School Groups FAQ

A Risk Assessment Guidelines for Schools document is available to download here.

Melbourne Theatre Company is a department of the University of Melbourne. You can download our Certificate of Currency here.

To read our Learning Programs Policies, including our Commitment to Child Safety, Child Safe Code of Conduct and the University of Melbourne Child Safety Policy, click here.

Melbourne Theatre Company is proud to present world-class theatre for young audiences and we welcome school groups of all sizes. If you’re bringing students for their first theatre experience, you may wish to discuss the differences between the cinema and the theatre. For example, the actors can see and hear the audience so it’s best to wait until interval or after the show to talk.

Theatre is a shared experience between actors and audience, so authentic responses like laughing, cheering and clapping are welcomed. However, if students are making noises intended to distract actors or audience members, ushers may ask them to leave.

We’ve found that students tend to be more engaged with the show if they have some prior understanding of the production. We recommend using our digital resources in the Education Hub to prepare students for their visit to Melbourne Theatre Company.

It may be helpful to remind all students of the following:

• Turn off mobile phones inside the theatre
• Photography and video recording is prohibited during the performance
• Food and drinks are not permitted inside the theatre, but you can bring a plastic water bottle inside
• Listening to music with headphones is distracting to the actors and other audience members

Teachers are responsible for students at all times while on theatre premises. 

Our IGNITE program removes financial barriers to give your students an experience they’ll never forget and spark a lifelong love of theatre. Schools experiencing disadvantage can access $5 Tickets and Relief Teacher Subsidies to select live Melbourne Theatre Company productions at Southbank Theatre and Arts Centre Melbourne. To be eligible for $5 Tickets and Relief Teacher Subsidies, your school must be ranked 1,000 and below on the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ISCEA).

All schools in regional Victoria can access Travel Subsidies to support attending Melbourne Theatre Company productions at Southbank Theatre and Arts Centre Melbourne. Travel subsidies are limited and subject to availability.

To learn more about IGNITE, click here.

Yes. Melbourne Theatre Company is committed to making performances accessible to the widest possible audience. If you or your students have access requirements, we are happy to accommodate you. Please make your requirements known when booking. For more information about the various services we offer, click here.

We all have a part to play in remaining COVID-safe. Stay home if you’re unwell. You may choose to wear a face mask in the theatre.

Melbourne Theatre Company follows the guidance of the Victorian Government. Information regarding COVID-19 from the Victorian Government is available at http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/covid-19-victoria

If you're attending a Melbourne Theatre Company production at Arts Centre Melbourne, please check procedures in place on their website.

For recommendations about the age-appropriateness of each production, and detailed information about each production’s content (including spoilers), see our Production Content Guide.

You know your students best, and it is of course your own/your school's decision about which shows to bring students to see.

For school bookings, your invoice must be paid in full by the due date. Once payment is received no reductions in numbers or cancellations will be accepted.

• For bookings of 50 students and less, final payment is due 4 weeks prior to the event (or by the date stated on the invoice if the booking has been made less than 4 weeks prior to the event).
• For bookings larger than 50 students, final payment is due 8 weeks prior to the event (or by the date stated on the invoice if the booking has been made less than 8 weeks prior to the event). 
• If payment is not received by the date due as stated on your tax invoice, and you have not requested, in writing, an extension on your payment date, you will be charged 100% of the value of this booking and no cancellations will be accepted.

Prior to payment, changes to the original booking can be made subject to the following conditions:

• Changes can be made up to the invoice due date without a fee.
• From the invoice due date to 8 days prior to the event: if you cancel or substantially reduce the numbers originally booked, you will be charged 50% of the value of the cancelled tickets.
• From 7 days prior to the event: no reductions in numbers or cancellations will be accepted. After this date, we do not refund in the event that a school cancels, reduces its numbers or misses the performance, or if individual students are unable to attend.

Due to safety procedures, Southbank Theatre and Arts Centre Melbourne do not permit large bags to be taken inside the theatre. Please arrange for students to leave their bags at school or bring a small bag to stow under their seat. A free cloak room is available at all our venues if needed.

The newly landscaped forecourt of Southbank Theatre has seating areas, as does the courtyard between Melbourne Recital Centre and the Victorian College of the Arts. Southgate Complex, located on the banks of the Yarra River, is well suited to large school groups. There are a variety of restaurants, cafes, and takeaway outlets within the complex. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate school groups who wish to eat lunch in the Southbank Theatre foyers.

Drop off points for chartered buses are located in the (city-bound) service lane of St Kilda Road outside the NGV and Hamer Hall, but there is no parking permitted at these locations. Two hour bus parking is available opposite Arts Centre Melbourne along St Kilda Road and is regulated by the Melbourne City Council. For more details please visit melbourne.vic.gov.au or call (03) 9658 9658.

Parking is available at the Australian Ballet Centre, with a height restriction of 2.1 metres. For more information about this car park, click here.

Parking is also available at Arts Centre Melbourne, but note the height restriction of 1.9 metres. For more information, visit artscentremelbourne.com.au/your-visit/car-parking

Please check the venue of the event. The Sumner and Lawler are located at Southbank Theatre, while the Playhouse and Fairfax Studio are located inside Arts Centre Melbourne. All our venues are located a short walk from Flinders Street Station. A transport map is available to download here.

There are disabled parking spaces along Dodds Street. For more information about getting to our venues, access, parking and dining, click here. We recommend that you plan to arrive at the venue 30 minutes prior to the starting time.

The advertised performance time is when the show will begin, so we recommend that you plan to arrive at the venue 30 minutes prior to the performance time.

It can be distracting to actors and audience members when people enter the theatre after the show has started, so some shows have lock-out periods in order to maintain a captivating and engaging performance.

Melbourne Theatre Company reserves the right to admit latecomers only when/if there is a suitable break in the performance, and to relocate seating. Our Latecomer Policy is available here.

We recommend that teachers hold on to all tickets until you arrive at the venue. Prior to entering the theatre, distribute a ticket to each student. Tickets must be shown upon entry to the auditorium and kept by the student for the duration of the performance. Students must sit in their assigned seat. Ushers will direct students to their seats.

We do not permit audience members to take notes during the performance. We think students immersing themselves in the performance will enhance their experience of the show, and taking notes is distracting for the actors and other audience members.

If one of your students needs to visit the toilet during a show, or leave the auditorium for any reason, please be aware that they may not be re-admitted to the auditorium until a suitable point in the performance. Every show is different, so it’s best to ask the front-of-house staff before the show begins if you’re unsure.

Visit our FAQ for MTC Digital Theatre here.

To request a hard copy of the Education brochure, click here.