About us

Our history

At Geelong Arts Centre we believe in the transformative power of Arts.

We exist to foster the artists and creative communities of Geelong, and to be the window through which our city can view the world’s creative talent.

Established in 1981 Geelong Arts Centre is the major provider of arts experiences in Geelong and the G21 Region. We welcome 180,00 visitors and 15,000 artists across multiple theatres studios and creative spaces.

We are also home to Creative Engine our artist-development initiative that fosters pathways to professional artistic practice.​
We value boldness in challenging creative boundaries, inclusivity, and proactive engagement with the arts and wider communities.

We also value working as a unified ensemble, respecting each team member’s role and fostering idea exchange to achieve our shared passion for creativity.

​Creative Engine supports local artists and creative industries through professional development, workshops, networking, events and funding opportunities.​

Building Australia’s largest dedicated arts centre and growing capacity – Our Capital Redevelopment 

In 2011, with advocacy from Geelong Art Centre’s Trust, local community and with support from the Victorian State Government, we commenced our redevelopment journey seeking to build a world class arts centre for Geelong that can contribute the UNESCO city of design’s economic and creative capabilities.

Our redevelopment, which opened in August 2023, enables us to provide Geelong and the region with a vibrant, inclusive and dynamic creative centre that will attract and host the best local, national and international performances and drive visitation to the region.

Our journey and significant growth over the decades have enabled us to foster not only a highly engaged community of art lovers, but also allowed the Centre to be recognised as a cornerstone of Geelong's cultural tourism.

Geelong Performing Arts Centre

Construction of the new Geelong Performing Arts Centre designed by Mr Andrew Reed commenced in 1979, and in 1980 we saw the Geelong Hospital’s Medimime troupe rehearse Mother Goose in the new Ford Theatre. (Medimime still present an annual performance in the theatre).

In 1981, GPAC officially opened its doors, with two theatres, four conference and event spaces, a restaurant and café. It went on to see GPAC’s resident theatre group The Wooly Jumpers form in 1987, with members including playwright Hannie Rayson and actor Rachel Griffiths.

GPAC celebrated its 10th birthday with a street party and concert and introduced its theatre subscription series to present quality touring productions. Subscriptions sell out in two weeks!

Today, the arts centre is a well utilised facility providing a wide range of performances and events, and the opportunity for participation in the performing arts. The organisation is committed to excellence in all that it does, ensuring an exciting and bright future. Geelong Arts Centre is one of a group of state owned cultural agencies including Arts Centre Melbourne, Museums Victoria, National Gallery of Victoria, State Library of Victoria, Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI), Melbourne Recital Centre, Film Victoria and Dockland Studios Melbourne.

It is a Statutory Authority and was established by the Geelong Performing Arts Centre Trust Act 1980 No 9406. The Minister responsible is Steve Dimopoulos, Minister for Creative Industries. Geelong Arts Centre gratefully acknowledges financial assistance from the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, Department Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.

Our Values

We are all about providing extraordinary artistic experiences for all audiences that is driven by a commitment to providing world-class entertainment and exciting tourism opportunities.  Our exceptional customer service is led by our organisational values below:

Bold – We embrace the freedom to challenge the boundaries of our work.

Welcoming – Our smile celebrates inclusiveness and a shared passion for creativity.

Connected – We are proactive in connecting to and engaging with the arts and wider communities, reaching out and facilitating exchange of ideas.

Ensemble – Our team seeks to work ‘as one’, respecting and valuing the role and contribution of all.

Our Strategic Plan

Geelong Arts Centre's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan was endorsed by the Centre’s Trustees in June 2022 and is the primary strategic document as part of the Centre’s comprehensive planning and reporting framework.

The document outlines that our mission as; ‘a leader, connector and creator of extraordinary cultural experiences for local and global communities’ is to nurture creative expression, lead artistic collaborations, inspire audiences, and maintain strong community outreach through 5 key objectives:

Art - supporting local artists, creativity and vibrancy

Sector - supporting the wider sector and market capacity development

Audiences - supporting relevance for diverse communities to provide inclusivity and representation

Business - growing people, culture, commercial capability as the nation’s largest regional arts centre

Assets - capitalising on and caring for our expanded infrastructure and innovation

The five objectives are interdependent and together drive business operations. The heart of the organisation is its people and organisational culture, bringing to life the extraordinary investment in cultural infrastructure.