What is the Ainslie Arts Centre for?

it’s really disheartening to see another government arts centre falling into the hands of the dreary, committee-bound hands of the Gorman board whose agenda, as seen from the outside, seems to be to stifle any spark of life and creativity that might otherwise flourish. Oh well.

Couldn’t agree more – I remember fondly the days of yore when FOCA and Splinters flourished, when the Currong was a theatre, when Gorman House was a thriving, buzzing place where the default answer to creative ideas was, “yes lets” not, “that sounds too much like hard work”.

The Ainslie Arts Centre houses around 10 different youth and non-profit music organisations. Over 2000 visits a week for lessons, rehearsals and performances. It also hosts special events such as seniors week and visiting artists (mostly muscians). The burden of management of the facility (maintenance, hiring etc) has mostly fallen to Canberra Youth Music. The centre caters for muscians from 12 months to 90 years of age and all abilities. It also host a valuable music program for people with disabilities.

It’s been a marvellous thriving arts centre for over a decade. If you haven’t taken advantage of opportunities offered by such groups as Music for Everyone, Musica Viva, Canberra Youth Music, Hall Village Brass Band or the many, many other groups who use the facility, bad luck.

I’m sure once a new group is found to manage the facility it will be business as usual. Just because “Johnny comes lately” can’t get a slice of the action this week doesn’t mean everyone else isn’t utilising the facility on a daily basis. Personally, I have enjoyed many lessons and performances at the centre.

Typical sour grapes from the from Culturazi but I do agree that the Gorman House management committee may be the wrong choice for future management.

Rant over!

if the government are running it (and i guess in the circumstances, that’s a big ‘if’) and two blokes from artsact are in charge, seems right reprehensible that these two blokes don’t get off their armses and make appropriate arrangements for the space to be utilised.

you could petition the arts council.