Opening night is finally at hand for the Gippsland Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) after the long-anticipated facility made its debut on Wednesday 2 March, 2022.
The $42.1 million facility was officially opened by Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester, Minister for Regional Development Mary-Anne Thomas and Latrobe City Mayor Kellie O’Callaghan.
Latrobe City is rolling out the red carpet in style with a four-day grand opening gala featuring: electronic indie-pop sensation Client Liaison, a comedy night headlined by some of Australia’s favourite comedians, local performances, community workshops and other activities.
Gippslanders and visitors alike now have the chance to explore the state-of-the-art facility including a 750-seat auditorium, indoor and outdoor amphitheatre event spaces, box office, café precinct, conference rooms and much more.
Delivered by Becon Constructions, with a supporting cast of local contractors and tradespeople, the GPAC has all the elements to support productions from major international performances through to local community use.
Latrobe City Director Creative Arts Bec Cole said the inclusion of features such as a fully-fledged fly tower meant the sky was the limit for prospective shows.
“A fly tower allows for a backdrop to come in and out which means we can stage the kinds of productions that need a full scale, full-sized production. It opens up the opportunity for people across Gippsland to see a range of programs a bit closer to home,” Ms Cole said.
GPAC has a range of accessibility features and will incorporate the Latrobe City Visitor Information Centre.
The $42.1 million project was funded by the Federal Government’s Community Development Grants Programme ($10 million), the Victorian Government’s Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund ($12 million) and Latrobe City Council.
Tickets and schedule for the opening gala can be found here: https://gpac.latrobe.vic.gov.au/
As stated by Latrobe City Mayor Kellie O’Callaghan
“The Gippsland Performing Arts Centre has long been a community aspiration as a priority piece of infrastructure to support the growth of our local arts and creative offerings.
“Beyond bringing the stars of the stage to our doorstep, the new centre is a home for the local creative community and provides a forum for connection, wellbeing and collaboration.”
