5/11/04
Western Australian theatre, the Perth Cultural Centre and the State's arts scene will all benefit from the construction of a new $42million purpose-built performing arts venue.
Culture and Arts Minister Sheila McHale said the new theatre for drama and contemporary dance would be built at the corner of William and Roe Streets in Northbridge.
It would be the first large scale, purpose-built performing arts venue to be constructed in the city centre in more than 30 years and was expected to be completed in 2008.
State Cabinet had given the green light to the project, which would be a boon to the revitalisation of the Perth Cultural Centre and Northbridge and a major drawcard for local, national and international theatre productions and audiences.
"This venue will add new vibrancy to our local arts scene and also attract more theatre and dance productions to Perth and WA as a whole," Ms McHale said.
An expert steering committee had identified the Northbridge site as the best and had built on the work of theatre consultant Graham Walne in his initial feasibility report.
The new complex would feature sophisticated technical infrastructure and:
- a main theatre with a 525-575 seating capacity in a 'west end' format, with stalls and circle and fly tower for housing scenery change mechanisms; and
- studio theatre in a flexible format, with a 200-seat capacity.
"This site will act as a gateway between the city and the cultural and entertainment areas of the city and is another example of how this Government is working to provide first-class facilities for a first-class city," the Minister said.
"In four years the Gallop Labor Government has delivered a balanced Budget in every year, which has allowed us at the same time to spend a record amount of nearly $112million on the arts in capital construction, maintenance and public library resources."
Ms McHale said more than 50 key individuals and organisations had input into the planning process and 11 sites were identified and examined by the steering committee with extensive research and consultation in the community and arts sectors.
The Minister said all sites reviewed by the steering committee were strictly evaluated according to sustainability of location, heritage, planning and construction issues and whole-of-life costs including operational requirements.
"Some of the sites proposed were ruled out by the committee on the basis of significant heritage issues, planning problems such as height restrictions, and lack of supporting infrastructure including bars, restaurants and carparking," she said.
Design for the state-of-the-art venue will be selected through a highly competitive Architectural Design Competition to be advertised internationally.
The Department of Culture and the Arts will work with the Government Architect and Royal Architects Institute of Australia to develop the competition brief and select a judging panel.
Minister's office: 9213 6900
