Works have been completed on Sunbury’s newest arts and culture hotspot.
Hume council celebrated the opening of Artrise, part of the Sunbury Community Arts and Cultural Precinct in Jacksons Hill, with an event to mark the milestone.
Mayor Jarrod Bell was joined by fellow councillors, Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny and Sunbury MP Josh Bull and invitees for a small celebration on Friday 24 October.
Those in attendance had the opportunity to tour and explore the vibrant creative hub, meet the people behind the work, and experience firsthand the future of arts and culture in the Sunbury community.
The milestone comes following an extensive community consultation and collaboration period to restore the site of the former Female Refractory into a place for community and cultural connections.
Final preparations and finishing touches are in progress across both buildings of Artrise in readiness to open the site to the public in early 2026, to be celebrated with a community open day event.
The new space includes; a multipurpose theatre and performance space; annex as front of house for the theatre; gallery space to exhibit artworks; maker’s space for woodworkers and applied arts; communal spaces for cultural gathering and co-working studios; new flooring, lighting and audio-visual equipment; and accessible entrances, pathways and movement throughout the precinct.
“Every step of the construction for the new Arts and Culture Precinct at Jacksons Hill has been community focussed, honouring its legacy as we created something new for the future,” Cr Bell said.
“With primary construction now complete, this facility stands as a testament to the vision and dedication of our community.”
Cr Bell thanked the Sunbury community’s input on the precinct, including people who attended open days and workshops, and the ongoing contributions of the Community Advisory Board.
“Sunbury is a growing town with a vibrant, creative and engaged community, and Artrise is already nurturing that spirit in Sunbury, and for all of Hume,” he said.
“We thank the state government for their partnership and contribution, and we look forward to what can be achieved in these new community spaces.”
