THE MAC:
DRIVING A COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE FOR TORQUAY
Since our last newsletter, the Multi Arts Centre, has become incorporated and is now called the Multi Arts Centre (The MAC) Inc. The MAC is a Committee of local arts-supporters and practitioners working together to develop:
a) the old basketball court in Beach Road into a theatre/gallery
b) the future profile of arts in the local area.
The MAC Committee has been beavering away preparing a management plan for the next few years. The plan will address the philosophical, financial, operational, governance and infrastructure future of the facility, so there are some big decisions to be made. This management plan will be the basis of our lease agreement with the shire and we hope to organise a minimum two year lease (with the possibility of annual arrangements after that). The shire’s plans for a cultural and library facility suggest that the redevelopment of the basketball court / Surfworld Museum / Visitor Information Centre site will occur (subject to local, state and federal funding) and is slated for completion by 2024.
This planning process has allowed us to focus on what we need to buy to make the facility usable, how we engage with our community, who will eventually be the Board of Management for the MAC, supporting people to use the facility and how we spend ratepayers’ money that the Surf Coast Shire Council kindly allocated to the Arts Facility in their 2020-21 budget. Look out for local advertisements, community notices, newspaper articles and social media posts about MAC’s progress. Wish us luck!
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