Speers Point is set to be home to a state-of-the-art contemprary art and performance centre after being grantded development approval this week.
An Australian East Coast first, the Multi Arts Place (MAP) will provide an innovative arts pavilion including a flexible platform for multimedia exhibitions, contemporary installations, performance, music and community events.
The centre will also house a hybrid stage and multi-arts space that could be divided for workshops, pop-up events and various creative engagement programs.
“The space will be an ideal stepping-stone for emerging artists, and a platform to present alternative art to new audiences,” Lake Macquarie Council’s Arts, Culture, and Tourism Manager Jacqui Hemsley said.
“MAP will provide a host of exciting new opportunities to the arts community – both locally and further afield.”
Mayor Kay Fraser echoed the sentiment, adding that the new facility would help bolster the Lake Mac economy while putting it on the map, so to speak, as an enticing cultural destination for visitors.
“We expect it will attract up to 45,000 additional visitors to the City each year, increasing annual visitor spend in the region by $1 million and increasing the total impact of cultural tourism within the precinct to $2.5 million,” Cr Fraser said.
University of Newcastle architecture student Samantha Bailey’s winning design for MAP was one of dozens submitted by students from the University of Newcastle’s School of Architecture and Built Environment in a design competition held in 2018.
Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2020 and be completed in mid-2021. Head here for more info.
