Wednesday 6 March  

  

 

  

Exciting tenants and new public spaces revealed for the Collingwood Arts Precinct  The Collingwood Arts Precinct (CAP) has made a series of major tenant announcements and revealed plans to open a hidden inner city courtyard as a new heart for the neighbourhood.  CAP has today announced that Bad Apples Music (Adam Briggs' record label), Bus Projects (an art space run by artists, for artists), Reverb Prints (creators and exhibitors of art inspired by music) and Auspicious Arts Projects (a Not For Profit that provides financial and administrative management for individual artists, projects, festivals, small companies, community groups and city councils) and The Social Studio (a NFP fashion school, clothing label, retail store, clothing manufacturer and community space supporting young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds) will be moving to the precinct when it opens in the next 12 months.   They will join beloved community radio-station PBS106.7FM, The Music Market (comprising The Push, Music Victoria and the Victorian Music Development Office) and an annual competitive Bank of Melbourne Residency (for a small creative business) as key tenants on the Collingwood site.   “The Collingwood Arts Precinct will be home to a diverse mix of exceptional artists and arts organisations across music, visual arts and social enterprise. It will be a true creative hub and a vital part of the Collingwood community and Melbourne’s creative community,” said CAP CEO Marcus Westbury, “There are more announcements and more opportunities to join this community to come.” 

 CAP has also revealed plans for opening the site to Johnston Street with a new pedestrian link into a central courtyard that will provide much needed public space in a dense neighbourhood. “Our plan has always been to create a space and a tenant mix that is as diverse and open as the Collingwood community,” Mr Westbury said.  

 The plans and tenant lists promise an exciting future for the site. Minister for the Creative Industries, Martin Foley said “This significant site in the heart of Collingwood, that was all but abandoned, is now being returned to the community for creative use, thanks to a partnership between the State Government and philanthropy.”  “These plans, and this incredible list of tenants, are a taste of what’s to come. CAP is set to be a must-visit creative destination for Melbourne, home to a thriving creative community, and a hive of creative endeavour.”  Construction works are due to finish at the end of 2019. More than 60% of the lettable area has been allocated to prospective tenants who will be announced throughout this year. The remainder of the spaces are being are being held back so that individuals and smaller organisations will have an opportunity to apply for spaces, including more heavily subsidised spaces, closer to the opening date.      ENDS 

 More photography of CAP available at this link.   Photography credit: David Smiley  Diagrams and illustrations: Fieldwork architects  Renders: KALEIDO, Fieldwork architects and Simone Bliss Landscape Architecture   Contact:  Julia Gregg, CAP Marketing and Communications Manager julia@capmelbourne.org, 0423 689 245 

  Background    About Contemporary Arts Precincts Ltd  Contemporary Arts Precincts is a new entity established to deliver vibrant, cross-disciplinary creative precincts that provide spaces and support for not-for-profit small to medium creative organisations and individuals.  About the Collingwood Arts Precinct  

The Collingwood Arts Precinct is comprised of Circus Oz and the former buildings of the Collingwood Technical school and TAFE – the soon-to-be realised working arts precinct and cultural hub. Contemporary Arts Precincts, a not-for-profit organisation tasked with delivering this project works alongside future tenants, neighbours,supporters, specialists and government to ensure the living legacy of the site continues to contribute to the lives of the creative and local community.  About PBS106.7FM  Since 1979, community broadcaster PBS 106.7FM has been an integral player in Melbourne’s diverse music community – with more than 80 specialist music programs ranging from soul to garage to country to jazz – PBS is dedicated to nurturing, inspiring and championing Melbourne’s diverse music community.   About the Music Market  The Music Market is a one stop shop for Victoria’s music industry to work, learn, collaborate and do business. The Music Market will be home to music peak body Music Victoria and youth music organisation The Push, with hot desks and office spaces available for music industry organisations and businesses of all sizes. The Market will include a multipurpose space for events and exhibitions, a training room for education and professional development programs and meeting and boardrooms for use by the industry.  About Bad Apples Music  Bad Apples is Briggs' record label which is an Aboriginal owned record label who’s objective is to genuinely nurture, develop and provide structure and opportunity for emerging and established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, founded in 2015.  About Auspicious Arts Projects Inc  Auspicious Arts Projects Inc. is a not for profit organisation that provides artists with a secure and accessible management framework to assist them with creative developments and producing new work. Working with Auspicious means that artists have all the benefits and financial protection of working with a larger organisation, whilst remaining independent and in creative control. With an open door policy and over 25 years of industry experience, we’ve worked with projects across the complete independent arts spectrum.  http://auspicious.com.au/  About Bus Projects  Bus Projects is an artist-run organisation dedicated to supporting the practices of Australian artists. In addition to its core gallery-based program of exhibitions, events and residencies, Bus Projects collaborates with a range of artists and organisations to produce projects off-site and within the public realm.   About The Social Studio  

The Social Studio was founded in 2009.We operate as a non-profit Incorporated Association, which is managed by a Board of Management elected by the membership. Our Board is composed of design and business professionals, media and communications experts, community development workers and community leaders from refugee communities in Melbourne.  All income generated through the Studio is invested in creating social benefits for our students, staff and their communities. We measure this through education outcomes, employment outcomes, environmental benefits and social inclusion.