$12 million cultural hub flagged for popular SA tourist region
A new cultural hub in the Barossa, costing about $12 million, has been flagged as a much-needed destination to bring artists together and attract more tourists.
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A $12 million cultural hub at Tanunda aims to draw more tourists to the Barossa Valley and celebrate the region’s history and arts community.
Barossa Council has set aside $5.9 million for the project, and hopes to secure another $5.2 million from the Federal Government, with the Tanunda Community Club pitching in $650,000.
Director of corporate and community services Jo Thomas said the project involved upgrading the Barossa Regional Gallery, making way for a larger complex.
Celebrating the region’s heritage, it would host a local theatre group, artists and writers in residence programs, music production and potentially a community radio station.
The Basedow Rd gallery is already home to the historic Hill & Son Grand Organ, formerly housed in the Adelaide Town Hall.
“We’re hosting smaller organ festivals, but that potentially could be a worldwide organ festival,” Mrs Thomas said.
“There’s dozens and dozens of organs in the Barossa.”
Mrs Thomas hoped the hub would encourage people to visit places of interest and learn about the region’s “hidden stories”.
“Massive” archives of the region’s oral histories would be used in a “digital heritage gallery”, and units for artists in residence are planned as part of an accommodation project flagged for The Clubhouse next door, owned by the Tanunda Community Club.
The cultural hub is part of The Big Project – a suite of community infrastructure upgrades over the next 20-30 years.
“(The) council has allocated about $30 million of its own funds and we’re going to try and get government funding to match so we can deliver on each of those priorities,” Mrs Thomas said.
Other works underway include a large new nature playground and mountain bike trail in Angaston and upgrades to Tanunda Recreation Park and Nuriootpa Centennial Park.
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“We want to improve our role as a destination for things like community championships and bringing people to stay in the area,” Mrs Thomas said.
The council has already refurbished the Angaston Railway Station and is also planning an upgrade to Lyndoch Recreation Park.
Visual artist Renee de Saxe said the “fantastic” plans for the cultural hub would give artists a much-needed meeting point.
“Something like this is essential to connect artists within the Barossa and with the wider communities,” Ms de Saxe said.
“It’s really instrumental in development of arts in the Barossa.”