We provide intercultural performing arts presentations and communication events for arts lovers by introducing guest artists and organising regular relevant activities, facilitating a fresh dialogue between industrial insiders and wider communities.
Through our public programs, we provide opportunities for experiences in unique and cutting edge physical theatre,; we also provide innovation in activities in transitional and contemporary culture, leading to cross-cultural exchange. Your experience will also combined mind, body and spirit. In addition, you will enjoy social and entertaining vibe and rewards through our live performance，music，dance，and movement. Last but not least, a connection and networking bond will arise out of our interactions. We aim to bring a sense of belonging and community to our audiences.
Most recent program:
Asian Australian International Art Forum
Embracing 2025, an alliance of experts from Melbourne’s prestigious institutions joins hands with Cross Encounters to inaugurate a new chapter in the International Arts&Performance Exchange Forum. This two-day event not only continues its mission of fostering cross-cultural dialogue but also places a particular focus on the fusion and interaction between Chinese and Australian cultures.Through the collision of diverse cultures, the event offers a unique opportunity to enhance interaction and understanding among artists, showcasing how they express creativity that transcends cultural boundaries through art.This event emphasizes cultivating the next generation of artistic talent, providing a platform for artists to present their dreams and visions. By sharing their creative achievements through various forms, including visual arts, music, and theater, the event deepens cultural exchanges between China and Australia. It further promotes dialogue and collaboration in the arts, inspiring both participants and audiences.
As the opening of our 2025 public program, this event is free and open to the public. If you are interested in participating, please follow our official FB announcement @crossencounters and join the event.
Event link https://www.facebook.com/events/1129820331452896/
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Hi everyone,We’re excited to announce the expert speaker of Asian Australian International Art Forum – Zachary Dunbar
. Zachary is an Associate Professor of Theatre and Principal Fellow at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music (University of Melbourne).
His career began as a concert pianist. In the US, he studied at Rollins College with Sylvia Reynolds and Thomas Brockman, and participated in masterclasses with Guido Agosti, Gary Graffman, and Claude Frank. Zachary won several state and regional piano competitions, while completing an Honours thesis in Philosophy and Religion alongside his music degree. He continued his studies at the Yale School of Music with Peter Frankl and Daniel Pollack, where he won the Best Piano Recital prize, and as part of the Gilmore Honours Piano Trio, received training with the Tokyo String Quartet which continued at the Yale Norfolk Summer Music Festival. His theatre productions span several genres including radio drama, classical and contemporary plays, Greek tragedy, Musicals, Beijing opera, Postdramatic theatre, and Dance theatre. In the academia, Zachary completed his PhD on Greek tragedy at Royal Holloway, University of London under David Wiles. He was a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where he trained actors in the MA Musical Theatre and MA Classical Acting programme. Zachary has several international publications in the field of music theatre, Stanislavski studies, and Greek tragedy, including a co-authored book, Greek Tragedy and the Contemporary Actor (Palgrave Macmillan) which won the 2020 Australasian Drama Studies Association prize. His latest publication is ‘Writing and Performance Training in Musical Theatre’ in The Oxford Handbook of the Global Stage Musical (2023). As the opening of our 2025 public program, this event is free and open to the public. If you are interested in participating in person, come to The Clyde hotel at 2pm 16th. Alternately, you can also join us via zoom meeting: Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/89110625784…Meeting ID: 891 1062 5784Passcode: 586255
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you soon.
�Cross Encounters Team
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Calling All Violinists & Dancers in Melbourne
We’re inviting talented violinists and dancers to join us at the Asian Australian International Art Forum in Melbourne on January 16-17, 2025! This exciting event will focus on Melbourne’s performing arts scene and cultural communications. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase your skills and connect with artists and educators from diverse backgrounds. When: January 16-17, 2025
Where: The Clyde Hotel and church near Melbourne University
We’re looking for artists with award-winning work or prolific experience, emerging artist with professional credits are also welcome to apply. Industry-standard pay will be offered for your participation.
If you have any interests, do not hesitate to email your details and phone number to crossencounters03@gmail.comDue to our tight schedule, for all enquiries, please include in your email, our team member will get in touch with you soon. Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to hearing from you.
A Letter to Mum – Expressions of Love
- Relay to Others: Tag a friend you want to take the relay next and invite them to join the movement.
- A Letter to Mum is an online movement video which contains the theme of expressions of love to the mothers, and invites viewers to participate using their own videos.
- This special relay movement works by encouraging artists to join us by posting a self made movement video @Cross Encounters, based on their feelings for their mums. Then you can pass it along and invite further contributors to add their own by submitting and sharing.
Past projects:
Supported by the City of Yarra, the Musical Dumplings Feast is a unique afternoon celebration with the theme, “If music is the food of Love, play on!” 
As we bid farewell to the last day of Chinese New Year, our goal is to bring people together from diverse cultural backgrounds.
This community and public event will be FREE for everyone to attend, featuring live performances and delightful snacks. Immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of a picnic while enjoying the magic of live music. Stay tuned for more exciting activities to be announced soon!
Event Details:
Date: February 24
Time: 2 pm-5pm
Location: Smith Reserve, Fitzroy 3065
Event Type: In-person + Live Streaming
Theatre Forum：Hi 2024
Hey 2024, welcome to the workshop! 🎭 Get ready to dive into the world of drama with ‘Theatre Forum’ as we kickstart the Year of the Dragon in style!
🌟 Here’s a sneak peek of what’s in store:
1️⃣Emerging Artists Stage Showcase: Ready to shine on stage? Don’t miss our workshop where we’ll help your creativity take center stage!
