The Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts (Asia TOPA) returns after five years, bringing 20 February to 10 March 2025 to life with the best of India and the Asia-Pacific’s arts, culture, and ideas.
Highlights include collaborations with Indian artists and traditions, such as performances blending Tamil, Chinese, and Indigenous cultures.
A joint initiative by Arts Centre Melbourne and the Sidney Myer Fund, supported by the Victorian Government, Asia TOPA transforms Naarm/Melbourne with events across cultural landmarks like NGV, Fed Square, Footscray Community Arts, and Bunjil Place.
The 2025 program features three streams: Performance, Nightlife, and Knowledge. The Performance program includes:
- Milestone (20 Feb): Opening night at Hamer Hall, celebrating William Yang’s 80th birthday with his photography, stories, and music by Elena Kats-Chernin and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
- Gapu Ŋupan (Chasing the Rainbow) (Date TBC): A cross-cultural masterpiece uniting First Nations artists from Arnhem Land and Taiwan.
- Oblation (4–8 March): A Tamil-inspired performance by Vijay Thillaimuthu exploring chanting, vibrations, and lasers.
Indian and cross-cultural highlights include:
- Opera for the Dead (祭歌) (21–23 Feb): Inspired by Chinese mourning rituals and universal themes of ancestry and loss.
- Water Song (7 March): Featuring Korean, Chinese, Iranian, and Western instruments to create a soundscape about water’s significance.
Nightlife and Knowledge programs, showcasing late-night art and in-depth workshops, will be announced on 10 December 2024 and 14 January 2025, respectively.
With 33 performances, including 18 world premieres, and cross-cultural collaborations rooted in Indian and Asia-Pacific traditions, Asia TOPA 2025 is set to unite communities and redefine global arts.
For more information visit asiatopa.com.au.
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