"The building is small, it's compact, it's vibrant, it's experimental. I am very much hoping it will build audience and awareness of multimedia," Lake Macquarie Manager Arts, Culture and Tourism Jacqui Hemsley said in anticipation of the opening.

The versatile building with a cube at its core is capable of being used for dance, music, theatre, poetry, performance, and immersive experiences, and classes, too.

The illuminated work, Mima: Beautiful Space, by Hiromi Tango, on the building's exterior will be a stand out feature during evening hours.

For its opening this weekend, from 10am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, ticketed visitors (free, but must be booked through eventbrite) will have 15 minutes to explore inside the audio-visual experience on show, observe the artworks and engage in the architecture.

There is a cafe, Harry and Lola's, onsite as well, operating from Wednesday to Sunday, 7am to 3pm.

Mima will be open on Fridays from October 29, from 3 to 8pm.

The first major performance event on mima's outdoor stage is Drift, a new dance performance presented by contemporary choreographic hub Catapult, set for Thursday, November 18, in the evening.

Pippa Budge is the MAP curator and operations coordinator for Lake Macquarie City Council.

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