MEDIA RELEASE
Embargoed until: 8am on 9.10.19
TIME FOR PRIVATE SECTOR, GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER TO CREATE NEW CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
State’s oldest theatre ready for full revival
With Century Venues set to lodge a development application with the City of Newcastle for revival of the State’s oldest standing theatre, the call has been made for the private sector, government and community groups to collaborate on delivery of significant cultural infrastructure in NSW.
The development application details a complete and historically sympathetic refurbishment of the magnificent Victoria Theatre. The State heritage listed building on Perkins Street, in the heart of Newcastle, dates back to 1891, making it one of the oldest theatres in Australia.
Remarkably, while it has stood neglected for decades, it is virtually intact and imminently suited for revival as a major live performance venue. In early 2015, this major cultural asset was saved, thanks to a lastminute rescue bid by Century Venues.
Commenting on the DA submission, Executive Director of Century Venues, Greg Khoury, said: “It is a significant milestone on the journey to revive the Victoria Theatre and provides the blueprint to reopen the building as a fully compliant, working heritage theatre for the people of Newcastle and the Hunter. We have come this far with the encouragement and support of Newcastle City Council and the Victoria Theatre Campaign Cabinet: a group of Newcastle business, cultural and community leaders who are working alongside Century. The energy and commitment in the Hunter are palpable and invigorating.
“We engaged Scott Carver Architects to imaginatively and creatively realise The Victoria's potential. The brief was to touch the building fabric as lightly as possible, to preserve its remarkable heritage values, while ensuring the greatest functional flexibility, accessibility and amenity for artists and patrons alike in the 21st Century. We are immensely proud of the final concept they have produced and believe it, beyond question, represents best use for this tremendous cultural asset.
“Compared to the investment required to build from scratch a facility of this scale, offering up to 1,000 capacity, the revival of The Victoria is incredible value for money. It is low-hanging fruit in terms of returning to use a unique and highly desirable piece of our cultural history, quickly and affordably. While Century’s acquisition of the building means it is secure, the theatre has a long way to go before becoming an operational live performance venue,” said Mr Khoury.
Consultant Daniel Ballantyne commented that: “A full revival of the Victoria Theatre will need an estimated $11.5 million, which is well beyond a justifiable commercial investment. With this in mind, Century is prepared to place the building into a not-for-profit trust to enable pursuit of all potential fundraising opportunities. This will also ensure this great cultural asset is protected in perpetuity for the people of Newcastle and the Hunter.
“To date, Century has invested $750,000 to ensure the building remains safe, stabilised and accessible and is willing to commit significant funds to help realise the restoration. However, for the theatre to become fully operational, it will require major additional funding from both government and private sources committed to realising the vision seen in our development application.
“Once restored, the building will not need ongoing operational subsidy and Century has the experience necessary to operate it as a viable theatre for the people of Newcastle,” said Mr Ballantyne.
“There is a well-researched business case and fantastic and growing support from the community for a revived Victoria Theatre. With the architectural vision realised with this DA, it is now time for public and private entities to come together and accelerate progress towards full revival of the oldest theatre in the state: The Mighty Victoria,” concluded Mr Khoury.
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ABOUT CENTURY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
Century is one of Australia’s leading entertainment businesses, with more than 30 years’ of experience specialising in venue management, live events and touring, and artist representation. The company operates and manages a wide array of Sydney’s best live entertainment venues, including the iconic Enmore Theatre, Metro Theatre, The Comedy Store, Factory Theatre, The Concourse and the Manning Bar. Hosting more than 1500 events per year across these venues, we accommodate a range of diversified activities, earning a reputation for the highest standards in marketing, event services and delivery. Century’s producing arm presents a range of major events, tours and festivals throughout the year.