensembles Songmakers Australia and the Divisi Chamber Singers.

  • The Unknown Swimmer

    Jason Reekie

    Jason Reekie The Unknown Swimmer 13- 23 March 2024 hours: Tuesday - Friday: 12pm - 7pm Saturdays: 12pm - 4pm admission: Free ..you never regret a swim... The Unknown Swimmer was born in the frigid waters of Port Phillip Bay in the grip of a Melbourne winter. Stemming from a slightly drunken conversation, a gauntlet…

  • Now and Then

    Ivana and Robert Perkins

    Ivana and Robert Perkins Now and Then 13 March - 23 March 2024 hours: Tuesday - Friday: 12pm - 7pm Saturdays: 12pm - 4pm admission: FreeImage caption: Ivana, Robert Perkins, 1990More details coming soonMore details coming soon

  • Secret Places

    Louise Tyler

    Louise Tyler Secret Places 26 March - 6 April 2024 hours: Tuesday - Friday: 12pm - 7pm Saturdays: 12pm - 4pm admission: Free amorphous swathes of watercolour that reveal ponds, seaweed, a beach, moonlight and farmland The exhibition, Secret Places, features a row of white-framed pictures on paper, an oil painting on canvas, and eight…