ACMI - Australian Centre for the Moving Image

There’s something special about sitting your kids down to watch the same show that you and and your parents did, decades ago. Believe it or not, Play School has been captivating little eyes since 1966 and ACMI is giving you the chance to come and explore the set brought to life, for free.  You can explore the Play School: Come and Play! exhibition at ACMI in Federation Square now until July 12. The perfect outing for two- to five-year-olds, little ones have the chance to check out the Rocket Clock, meet Big Ted, Jemima and Humpty Dumpty, sing songs and learn.  Kids can play presenter, camera operator or director – whatever tickles their fancy. The exhibition also includes Auslan translations throughout, with sensory-friendly, Auslan and audio-described sessions available. Plus, a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes and even hear from hosts like Leah Vandenberg and childhood experts in the Play School Talks series throughout April, June and September. Ready to come inside? Tickets to Play School: Come and Play! are free but make sure you book your spot here. Catch the exhibition at ACMI from 10am to 5pm until July 12.

Even though temperatures are dropping, Melbourne’s culture calendar is just heating up. This winter, two of the city’s biggest cultural institutions, ACMI and Rising, are teaming up for a multi-sensory exhibition, celebrating music’s cultural impact and paying tribute to vinyl. From May 22 to August 31, The Vinyl Factory: Reverb will bring together some of the leading figures working in video and sound to deep dive into different eras of music, through large-scale moving image works, immersive sound installations and interactive vinyl experiences.  Spanning the early days of techno to contemporary digital art, you’ll see work from celebrated artists including Canadian media artist Stan Douglas; British-Nigerian filmmaker and visual artist Jenn Nkiru; American fashion visionary Virgil Abloh; US filmmaker and music video director Kahlil Joseph; London-based photographer and video artist Gabriel Moses; South African artist William Kentridge; Turner Prize-winning British artist Jeremy Deller; British poet and sound artist Julianknxx; Argentinian performance artist Cecilia Bengolea and German electronic music and sound art innovator Carsten Nicolai.  Highlights include hands-on access to Technics turntables with remixable loops; a fantasy rap battle; and access to The Vinyl Factory’s archive, which features 100 vinyl pressings with works by Marina Abramović and Thom York.  There’s also the chance to pick a record and take it into the Listening Room, which by day functions as a...