An artist-run venue in inner-city Brisbane

Do you think there is a lack of affordable gig and performance spaces in Brisbane – especially in the so-called “entertainment district” of Fortitude Valley?

It's time to do something about it.

Straight Out of Brisbane invites you to help us create an artist-run performance venue in inner-city Brisbane.

The proposed venue will be:

• cheap and accessible to independent and emerging artists, companies and promoters
• flexible enough to be used for many artforms, including theatre, dance, new media and visual arts as well as music
• not-for-profit
• artist-run and artist-programmed
• a space for emerging artforms as well as emerging artists
• a place where young creative workers can gain technical and artistic experience and audiences in a welcoming and supportive environment
• self-financing through ticket and alcohol sales
• a space that pays artists, performers and musicians for their work
• forming alliances with other artist-friendly spaces and organizations in the Valley like 4ZZZ, The Zoo, The Rev and The Troubadour, in order to prevent competition harmful to the whole scene
• Auspiced, managed and financially supported by the Straight Out of Brisbane festival

The venue will NOT be:

• bureaucratised, expensive or inaccessible
• charging artists for unfair costs like public liability insurance
• closed to bookings by “uncool” or “unpopular” artforms or genres, or acts which the management “just doesn't like.”
• lavishly decorated and equipped – that will make everything too expensive

Ben Eltham from SOOB and local breaks/electronica producer Craig Parry have already embarked on extensive scoping investigations for a potential venue at a number of potential inner-Valley sites. We believe we have a viable model for a long-term sustainable space.

The next step is the detailed costing of the venue and the development of a professional business plan.

We're looking for your help in the next stage of this project:

• venue fit-out and renovation
• Brisbane City Council development application
• Restricted Club Permit (liquor license) application
• OH & S audit and fire inspection
• advertisement for and appointment of a full-time Venue Manager and part-time venue staff (management, technical, box office and bar)
• marketing and promotion
• venue to be launched at the 2006 SOOB Festival in August

How will we fund it?

As a non-profit organisation, Straight Out of Brisbane Festival Inc. plans to finance the new development through a combination of fund-raising, government grants and commercial debt (loans).

We believe that Brisbane contains a substantial number of large organizations (culturally-oriented and otherwise) who can be convinced to commit funds to support a crucial development for Brisbane's creative sector like this. We believe the best success in securing such funds lies in convincing large arts organisations in this state of the strategic importance of investing in emerging artists. We have been successful in this approach to date.

If the business model for the new venue is right, then it will be able to quickly earn operating revenue to retire debt and begin investing in emerging Brisbane art. We are also exploring a membership or subscription revenue model where artists pay an annual fee in return for a guaranteed number of gigs at the venue.

Finally (although this is of least importance to the long-term viability of the venue) there are several valuable one-off grant opportunities available for such a space, such as the Gaming Machines Community Benefits Fund.

Want to help out?

Contact Ben Eltham through the SOOB office. We're as keen as you are to get it happening!