A world-class performing arts residency facility will be constructed at Bathurst's Ben Chifley Dam, with the state government declaring on Friday that $4.78 million will be invested into the project.
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The Bathurst Arts Residency NSW [BARN] will be constructed close to the shore of the dam's recreational area, with construction slated to commence within the next nine months.
It is hoped the facility will be ready for launch in the first half of 2024, where it will provide purpose-built facilities for dance, circus, music, theatre, and various other aspects of creative and performing arts.
Deputy Premier and Bathurst MP Paul Toole said the facility will be the largest of its kind in regional NSW.
"It's going to be the biggest and best in regional NSW, and it will be in our very own backyard," Mr Toole said.
"This is a significant cultural infrastructure project for Bathurst that will shape its future as a destination for arts and culture in NSW and enhance experiences for artists, locals and visitors alike."
Mr Toole said the growth of creative and performing arts in Bathurst over the past decade, as well as its proximity to both Sydney and western NSW, were key factors in selecting Bathurst as the ideal site for The BARN.
"This facility will allow up to 100 performers to be in the one location, and it'll support our cultural industry locally and further afield," he said.
"It'll be an opportunity for artists and performers of numerous disciplines to hone their projects before bringing them to an audience.
"Over the past decade, the quality and credentials of creative arts in Bathurst has certainly rises, which is important as it makes the region a prime attraction for artists looking to bring work here."
The facility will complement the existing Hill End Artist in Residence program, which has provided an outlet for local, national and international visual artists to create work in the historic village for the past two decades.
The program is currently on hold for 2022, with Bathurst Regional Council in the process of renegotiating the lease terms of the cottages facilitating the program with National Parks & Wildlife Service [NPWS].
Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre [BMEC] manager Stephen Champion, who has long been an advocate for a facility like The BARN, said the region is very fortunate to have received the investment via the state government's Creative Capital program.
"We had consultants looking at what facilities were needed for Bathurst, and this was a project that emerged as a no-brainer," Mr Champion said.
"It's a facility that can be for everyone, from schools across the region to local, national and international creatives."
While plans for the facility's design are yet to be finalised, Mr Champion said The BARN will include multi-purpose facilities to suit a variety of talent.
"We've got at least 15 metres by 15 metres of sprung floor, and there will space around the floor for directors and choreographers to observe work in progress," he said.
"There will also be space for works in progress outside the performance for space, at least nine metres of height for circus works and an outdoor development space matching the one indoors.
"It'll also include a communal dining room for 60 people, workshop facilities for prop creation, and the entire facility will overlook the dam's waterfront."
With Bathurst already the home of a number of prominent creative events, such as the Bathurst Winter Festival, Inland Sea of Sound, numerous BMEC productions [including BMEC Local Stages] and, later this year, Vanfest, Mr Champion said The BARN will be another string in the region's creative bow.
"We're in a great spot for a project like this, and with organisations such as Arts OutWest, Charles Sturt University and the Bathurst Regional Arts Gallery also contributing to Bathurst's arts scene, we see The BARN as an opportunity to pool all these groups together, as well as attract more creatives to town," he said.
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