Restoring NSW's oldest theatre to once again take centre stage
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 last-minute rescue bid by Century Venues.
“We engaged Scott Carver Architects to imaginatively and creatively realise The Victoria's potential."
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.
*CGI Artwork by Luca Bresacin - Synthetica
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