By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The proposed sell-off of Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre has been put on hold.
It gives respite to the venue’s community arts tenants Connections Art Space and Fusion Theatre, who had been unable to find a suitable new home.
Meanwhile, Greater Dandenong Council revealed the Precinct Energy Plant (PEP) in central Dandenong would be redeveloped for community arts.
The council suspended the Walker Street gallery sale partly due to Covid-related delays for the upcoming Dandenong New Art (DNA) gallery in Mason Street.
The DNA project had also been stalled by “some complexities in delivering a very unique design and structure”, the council stated.
Mayor Jim Memeti said the Walker Street gallery would continue to operate until the DNA’s opening in mid-late 2022.
The DNA was originally expected to open this year.
“We want to continue our support for our creative community and have therefore suspended the sale of the Walker Street gallery site until we have more certainty around the opening of the new purpose-built gallery and the proposed PEP community arts development,” Cr Memeti said.
According to a council statement, the DNA and PEP would form a “leading edge arts precinct in central Dandenong”.
They would replace the “ageing” Walker Street gallery which was hampered by dated technology and accessibilty issues, the council stated.
The DNA – a contemporary art gallery in a refurbished former Masonic Lodge in Mason Street – would be a “state of the art facility to inspire our community”.
The PEP – which adjoins the DNA in Settlers Square – would provide workspaces, creative studios and a small black-box theatre space for local arts.
It would host a “range of purpose-built creative production spaces to complement the (DNA) gallery and support local arts participation and production”.
A “relieved” Fusion Theatre artistic director Jo Raphael said the inclusive group of up to 40 actors were concerned about losing their home of nearly 20 years.
“It’s not an intimidating arts space, but somewhere that we can be creative, inventive and experimental,” she said of the Walker Street arts centre.
“What we enjoy is having Connections Art Space in the space as well, so we can have collaborations across different art forms.”
Ms Raphael said there was so far “no clear direction” on how the PEP plan would unfold.
Since the sale announcement, the group had been unable to find a suitable, alternative home that was central and close to public transport.
For example, the premier theatre The Drum, which hosts nationally touring shows, was “out of our reach”.
Former councillor Matthew Kirwan welcomed the suspension of the “short-sighted” sale of Walker Street arts centre.
“We would have gained in Dandenong one thing – an elite destination regional arts gallery – and lost a dedicated community arts space for our own community.
“Now invaluable community grass roots initiatives like Connections Art Space and Fusion Theatre will be able to continue to thrive and more broadly there will continue to be a space for community arts for Greater Dandenong residents in an approachable community setting.”
Councillor Rhonda Garad, who announced the sale’s suspension at a 29 November council meeting, said: “We have to make sure community arts spaces are supported and they have certainty of a facility.”
