Sunbury’s only amateur theatre company is calling on Hume council to prioritise critical maintenance and infrastructure spending for the arts in the next financial year.
Speaking at a Hume council meeting last week, Boilerhouse Theatre Company president Jess Ryan said the funding was urgent.
“Like many people in Boilerhouse, my own blood, sweat and tears are in that building,” she said.
“I helped lay the floor in the foyer and I painted the walls in the theatre.
“What I can’t do however, is fix the leaking roof or the chimney or any of the structural issues… to make it safe for use as a theatre space.
“We haven’t asked for much in the past… it would be incredibly disappointing to see a single cent or a single second wasted.”
The company puts on three or four performances annually and also regularly requires a suitable space for rehearsals.
Currently the theatre company uses either the old Victoria University campus theatre or rents a space at Killara Primary School.
But Ms Ryan said both of these options aren’t sustainable, as the Victoria University site regularly leaks and the Killara Primary School site costs $4000 a night.
Council has allocated $615,000 toward the Jacksons Hill Arts and Cultural Precinct, which is proposed to include a dedicated space for the performing arts, in its draft 2021-22 budget.
A further $215,000 has been proposed for maintenance work.
According to the Hume council website, the precinct is expected to be open to the public by late 2023 or early 2024.
Boilerhouse committee member Sharon Wallace-Storm has been advocating for the theatre company in Sunbury for more than a decade.
She said the company was “very happy” with the funding, but was concerned that the council would delay spending yet again.
“2024 is one entire generation of youth lost to learn,” she said.
“We’ve sat there with buckets when the rain comes in and we’re doing shows.
“We’ve moved the seating so that the people performing got rained on, not the audience.”
Aitken Ward councillor Jim Overend said he was a “big advocate” for the performing arts.
“We have a lot of sporting facilities here [in Hume council] but unfortunately we have a lack of performing arts centres,” he said.
Ms Wallace-Storm said prioritsing the arts would benefit the entire municipality.
“Unlike sport which mainly attracts people under 40, the arts allow all abilities, different ages, different health, genders and mental capacities to be themselves.”
Hume council will consider public budget submissions and finalise their budget later this month.
