About
Asia TOPA is Australia’s major triennial of Asia-Pacific performance.
Asia TOPA brings artists, audiences and communities together to experience world-leading creativity and new ideas from the Asia-Pacific.
You can connect with us through our triennial festival, our creative developments and our year-round program of public events.
ASIA TOPA TRIENNIAL
Asia TOPA’s signature event is our triennial festival of Asia-Pacific performance, art and culture.
In 2025 Asia TOPA returned after a 5-year hiatus, with an extraordinary three-week festival. The triennial’s three new program streams -- Performance, Nightlife and Knowledge-- brought cutting-edge, inspiring art and ideas to Melbourne and connected audiences across generations and cultural backgrounds.
Read more about the 2025 triennial here.
ASIA TOPA RADAR
Our year-round public events where artists from across the Asia-Pacific share ideas and inspiration.
Radar unveils what's shaping our artists’ work and what’s making them tick.
Presentations shift into party mode with DJs, musicians and snacks closing each event.
Follow us to be the first to know about the next Asia TOPA Radar.
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Throughout the year Asia TOPA supports local, national and international artists to creatively develop new work. Creative Developments offer an opportunity for artists to meet with community, test ideas, meet peers and design new work.
HISTORY
Asia TOPA: Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts is a joint initiative of Sidney Myer Fund and Arts Centre Melbourne built to celebrate the creative imagination of artists and culture in the Asia-Pacific region.
The first two triennials were presented in 2017 and 2020, led by founding Creative Director Stephen Armstrong. These inaugural editions of Asia TOPA established the triennial as a key cultural event in Australia’s arts calendar, working with essential Australian and Asia-Pacific voices to realise ambitious and vital works and bring audiences together across boundaries and cultural difference.
Delivered by dedicated teams of festival experts, Asia TOPA quickly established an important place in the cultural life of Melbourne. Across the 2017 and 2020 festivals 1,960 artists and 631 individual events were presented.
Contact
General
asiatopafestival@artscentremelbourne.com.au
Media
Media & Communications Advisor
media@artscentremelbourne.com.au
Partnerships
Siobhan Kranz
Partnerships Manager
siobhan.kranz@artscentremelbourne.com.au
Development
Lorrae Nicholson
Manager, Philanthropy Partnerships
Philanthropic Support
Lorrae.Nicholson@artscentremelbourne.com.au
Suzanne Daley
Director, Philanthropy
Private Giving & Contemporary Foundation
Suzanne.Daley@artscentremelbourne.com.au
If you would like to join our community of passionate supporters, please email privategiving@artscentremelbourne.com.au.
DONATE
We warmly invite your support for Australia’s major triennial festival of Asia-Pacific performance. By donating to Asia TOPA you will directly contribute to the realisation of this extraordinary festival, enabling us to showcase artists from across the region, create a vibrant nightlife experience, and expand the reach of Asia-Pacific arts. You will be helping us to seek out world-leading creativity from across our region, and pursue cultural innovation and bold ideas. By donating, you become a vital part of preserving and promoting the diverse cultural heritage that Asia TOPA encapsulates. Every contribution, no matter the size, plays a crucial role in making this cultural celebration a resounding success.
Join us in championing the arts and fostering cultural exchange by making a donation today.