Redevelopment works planned for Wesley Performing Arts and Cultural Centre (PACC) have been given the green light by Council at Monday night’s meeting.
After its closure in 2017, Council has been working with the Wesley PACC Committee to see the venue return to its place as one of Horsham’s most characterful and intimate performance spaces.
At the 27 June meeting Council was presented with several options to progress with plans to reopen the venue and resolved to allocate $224,000 in the 2023-2024 budget towards the redevelopment of the facility.
Council will also provide support to the Wesley PACC Committee to undertake a community fundraising campaign and to seek grant opportunities to secure the balance of funds required.
The full redevelopment project budget sits at $1,565,377.
Once the redevelopment works are complete, Council will own and operate Wesley PACC with annual operating costs estimated to be approximately $70,000 – $100,000.
Director Communities and Place Kevin O’Brien confirms that Council also supported the proposal to reconfigure the venue to be a flat floor performance space.
“This design offers a performance space that is much more flexible and will enable performance “in the round”. With this floor style the facility will be able to accommodate dinners and receptions as well as conferences and presentations,” he said.
“The flat floor layout also offers a point of difference to the Horsham Town Hall Auditorium, which has tiered seating.”
In late 2018 a community survey found that Wesley PACC has an important role in the community as a smaller space well suited for smaller performances such as for primary school usage and intimate musical performances. Because of its size many in the community felt that Wesley was a foundation space for the performing arts in Horsham.
Wesley PACC started life as Horsham Wesley Methodist Church, and through extensive community effort was converted to a performance space in the 1990s.
