Potato Shed needs to grow

DRYSDALE’S Potato Shed multi-arts facility is “bursting at the seams” and urgently needs expansion, a local theatre group says.

The 45-member Theatre 3222 group says it is now forced to host committee meetings in the foyer of the facility due to its “extreme popularity”.

Theatre 3222 treasurer Chris Reynolds raised the issue at Tuesday night’s council meeting, saying the dedicated performers struggled to find time to rehearse in the community arts space, which has a 150-person capacity theatre.

“There is one theatre for us to practice our theatre craft in or we have to hire out one of the music rooms used by the schools,” he said.

“I’m sure Theatre 3222 is not the only group that struggles to find the space and time to rehearse.”

City Hall director investment and attraction Brett Luxford said the council had plans to expand the “fantastic community facility”.

He said the “well loved” facility had “operated at close to capacity for a number of years”.

“In May 2010, council endorsed a preferred option for development, which was dependent on securing external funding,” he said.

“Funding for a masterplan review is being considered as part of the city’s 2019-20 budget process.”

Mr Luxford said the masterplan estimated the redevelopment would cost about $8 million but would need to be reviewed before final costs were determined.

He said the facility hosted regular dance, drama and music classes for Bellarine Secondary College and St Ignatius College students as well as 40 community groups.

A council report showed the facility attracted 112,613 visitors last year, 40,511 school student visits and hosted 102 dance, theatre and musical performances.

Mr Reynolds said the facility needed funding from council for at least one more theatre space that could accommodate 200-250 people, three multipurpose rooms for rehearsals and a cafeteria.

He said that although the facility was “extremely well run”, the group was forced to book the space a year in advance just to rehearse.

“We don’t expect anything for free but we have to outsource our props that we use for productions because there’s no where at the Potato Shed to store them,” Mr Reynolds said.

He said some children travelled almost 40 minutes from Waurn Ponds to visit the facility, while others travelled from Torquay and Belmont.