L
E
OU
VA
M
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R NE FES
TI
THE 30 YEAR
FORUMS
On 15 September 1986, six
painted trams paraded down
Swanston Street and the first
Spoleto Melbourne Festival was
launched.
Later that evening, audiences
could see the Victoria State
Opera production of Madam
Butterfly directed by Ken Russell
in the State Theatre and, in the
Athenaeum, the Washington
Opera Company performed Gian
Carlo Menotti’s productions of
The Medium and The Telephone.
From Melbourne Spoleto: a Festival
of Three Worlds through varying
title changes including its most
enduring as the Melbourne
International Arts Festival to
its current moniker Melbourne
Festival, like its name, the Festival
has evolved over time.
A series of three forums
will focus on thirty years of
Melbourne Festival in reference
to three defining questions: What
does it mean to be a festival of
Melbourne? An international
festival? And an arts festival?
2
Josephine Ridge, Artistic Director
(2013–2015) will introduce each
panel and, within the broader
themes, the Festival’s curatorial
history will be represented by
previous Artistic Directors: Robyn
Archer AO, Sir Jonathan Mills AO
and Brett Sheehy AO. They will
be joined by other artistic and city
leaders.
For announcements about
other panellists please visit
www.festival.mebourne
CLEMENGER AUDITORIUM
NGV
SAT 10, 17 & 24 OCTOBER
11AM — 12.30PM
FREE
The 30 Year Forums are
co–presented by Melbourne
Festival and National Gallery
of Victoria.