Page 2214 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 4 June 2013
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At the Street Theatre, we are close to seeing the capital works there completed to make the space better suited to being a true performance arts hub, following our $3.2 million investment in the 2011-12 budget. This funding has provided for the extension of the capacity of the Street Theatre to function as a hub for performing arts by housing a range of performing arts organisations. We expect that work to be completed next month.
The intention of the arts hubs is to facilitate the sharing of administration and resources so that local arts organisations can concentrate more on arts activity and programs. The arts hubs will add more vibrancy to the local arts sector by increasing critical mass, and I believe they will be an important platform to further develop the city’s arts sector.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Minister, what will the capital funding at Gorman House Arts Centre and Ainslie Arts Centre provide for?
MS BURCH: I thank Ms Porter for her interest in the arts community. I know that she has a strong personal interest, particularly in the performing arts and certainly the CAT awards. The budget commits $1.5 million to progress the government’s plan to turn the Ainslie Arts Centre into a music hub and $1 million over two years to upgrade the historic Gorman House Arts Centre.
artsACT has already done considerable planning and consultation work to realise the Ainslie music hub concept. The Ainslie Arts Centre already has the foundation of a music hub, with its tenants including Music For Everyone, Pro Musica, Australian National Eisteddfod, Young Music Society, Hall Village Brass Band and Canberra Youth Music. artsACT has consulted the tenants in recent months through music round tables and the ACT music forum to identify each one’s needs and also how they can better work together and what can be done to facilitate that.
To that end, artsACT has engaged Philip Leeson Architects who have undertaken a space audit and cultural planning exercise at Ainslie Arts Centre. This has resulted in forward design and construction planning to develop the building into a fully utilised and vibrant music hub. This will include the development of an affordable, self-contained, publicly accessible community performance space with a focus on music at the centre and the opportunity for the co-location of arts organisations’ office accommodation and will allow for increased collaboration and consolidated storage. The $1.5 million will allow for this work to be undertaken, in consultation with the stakeholders.
At Gorman House, we will see a major refurbishment of the historic building. Constructed in the 1920s, Gorman House is a significant heritage complex that has been adapted for arts use and, as I committed at last year’s election, we will invest $1 million over two years to help restore this building. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
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