What Science Gallery Melbourne does

Science Gallery Melbourne is a public-facing cultural institution operated as part of the Museums and Collections Department at the University of Melbourne, located at the Melbourne Connect precinct in Parkville, Victoria. Founded in 2017 as the Australian node of the Science Gallery Network pioneered by Trinity College Dublin, the venue delivers free-admission, time-limited exhibitions at the intersection of contemporary art and scientific research, including MENTAL (2021), DARK MATTERS (2023, co-curated with Arts at CERN), NOT NATURAL (2024), DISTRACTION (2025–2026) and EMERGENCE[Y] (2026). It anchors the Victorian Government-funded STEM Centre of Excellence (Tech School Initiative) delivering STEAM programs to 25 partner secondary schools and operates the Digital Bricks installation—over 200 LED screens described as the largest combined pixel display in the Southern Hemisphere.

The business model is institutional rather than commercial: primary funding flows from the University of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government, supplemented by modest earned income from paid masterclasses (A$50 general / A$20 student, e.g., the Hyperfocus Masterclass with Sandy Ma), A$5 exhibition zines, and venue hire of the PACCAR Theatre. Free admission is the headline proposition to general public visitors, while school bookings, university collaborations, and program partners (BASF, CA ANZ, PACCAR, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, Arts at CERN, ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics, AUT, and Singapore's ArtScience Museum) provide the curated-audience revenue and content layer. Customer segments span secondary school students (primary), tertiary students, the D/deaf and Hard of Hearing community (via Auslan-interpreted programs), general public visitors, educators, and artists/researchers using the venue as a research-residency platform.

The technology stack is conventional for a contemporary gallery: a Squarespace-hosted website, standard social channels (Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube), humanitix-based ticketing, and podcast distribution on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud. The proprietary technology asset is Digital Bricks—a physical canvas of 200+ networked LED screens behind glass bricks—used as a programmable display surface for commissioned and community-generated art. A limited use of generative AI (AI Deep Dream Generator) is present in the C+AARP project to animate collaborative artworks for display. The institution employs approximately 40 staff led by Director Dr Ryan Jefferies and Head Curator Tilly Boleyn. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and Science Gallery Melbourne is not a separately incorporated entity; it functions as a university department within the broader Global Science Gallery Network (Atlanta, Bengaluru, London, Melbourne, Monterrey).

Name

Science Gallery Melbourne

Legal name

Science Gallery Melbourne

Website

https://melbourne.sciencegallery.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Science Gallery Melbourne is a public-facing cultural institution at the University of Melbourne's Melbourne Connect precinct, operating as the Australian node of the Trinity College Dublin–pioneered global Science Gallery Network. It delivers free-admission art-science exhibitions and the government-funded STEM Centre of Excellence serving 25 Victorian partner secondary schools, with revenue from institutional funding, paid masterclasses, merchandise, and venue hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Institution / Science Communication

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums (712110), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Science exhibitions
• Art-science gallery
• STEAM education programs
• Interactive installations
• Public cultural institution

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Primary funding from the University of Melbourne and Victorian State Government, including the STEM Centre of Excellence initiative.
2. Masterclass Ticket Sales: Revenue from paid masterclasses such as the Hyperfocus Masterclass with Sandy Ma at $50 general admission and $20 for University of Melbourne students.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of exhibition zines and publications at $5 per copy.
4. Venue Hire: Revenue generated from hiring out gallery spaces including the PACCAR Theatre.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Science Gallery Melbourne operates as a public cultural institution delivering free-admission interactive exhibitions at the intersection of art and science, alongside paid masterclasses, venue hire, and educational programs. The gallery delivers rotating themed exhibitions (DISTRACTION, EMERGENCE[Y], MENTAL, DARK MATTERS), educational programs through its STEM Centre of Excellence reaching 25 partner secondary schools, and a 200-screen Digital Bricks LED installation — the largest combined pixel display in the Southern Hemisphere.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STEM Centre of Excellence: A Victorian State Government Initiative delivered in partnership with the University of Melbourne and Science Gallery Melbourne, offering innovative STEAM learning programs co-designed with 25 local partner secondary schools. Located at Melbourne Connect, the SCoE provides First Nations STEM programs and connects students with industry and tertiary environments.
• Digital Bricks
• Sci Curious

