Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 8 : Pressclippings, 1977-1981

Arts centre is 'far too small' By DAVID ROWBOTHAM QUEENSLAND still seemed intent on building o perform– ing arts centre which · would be totally inadequate for major commerciol productions, Mr. Michael Edgley said in Brisbone_yestc,rday. " A venue which wi ll sea t litllc mare tha n 2000 people at the p roposed Queensland Cultura l Complex on the Bri sbane River's outh bank is quite unbelievable ta us, " he said. "All the 111ure liO Wih' tl lfl r t,-0 c n LCl'lRilllllC\1~ CCII· t..re:s ho1c1:,n.:. up to imno •people nl'c beinµ mooted for Soul h Au:tmlln. \'H'.• torin. nnct New ~outh \Vnh:s," ~,,.. Erl~le\' is chalrm1111 of ~!icl,rnel Ecl~l<'.I' l nler- 1111 Wmdl PLY Lld now rr– gnrclrd us ..-\ u: l r:11iu':; hh:· i;csL lhen1riral enlcrpri,c. \·:Ith nn mmuul tnr110\·cr of 1111 to S20 million. H !!i comµ: m~. lll :\~1i1\– cl:1 1011 wit h ol her ent re• 1>n•nrurs. hns 1, ro111ht to n r I fi b n 11 c thr l\loscow C1rcu. on Ice. unclcr the BiA T op nt VICL rin Pnrk, und En~h1ncl's ChlchPhLCl' F" stlv:tl T heatre Cont• pnny. nt Her ~l:1Jcsty·s T hen trc. 'l'ho Eclgle)' cntreprc• 11e11rlal orgnnlsotinn, cl• thC'r indl"pondcntly or In nssoclo t!on wlLh otiter5, will IHI \"(' bC"cn ,r.-p 11- slhlr for 1111 po1·lin~ nt ll'll'>t l:! tl"Cr,,cus L"Olll- 1),llll~!\ .u~tl shows Imo .4. 1•. litl hi tl.1~ I ;7. ; ;:, " r. t:dl!lcy ~~lrl l1i~ ()111 n~, 101111tlrtl h.r his falhtr, the late Eric Ed– ~ l r ~ • 111' Pe1·lh, h;.111 11r1·,cnlt•1l mtOO arll~l'- In Australln In the l:1sl 10 .nmr. :11u l 1•m11l05 ed 1000 1wo11le » ~·car. The compnn~· had nnw c o 111 m I t Leri ltscil to t>l'r~en:in:; ~10() mill!on worth of cn tcrtninmcni.– Jlrvcl !CL Ill All lrHlin up to 1082. IL co1·crecl n ~·hole nmgl' of entcrtninmelH, - circus. lhcntre. opcrn. b n 11 o t.. rnuMcnl:~. roe\; c01worts. choirs. orchcs– t rns - rl'nm 1nn11y orcr– scu · counlrles. "Of cours~ th~ co111• pan~· nlms lo mnkc 1i pro1tt:· ~tr. f:<l~ltl)' s11lci. "n ut, somcU111rs we hn,·c to ncccpt profit 111ru·~t.u; as low ns t O per cent of l hC lol nl Aro s snlrfi, ·'T here is nlwn.vs sntls– rncllon In n finnncl:tl succf's1--. But we get n t,rc– mcndous s:it1~r11cl io11 out 01 something else - thot . is in brlnt!il!C! to A11strn– lin s how., ·which mlil1011s of Austr:11inns would never othel'Wl!'=C see. •'If I( shnnhl he suld that t ha,·c sctll•h mn– th·c" In ad,·m·allni: large entertainment rr.ntr~, then my :in'-wrr '"' th11t m ~· sctrlsh mnth·cs lend to sa thf~· a lot nr 1,coplc,' 1 Centre delayed Difficulties in train1fer tran1oction1 with the Brisbane City Council delayed the Queensland Cultural Centre's struction sr.hedule, Traffic fl l'l'lll1Ul'lllC'lllS for the nre-u ulso took lon~rr Limn expected to complet.c. Thr IJrsL l"CilOrL of the Q u o n I n.n cl CulLur:il cenu e Tru. 1 nld this ye.-,tr dny. '1110 report s11id the Jl r o I> Ir m s npprn1·ecl to J• n r c bcrn o ·ercomc. 'unhcr COllll'RClS shOLlld be nwnrrled i;oon. n snld the 1r11,l hoped to con/orm to the 0 01'• crnmcnL cstlmntccl Ol'Cr• nil co Lor S45 m illion. The 0111.lclpuled COlll• plellon dates nre: An gallery t Including pa rk , nudlrorlum nnd rest11ur:111Ll , .June IU80: performing nrts centre. June 1081: mu~cmn, De• cembcr 1082: librnry De• cember I983.