We are celebrating the start of our second decade with an artistic program as deep as it is wide; one that hums with the vibrancy of our relationships with artists, audiences, communities and organisations both in Melbourne and across the world. The work, the voices and the passions of these relationships (and some incredible City of Melbourne staff, advisers and Councillors) have raised Arts House from an idea into a reality. We stand tall and proud of our purpose as an international centre of contemporary art, located in the best part of the city, North Melbourne – a perfect cultural counterpoint to the Southbank precinct.

Our doors are wide open.

To the artists who consistently engage, provoke and stimulate us with boldly experimental, brilliantly executed work, exploring imaginative terrain that opens up entire new views of the world…welcome!

To the co-experimenters and collaborators – formerly known as the audience – who engage, witness, participate and reflect, enabling artists to take risks that unearth the future…welcome!

To our surrounding communities, who bring their culture, capacities and insightful critiques to the table: thank you for so generously offering new ways and showing us the well-worn paths that enable our connections with each other…welcome!

And to our colleagues and friends in organisations and institutions across Melbourne, Australia and the globe, with whom we collaborate daily to make this work resonate fully: in partnership we are strong, able and sustainable…welcome!

Arts House profiles independent artists and companies who do it their own way. We build long-term national and international collaborations (PS122 and Melbourne Festival, Taipei Arts Festival, Experimenta), reinvigorate old friendships (Melbourne Fringe, Spring Fling), and continually seed the development of new ideas through CultureLAB. We are deepening our local connections by commissioning (with Arts and Participation, City of Melbourne) a participatory work to be presented at the Festival of Live Art in 2016.

Development of the independent arts sector is crucial to the arts ecology as a whole: The Supper Club, Time_Place_Space: Nomad (with Performance Space) and the Peer Learning Program (with Theatre Network Victoria), are just some of the ways we do that. We are thrilled to announce new initiatives: our Artist in Residence Program, enabling extraordinary artists to further develop their practice; 4 Walls, giving artists access to much-needed space for experimentation, rehearsal and play; and Future Past, a living archive and exhibition program that opens the magnificent North Melbourne Town Hall building to the public, documents its history and projects its future.

Because it’s our birthday and we want to celebrate with you all, this season begins with our birthday bash Future Future, and ends with a Summertime Party! Come one, come all – welcome to Arts House!

Angharad Wynne-Jones
Artistic Director