Products and services

• DISTRACTION Exhibition Free-admission interactive exhibition exploring digital distraction, attention, and technology, running 26 July 2025 to 2 May 2026 at the Melbourne Connect gallery. Targeted at general public visitors, researchers, and educators.
• EMERGENCE[Y] Exhibition Free-admission interactive exhibition exploring adaptation, innovation, and resilience in a rapidly changing world, running 6 June to 5 December 2026 at the Melbourne Connect gallery. Targeted at general public visitors, researchers, and educators.
• STEM Centre of Excellence Victorian Government Tech School Initiative delivered in partnership with the University of Melbourne, offering free innovative STEAM learning programs to 25 partner secondary schools. Includes First Nations STEM programs and industry/tertiary environment connections.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,500+ students reached through Future Careers Forum Asia-Pacific collaboration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• BLAK C.O.R.E.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2027BLAK C.O.R.E. (part of Museums and Collections Department at University of Melbourne) is collaborating on a creative and cultural exhibition for February-June 2027, aiming to reimagine how First Nations knowledges and communities are held within institutional spaces. Trailblazing multidisciplinary artists will be commissioned.
• Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2026Melbourne node of reNEW is based at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and partners on Hope Springs Eternal, a transnational collaboration exploring stem cell futures through art. Patricia Piccinini's Células Madre artwork is funded by reNEW for the EMERGENCE[Y] exhibition, displayed alongside her 2002 Still Life with Stem Cells. The partnership includes scientific expertise from Professor Melissa Little (reNEW CEO) and public programming for National Science Week.
• SWISP Lab (Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Living lab research residency exploring DISTRACTION themes (July 2025 - May 2026) through hackathons, wondering walks, speculative design, and public workshops. Culminates in COP30 Brazil exhibition. Co-led by Associate Professor Kathryn Coleman and Dr Sarah Healy.
• Arts at CERNcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2023Arts programme of CERN in Geneva co-curated the DARK MATTERS exhibition with Science Gallery Melbourne, bringing together artists and particle physicists to explore dark matter and fundamental questions about the universe. Mónica Bello (Head of Arts at CERN) co-curated with Tilly Boleyn.
• ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle PhysicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2023University of Melbourne-based research center collaborated on DARK MATTERS exhibition, providing scientific expertise on dark matter research and particle physics for artist collaborations and public engagement.
• Centre of Visual Art (CoVA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2020Presented Event Horizon Symposium in 2020, bringing together astronomical and arts perspectives on the concept of event horizons.
• Seaweed Appreciation Society International (SASI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2020Presented Seaweed Salon workshop series for National Science Week 2020, focusing on bioplastics and algae as sustainable alternatives.
• Murdoch Children's Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Melbourne node of reNEW and collaborates on stem cell science public engagement programs including exhibition programming and artist residencies.
• Auckland University of Technology (AUT)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrans-Tasman collaboration with AUT on Future Careers Forum connected 3,500+ students across Asia-Pacific with leaders in science, tech, and creativity, featuring AI, space food, and storytelling themes.
• Victorian State GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictorian Government is a key funder and partner, having initiated the STEM Centre of Excellence at Science Gallery Melbourne as part of the Victorian Government Tech School Initiative, delivered in partnership with the University of Melbourne.
• BASFminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner for STEM Centre of Excellence, supporting innovative STEAM learning programs co-designed with partner secondary schools.
• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner for STEM Centre of Excellence, part of Difference Makers program supporting education initiatives.
• PACCARminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner supporting STEM Centre of Excellence; PACCAR Theatre within the gallery is named after this partnership.
• World Economic ForumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerScience Gallery Melbourne participated at World Economic Forum Dalian 2026, gaining international visibility.
• University of Melbourne Attention Dynamics LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch lab provided Expert Advisor Katherine Johnson for DISTRACTION exhibition, contributing research on ADHD and attention regulation for public engagement.
• Indigenous Knowledge InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Hugh Williamson Lecture series addressing Indigenous knowledge and scientific inquiry.
• Chunky MoveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMelbourne contemporary dance company collaborated on Body/Insect/Machine movement experiment with choreographer Prue Lang and artist Mathieu Briand's androids.
• ArtScience Museum (Singapore)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership announced in 2024 for collaborative exhibition exploring science fiction through women artists and collectives from Asia Pacific region.
• Trinity College DublincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPioneer of the global Science Gallery Network, providing the institutional model and international network connections for Science Gallery Melbourne. Network includes locations in Atlanta, Bengaluru, London, and Monterrey.
• Ctrl Your ScrollminorOthersCo-founded by Science Gallery Melbourne staff member Xavier Chalkley as STEAM Communicator. Organization runs digital literacy workshops for young people in Victoria, aligning with gallery's focus on distraction and digital wellbeing themes.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Exploratorium (San Francisco): Iconic global leader in interactive science-art museum programming with strong public engagement, learning lab, and artist-in-residence programs. Conceptual benchmark for the science-as-experience model Melbourne emulates.
• Powerhouse Museum (Sydney): Major Australian applied arts and sciences museum operated by Museums of Applied Arts and Sciences, offering large-scale rotating exhibitions at the science-culture intersection across multiple sites.
• Questacon (Australia's National Science and Technology Centre): Australia's flagship national science centre in Canberra, offering interactive science exhibitions and education programs. Comparable as a science-engagement institution though operating at national scale with a stronger STEM rather than art-science focus.
• ArtScience Museum (Singapore): Marina Bay Sands-operated museum exploring the intersection of art, science, and technology, with which Science Gallery Melbourne has a formal 2024 collaborative exhibition partnership. Larger, commercially-operated institution with overlapping mission.

Regional players

• Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI): Melbourne-based national museum of screen culture, with adjacent programming in digital culture, interactivity, and creative technology. Geographically co-located and overlapping in the art-technology intersection space.
• Museum of Old and New Art (MONA): Tasmania-based provocative cultural institution combining art, science, and antiquities. Comparable as an Australian cultural venue pushing interdisciplinary boundaries, though more art-focused and commercially independent.

Others

• CERN Science Gateway: CERN's public education and exhibition facility in Geneva and Arts at CERN partner institution. Comparable as a science-public engagement venue and as a strategic collaborator on DARK MATTERS and future programming.

Direct peers

• Science Gallery Bengaluru: Sister venue in the global Science Gallery Network, operating the same art-science intersection model with rotating exhibitions and STEM public engagement in an Indian university context.
• Science Gallery Atlanta: Sister venue in the global Science Gallery Network at Georgia Tech, sharing curatorial frameworks, exhibition formats, and youth engagement programming with Melbourne.
• Science Gallery London: Direct sister venue in the global Science Gallery Network at King's College London, sharing the same art-science mission, rotating exhibition model, and Trinity College Dublin-pioneered institutional framework. Most directly comparable peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scigallerymel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC03nnwepVPglavlkFlA5oqg
• Facebookfacebook.com/scigallerymel
• Instagraminstagram.com/scigallerymel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/science-gallery-melbourne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Science Gallery Melbourne