An extraordinary community fundraising campaign has forced Ku-ring-gai Council back to the table in a last-ditch bid to save Marian St Theatre.
After more than 250 residents attended Rally in Red on Sunday, 215 supporters have contributed more than $76,000 towards the $100,000 needed to preserve the approved architectural plans for Marian St Theatre before they expire on 19 August.
In response to the campaign, Ku-ring-gai Council has called an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) for next Monday to consider rescinding its previous decision to abandon the project and instead undertake the urgent works needed to preserve the approved plans.
Marian St Theatre Action Chair Jessica Blaxland Ashby said the response had been extraordinary. “On Sunday we rallied because we were angry. In just three days, the community has raised more than $76,000 and forced Council back to the table.”
“If we can raise the remaining funds, Councillors have the opportunity to reverse their previous decision and preserve the only approved pathway to reopening Marian St Theatre.”
The emergency campaign was launched after Council voted on 16 June to allow the approved architectural plans to expire. If the plans are lost, campaigners say more than 20 years of consultation, design work and planning, together with $1.7 million of public investment, will be wasted, and reopening Marian St Theatre would be delayed by another decade – or lost altogether. Due to the EGM announcement, the fundraiser has been extended from Thursday to Sunday.
The approved redevelopment, designed by leading theatre architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, would transform Marian St Theatre into a contemporary arts centre with spaces for theatre, music, dance, exhibitions and community events.
All donations will be tax-deductible and will be refunded if Council ultimately decides not to preserve the approved plans.
Blaxland Ashby said the campaign had demonstrated the depth of community support. “The community has been extraordinary. Hundreds rallied. Thousands have signed the petition.”
“But we’re not there yet. We still need the remaining funds before the end of Sunday.”
The campaign has attracted widespread community support following Sunday’s Rally in Red, which brought together performers, families, community leaders and artists in a sea of red outside Gordon Library.
Davidson MP Matt Cross reiterated his support for preserving Marian St Theatre both at the rally and in a speech today in state parliament, and encouraged signatures to the petition to the NSW Parliament. Federal Member for Bradfield Nicolette Boele described Marian St Theatre as “a clear case where, rather than building new infrastructure from scratch, we can step in now to preserve and revitalise the spaces that already exist.”
Blaxland Ashby thanked all the generous donors. “If Council won’t save Marian St Theatre, we, the community, will.”
GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-save-marian-st-theatre-we-have-until-thursday
Petition: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/parliamentary-business/petitions/sign-epetition?epetitionId=773&ref=10902
Website: https://marianstaction.com.au/
