A POTENTIAL multi-million dollar renovation of Renmark’s Chaffey Theatre is aimed at attracting modern art performances and exhibitions to the Riverland.
Country Arts SA chief executive Anthony Peluso last week unveiled a masterplan for an upgrade project of the Chaffey Theatre that would be undertaken over 20 years.
Country Arts SA marketing and development leader Kyra Herzfeld said designs for the masterplan – which are similar to Whyalla’s Middleback Theatre – were estimated to cost between $20 and $25 million.
“We started off with our theatre in Whyalla and we did that process there with an architecture firm Grieve Gillett Andersen,” Ms Herzfeld said.
“They went through that big community consultation and they’ve come up with their first iteration.
“The idea now is we get further feedback from the stakeholders and patrons, so the plan continues to be refined.”
Ms Herzfeld said a remodelled courtyard and planned hub for digital art mediums, plus the capacity to show 3D works and outdoor projections, would be “modern compliments” to the Chaffey’s main 500-seat auditorium.
“The idea is to bring it up to the 21st century, so there’s gallery space but a lot more digital infrastructure for artists and audiences to use and experiment with,” she said.
“(We’re) trying to better reflect the community as it is now, rather than what it was many years ago.”
Ms Herzfeld said a planned stream of a headline opera from the 2021 Adelaide Festival, to be shown at the Chaffey Theatre, would highlight the return of shows and performances as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
“We are doing our best,” she said.
“A lot of artists have had to push out their plans… we’re having to work with them to see when they can get themselves back up and (to) what capacity.
“The Adelaide Festival’s flagship event is always a big 300 or 400 ticket opera, but (now) they can only do it at 50 per cent capacity.
“We’ll be live streaming the final performance of the opera in March next year.”