2️⃣Gateway to the Arts: Curious about drama and performance? Let us guide you towards becoming the next big artist! Leave your questions below and get ready for a face-to-face chat with our team of experts, including the renowned Olivia Wang from the Melbourne theatre scene.
🎤 Featuring: Olivia Wang, a trailblazer in Sino-Australian theatrical exchange, sharing insights from film to stage. Don’t miss her!
3️⃣Drama Experience Mini Session: New to drama? Join us for an immersive afternoon on Feb 24th from 3:30-4:30 PM and let the magic of theatre transform your world!
✨ Join us as we journey through 2024 and uncover the endless possibilities of theatre! #theatremagic #dramaexploration #2024Adventures See less
Asian Australian Drama Music Festival(AADMF)
Supported by the Victoria State Government, Asian Australian Drama Music Festival is an one-off day event with an innovative feature of the first ever Chinese Australian intercultural physical theatre piece showcase that is combined with rap singing and dancing. This event will be free to the community and public, with several performances and snacks and drinks provided.
Opening show Christmas Romance -This entertaining musical journey unravels a young lady’s fantasy on Christmas Eve, with the innovative feature of being the first ever Chinese Australian intercultural physical theatre piece that combines rap singing and dancing. This show is the debut of a series of Cross Encounters’ innovative cross-cultural drama show events. As a pioneer in Asian-Australian contemporary physical theatre, Cross Encounters stands out as the first and only creative force of its kind in Australia, promising a distinctive cross-cultural experience on Christmas Eve combining music, dance, and singing.
Lead by Olivia Wang, the first actor to perform Chinese-Australian cross-cultural physical theatre on stage, taking on lead roles in several productions. She has been performing across Great Melbourne since 2022, and now is bringing her creation – themed innovative drama show series to the audience at the festival.
Asian Australian Drama Music Festival includes traditional and contemporary music, singing and dance, as well as unexpected surprise shows. The group is using multiple theatre forms across different cultures and continents to provide the audience with energising, sensory experience. Whether you’re a fan of music, rap, drama or dance, you’re all welcome to this festival and enjoy the atmosphere, have fun at that night.
Asian Australian Drama Music Festival (AADMF):
The festival encompasses both traditional and contemporary music, singing, dance, and unexpected surprise shows. Utilizing multiple theatre forms across different cultures and continents, AADMF offers an energizing, sensory experience for diverse audiences. Whether you’re a fan of music, rap, drama or dance, you’re all welcome to this festival and enjoy the atmosphere, and have fun at that night.
Company Biography: Cross Encounters is a NFP performing arts company dedicated to creating innovative cross-cultural performing arts productions. It is Melbourne’s first and only fully accredited Chinese-Australian performing arts organisation. The team creates contemporary innovative intercultural theatre, stage and screen works, by using multiple art forms across different cultures. Besides being a professional performing arts show producer and performer, the group is also an active event presenter and organiser in Asian-Australian theatrical and live performance field. Their distinctive artworks have been acclaimed as exciting examples of independent theatre making, earning several awards and accolades for its unique artistic genre and exploration . It has also served to foster intercultural understanding by creating opportunities for collaboration and performance, as well as cultural expression. Their performances and stories have attracted wide media attention, with a standout four reports by SBS.
Asian Australian Drama Music Festival(AADMF)
DATE: 24 Dec enter from 5:30pm, Welcome Speech 6:30pm, Opening show 7pm-7:30pm
VENUE: CLAW Art Gallery Fitzroy，3065
Event type: in person+live streaming
Tickets：Free event
FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES please contact our media coordinator at crossencountersmp@gmail.com
Audience Meet and Greet
Dear all,
Happy Dragon Boat Festival and we hope you are enjoying this lovely autumn in Melbourne. We are thrilled to invite you a special Audience Meet and Greet event at June 24th, 7 pm to 9pm, Curago,1/50 York Street, South Melbourne https://fb.me/e/NDHJOraQ
Join us for an unforgettable evening of cross-cultural performances, engaging conversations, and delectable delights. Together, we can foster cultural exchange, celebrate diversity, and create a more vibrant and inclusive society. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to welcoming you on June 24th. But please arrive in time so you won’t miss out😊.
Warmest regards,
Cross Encounter Group
Melbourne’s First Physical Theatre Open Social Forum (PTOSF)
As a local multicultural performing arts organisation representative, we are thrilled to join Victoria’s largest multicultural celebration and present this event during the 2023 Cultural Diversity Week. We’ll continue to build social cohesion and foster intercultural understanding by creating opportunities for collaboration and performance, as well as contribute to public welfare and bring this project to as many people as possible.
Our public programs have been recognised by artists and audience as a window that is needed to help fostering conversations and exchanges across different cultures. We are advocating and providing a platform and helping build connections for insiders and wider communities to engage in cross-cultural artistic collaborative projects, discussions, investigations and events.
We’re inviting more artists to join the journey of theme exploration and presentation. If you’re a artist who’s willing to share your understandings and experiences in performing art and would like to have conversations with insiders from different cultural background, alternately if you would like to get more exposure and be known by wider audiences through our platforms, please email: crossencounters01@gmail.com. We’ll get back to you with more detailed information.
We foster public awareness of and interest in cross-cultural performing art development and conducting related activities such as workshops, online seminars and interactions between and industrial insiders and audiences. Please keep an eye on our Website and Facebook page:www.facebook.com/Cross-Encounters-101987318157330 for updates.
By organising workshops and solid content materials, we offer our audience chances to have Interesting interaction with the insiders from different cultural backgrounds, to absorb the information from different angles. We are thrilled to invite you to celebrate all the unexpected cross-cultural encounters and enjoy all the moments of playfulness.