Inner-city Councils join forces to ‘make space for culture’

Published on 28 June 2021

A group of inner-city Councils is collaborating on ‘Making Space for Culture’, a project to identify demand and different ways of facilitating affordable creative maker spaces. 

Stemming from the 2019 Inner-City Group Memorandum of Understanding, the Town of Victoria Park has joined resources with the Cities of Perth, South Perth and Vincent, to engage consultants Hatch Roberts Day to understand specific needs, identify potential locations and research funding and operating models. 

Creative maker spaces are places like studios or workshops dedicated to creative pursuits where hobbyists through to professional artists can come together to share skills, ideas and tools. The Town’s Arts and Culture Plan (2020) uncovered demand out in the community for these types of affordable creative spaces.  

The Town is seeking an understanding of needs through a survey currently open for creatives and stakeholders which can be found through our Your Thoughts page – yourthoughts.victoriapark.wa.gov.au. 

Mayor Karen Vernon said: “The role of creatives in the tourism and knowledge economy is so important, and there’s obviously a need for supportive infrastructure to assist them in their process. Collaborating together will see all four local governments prosper, not just one.” 

“The community’s input can help us work towards the creation of more creative and artistic spaces. I encourage any creative-type in the Town to fill in the survey and let us know what you think.” 

Participants in the survey will go into a draw to win one of two $500 cash prizes. The survey closes at 5pm on 23 July. 

The project is being funded by the Town’s COVID-19 Recovery Strategy in recognition of the value such spaces add to community resilience and wellbeing through skill development, employment and social participation.