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Country Arts SA
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News and Media Centre
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Celebrate 25 great years of the Middleback Theatre
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Celebrate 25 great years of the Middleback Theatre
23rd February 2010
Flinders / Outback
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Everyone welcome to celebrate 25 great years of the Middleback Theatre
On Tuesday 9th March 2010 at 6pm the artistic and cultural hub of Whyalla, the Middleback Theatre will celebrate its 25th birthday with a special function to mark this important milestone and everyone is invited.
Country Arts SA’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ken Lloyd invites the community to come along to this special event to celebrate the rich history of such an iconic institution in Whyalla.
“I would like to invite the Whyalla community to this very special occasion on Tuesday 9th March 2010. The Middleback Theatre has had such a fantastic history and to celebrate this with the people of Whyalla would be an honour. Why not come along to what promises to be a great night of celebration,” he said.
Middleback Theatre Venue Manager, Ryan Sutherland says she has thoroughly enjoyed her time as Venue Manager of the Middleback Theatre and looks forward to being part of the Theatre’s exciting future.
“I have some fantastic memories not only from being the Venue Manager of the Middleback Theatre but growing up here at the Middleback Theatre and being a part of Arts community in Whyalla. One of the things I enjoy the most about my role is the people and patrons I get to meet and see everyone from local performers to some of the biggest names in entrainment industry come to our community and perform at the Theatre. I am really looking forward to having the chance to celebrate this special event with the people of Whyalla,” she said.
To celebrate the 25th birthday, there will be a special presentation of the Middleback Theatre 25th Birthday DVD, which is a short documentary on the history of the Theatre produced by Southern Cross TV. There will also be drinks, nibbles and music by Marmalade Fiesta, a vibrant, energetic, funky world-jazz quartet which has performed across Australia.
The Middleback Theatre’s 25th Birthday will be held on Tuesday 9th March 2010 from 6pm at the Theatre, Nicolson Avenue, Whyalla. To find out more information or to book your free ticket phone the Theatre on 8644 7300.
The Middleback Theatre is one of four regional performing arts centres managed by Country Arts SA, built by the South Australian Government between 1979 and 1984 at a cost of approximately $18 million.
Named after the nearby Middleback Ranges, in the last 25 years the Theatre has accommodated everything from stage plays to Spanish Horses.
Building of the Theatre commenced on Friday 23 March 1984, as a special project of the Eyre Peninsula Cultural Trust and Premier and Minister for the Arts John Bannon opened the venue on Saturday 9 March 1985 with a large crowd enjoying the first performance by acclaimed pianist Geoffrey Tozer.
On 20 July 1985, only four months into its operation, tragedy struck with the main stage area gutted by fire with damage from the fire, smoke and ash coming to approximately $1.5 million with the Theatre taking a year to rebuild and refurbish.
The Premier attended the reopening where a traditional ‘welcoming of the ghost’ ceremony was held to protect the Theatre from further bad luck.
The Theatre has traditionally been the venue for the Whyalla Art Prize, as well as hosting other visual art exhibitions in the foyer space and more recently the building was redeveloped to include a full cinema, which was opened on Thursday 17 June 2004.
Managed by Country Arts SA the Middleback Theatre is proudly committed to continuing the development of performing arts in regional South Australia, as an integral part of Country Arts SA’s programs.
For media enquiries contact
Country Arts SA’s Marketing Officer Simone Hawkins
ph 8444 0417 or 0423 828 035
email simone.hawkins@countryarts.org.au
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