WITH news that the arts hub Carriageworks in Sydney has gone into voluntary administration, multi-arts centres around the country are busily reinventing themselves. 

Here in Canberra, three such facilities, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres, Belconnen Arts Centre and Tuggeranong Arts Centre are designated “Key Arts Organisations” by the ACT government and they’re determined to survive, but it’s not easy.

While Tuggeranong and Belconnen (recently rebranded as Belco Arts) have been busy with online initiatives, CEO at Ainslie and Gorman, Joe Falsone, sees his organisation as falling into a different category altogether.

For unlike the other two more recent centres, known for their well-funded socially-inclusive programs, the two older buildings in the inner north, the former Ainslie Public School, and Gorman House, were both designed by legendary Canberra architect JS Murdoch (who also designed Old Parliament House), and need to be looked after as part of the country’s heritage.

Both buildings went up in the 1920s and require constant maintenance.

Falsone is not a happy man. While he concedes that the organisation Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres has some reserves and relief to tenants of ACT government-owned properties will continue as pledged until October, funds are fast depleting.

It gets worse.

“In a crisis you’ve got to coordinate, but there are things going on behind the scenes,” he says.

“We are told you’ve got to be self-sufficient, you’ve got to run like a business etc. etc., but the COVID-19 crisis is highlighting how unrealistic this is.”

“We’ve got insurance issues, public liability issues, people put their feet through floors, heaters fall off the walls, there are workplace health and safety issues and both artists and audiences need to be able to be in a safe environment.”

And while Tuggeranong and Belconnen have several small spaces available to let out, Falsone says rental is the backbone to Ainslie and Gorman’s survival, with 81 per cent of their income derived from individual artists and organisations as diverse as Ql2 Dance, Canberra Youth Theatre, Music For Canberra and the Canberra International Music Festival, all devastated by the COVID-19 restrictions.

“It’s fair to say that we are heavily reliant on earned income, so we are disproportionately impacted,” he says.

“The community demand for our facilities is very strong and we feel we’ve been doing 80 per cent of the heavy lifting work in the good times… it’s not an even playing field.”

Now he’s hoping that Ainslie and Gorman will get a share of the ACT government’s $1million support package for “key arts and program organisations”, promised on March 11.

In light of its very particular business model, it’s not surprising, then, to learn Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres is preparing a three-step reopening of facilities in line with national cabinet and ACT government easing of restrictions, and moved to Step 1 from 12am on June 1.

Gorman Arts Centre has now partially reopened to the public, with its main office open 10am till 4.30pm Monday to Friday. All visitors must be screened at reception and sign in with contact details.

Some venues in A, C, D, E, F blocks at Gorman are open for approved uses. No concerts, performances or gallery exhibitions can be held live, so online arts programs will have to continue, but rehearsal and education programs can commence and the restaurant may open with a 10-diner limit. Bathrooms have been reallocated to achieve a balance between resident access and hirer/guest access.

But while Gorman gradually eases restrictions, Ainslie Arts Centre will stay closed at least until October 1 for workplace health and safety upgrades. Falsone says efforts will be made to accommodate Ainslie Arts Centre residents’ needs at Gorman.

Falsone has now taken six weeks paternity leave and program manager, Adelaide Rief has been appointed to the role of acting CEO of Arts Capital Limited and acting director of Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres during his absence.