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The Arts Centre

Winner of The 2009 New South Wales Local Government Cultural Infrastructure Cultural Award

   Artist Playing Field - An Exhibition and Performing Arts Rehearsal Space - Cootamundra Arts Centre


The 'artist's playing field' - the arts centre - has taken another step towards completion. This Council supported, community driven project has added an Exhibition & Performing Arts Rehearsal Space, associated reception, office & catering facilities.
This stage (4-6), added to the already completed fine & visual arts studio & workshops, with fully functional Men's Shed completed 2005.
From derelict to fully functional the Exhibition facility was completed with an ARTS NSW grant of $75,000 - matched to the tune of $84,000 with in kind volunteer labour, discounted trades & fundraising events by volunteer Section 355 Cootamundra Arts & Cultural Centre Committee. To date total volunteer hours exceed 7500.
The project has now moved into final stages with a second ARTS NSW grant of $75,000 & funds from Council of $55,000. The Theatre, amenities & infrastructure began construction 2009. The Exhibition space is fully functional with events scheduled throughout 2008/09.   

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The Cootamundra Arts Centre is an Artist Playing Field, Managed by the Cootamundra Creative Arts and Cultural Committee.

The Cootamundra Creative Arts and Cultural Centre (CCACC) Committee is a 355 Committee of the Cootamundra Shire Council.

The Cootamundra Arts Centre complex is a project by the community for the community. It utilizes a derelict, but historically significant, warehouse complex to construct “an across the boards” Arts facility for the Shire of Cootamundra.

Over 7000 hours of volunteer labor has been utilized to get to this stage of the development. Utilizing minimum funds provided by Shire ($60,000), work for the dole schemes (5 in total) plus endless fundraising and generous trades discounted work; the Community of Cootamundra has provided an arts educational facility which is, even at its present stage, innovative and productive.

HISTORY

In 2004 a community based group convinced Cootamundra Shire Council to buy the complex for $140,000. By June 2005 Council had purchased the derelict complex handing it over to a newly formed, community based 355 Committee of Council to construct, refurbish and administer the development of a multi purpose educational arts facility. In 2006 this volunteer workforce had provided the Community with:

1. A fine and visual arts studio workshop,
2. 3 music studios for musical development,
3. A commercial space for a Signage business (leased for income to the Centre)
4. A shed for the creation of a Men’s Shed ( now The Coota Men’s Shed)
5. A space for a Shop for local artists to sell their artworks. (all sales on  commission basis to the Centre)

All the above are operational drawing students from inside and beyond the Shire. 

1. And finally cleared, gutted and cleaned the rest of the warehouse complex for the next stages in this Arts facility development. (5 semi trailers loads of rubbish was initially removed from the site by volunteer labor.)

Up this point a further injection of funds; approximately $80,000 had been contributed by the community in the form of voluntary labor, trades discounts, donations and extensive fund raising.

In April 2005 the Cootamundra Shire was awarded the Local Government and Shires Association Award for Capital Infrastructure Category C.

In June 2005 the CCACC Committee (a 355 Committee of Council) applied for a Capital Infrastructure Grant from ARTS NSW.

In October 2005 the Committee was rewarded for their work with a $75,000 grant from  ARTS NSW for the next phase (6&7) of their Arts Centre development. This grant was awarded for the development of an Exhibition arena and performing arts space.

Using this generous grant, and matching it with our own fund raising efforts, the volunteer construction crew has finished the next stage of the Art Centre Project. This new  work (stages 6 & 7) has provided our community with a Reception area & large Exhibition space. These areas will be utilized for performing arts rehearsal plus provide a dedicated arena for local and traveling exhibitions. Local trades businesses have also contributed with heavily discounted work and generous donations of recycled heating and cooling infrastructure. The $ for $ conditions of the grant have been difficult during the worst drought this community has ever experienced but we have managed to fulfill the terms of the grant and be sensitive to the hardship the Community is going through. The Committee acquitted this grant June 2007 raising over $84,000 in donated labor, in-kind support and monetary funds.

The Committee thanks a supportive community, generous tradespeople and performing artists who gave so generously towards this development.

The Reception and Exhibition space was opened By Mr Bob Abdy -Director General for the Department of Sport, Arts, Recreation and Planning NSW State Government on  the 14^th September 2007 in the presence of Ms Elizabeth Rogers (CEO Regional Arts) Mrs Kay Hull MP (Federal Member for Riverina), Katrina Hodgkinson MP (State Member for Burrunjuck) and Melissa Delaney (Eastern Riverina Arts Program CEO).

2008 - Where to Now

The CCACC Committee will  begin work on the final stages of the Arts Centre Development - The Performing Arts Theatre space, backstage facility and dressing rooms in July 2008.

This proposed theatre stage of the development will have a fully sprung stage floor for dance and other high impact activities; tiered seating for 120 patrons; all technical equipment for theatrical lighting and sound plus infrastructure for film. This Performing Arts Theater is to be utilized not only for performance but for educational purposes as well especially for school aged children in conjunction with The Cootamundra High School.  

The Cootamundra Arts Centre development is an exciting ambitious project totally community driven and instigated by a non for profit volunteer group of community minded people.

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