CANBERRA Theatre’s redevelopment project has received 21 submissions from national and international consortia after a request for expressions of interest was put out in September to find a design and technical partner.

Up to three consortia will be shortlisted to participate in the next phase of the procurement process, which will run until the first quarter of 2023.

It is expected that the successful consortium will be appointed by mid-2023 and the design, public consultation and approval processes expected to take around two years during which time design concepts will be released for feedback from the community and other stakeholders.

The short-listed groups will be required to include concept designs for the major redevelopment and expansion of the Canberra Theatre Centre, which encompasses:

• a new 2000 seat theatre building, including a bigger stage
• a major refurbishment of The Playhouse
• adapting the existing Canberra Theatre to become a more flexible space able to host a broad range of performances, concerts and events
• expanding the Courtyard Studio to accommodate a wider range of performances and large-scale rehearsals