Melbourne Cultural Centre, Art and Hidden Gems

Begin the tour with an Acknowledgement of Country and a grounding in Wurundjeri/Woi Wurrung connection to place. Explore First Nations perspectives on deep time, resilience, and storytelling through the Bunjilaka Centre’s powerful exhibits. Learn about how colonial and Indigenous histories intersect in the Carlton Gardens museum precinct. Reflect on the gentrification of creative neighbourhoods and the risks of cultural erasure.
Optional coffee stop nearby: Morning Market, Napier Quarter, or Black Cat.

Engage with Melbourne’s history of contemporary craft, where design meets fine art. Learn about the importance of material-led practice, sustainability, and place-based making. Option to explore current exhibitions or the curated design shop.

A globally recognised street art laneway, Hosier Lane represents Melbourne’s urban creative identity. Discuss the relationship between graffiti, gentrification, and civic branding. Explore how laneway art continues to evolve.

Visit one of Australia’s leading commercial contemporary art galleries. Discuss how galleries like Anna Schwartz have shaped international careers and supported critical, conceptual work. Compare this model with artist-run initiatives and smaller creative spaces that we will later visit

Walk Melbourne’s most iconic laneways: Degraves, Centre Place, and Flinders Lane. Learn about the evolution of Melbourne’s coffee culture, informal economies, and how these spaces became symbolic of creative urban life. Pause for a quick cafe stop if desired.

Visit this historic hub of artists, designers, and small studios. Learn about Blindside, an artist-run initiative showcasing experimental contemporary art. Walk through the shared creative spaces and hear about the campaign by artists to protect the building’s cultural use through heritage listing.

Unpack the bold architectural design of Fed Square—controversial, civic-minded, and highly debated. Discuss the tension between public and commercial interests in urban design. Highlight surrounding institutions:

NGV Australia (The Ian Potter Centre): Australian art

Koorie Heritage Trust: First Peoples cultural continuity

ACMI: Screen culture and digital futures

Explore the University of Melbourne’s contemporary art gallery: Buxton. Consider how private collections become public resources. Visit the nearby MPavilion (seasonal), a civic space for experimental architecture and community programming.

End at ACCA—Melbourne’s leading space for large-scale, experimental art. Discuss the architecture (corten steel, bold civic form), and use the nearby Vault sculpture ("Yellow Peril") to reflect on shifting attitudes toward public art. Understand ACCA’s vital role in supporting contemporary practice alongside the neighbouring VCA and Malthouse precinct.