The Manning Entertainment Centre is set to undergo a major glow up.
MidCoast Council has secured funding from the NSW Government to install new lighting at the Taree cultural hub.
The upgrade will help ensure that the centre continues to attract the highest quality performers to the MidCoast region with a state of the art facility, explains Paul De Szell, Council’s Director of Liveable Communities.
“The Manning Entertainment Centre is an important asset to our MidCoast community. It’s a place that brings people together and provides a venue to showcase all that our local arts community, as well as renowned travelling performers, have to offer,” said Mr De Szell.
The $250,000 grant from Create NSW will allow for improvements in sustainable, specialised equipment and multi-use lighting for the MEC. The infrastructure upgrade will increase participation by touring performances and will provide all patrons and community groups with an improved cultural hub.
The Create NSW funding is part of the State Government’s $60 million Creative Capital program, established to improve cultural infrastructure, support the creative economy and provide communities with quality arts venues.
Each year the centre offers 100 local and visiting performances and productions to an audience of around 30,000.
Built in 1988, it is home to many local performers, with regular use by MidCoast schools, dance and drama schools and groups including the Taree Arts Council, Manning Valley Choral Society and Taree and District Eisteddfod.
It has a history of attracting elite performers to the region including The Australian Ballet, Dame Joan Sutherland, Circus Oz, Bell Shakespeare Company and The Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Recently, the centre released its program for the first half of 2022, with something for everyone amongst a line-up of exciting new ‘must-see’ local, national and international acts. You can find the list of upcoming performances at: www.theMEC.com.au.
In more good news for the centre, construction of the new studio space is progressing well. Proudly funded by the NSW Government in association with the Federal Government, a generous local bequest and MidCoast Council, the works are expected to be complete by mid-2022.
