Australian Performing Arts Collection, National performing arts museum in Melbourne, Australia
The Australian Performing Arts Collection is a museum in Melbourne dedicated to the history of circus, dance, music, opera, and theatre, housing more than 780,000 items. The holdings are located at Arts Centre Melbourne and cover different areas of performing arts.
The institution was established in 1975 as the Performing Arts Museum and opened to the public in 1982. It attracted around 47,000 visitors during its first year of operation.
The collection holds materials from Australian performers like Dame Nellie Melba, Barry Humphries, the Australian Ballet, and the Bell Shakespeare Company. These items document the careers of stage artists who shaped the country's cultural life.
The museum is located at 100 St Kilda Road and typically opens from 10 AM to 11 PM on weekdays. On Sundays, the hours are shorter, with the museum open from 11 AM to 5 PM.
The collection includes the iconic glasses of Dame Edna Everage and the makeup case made by Noel Crombie from the New Zealand band Split Enz. These objects reveal the breadth of Australasian performers that the museum documents.
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