Performing arts centre on Hastings foreshore to transform peninsula’s ‘poor cousin’
Strictly Ballroom star turned MP Paul Mercurio’s dream to help Mornington Peninsula performers “dance their own steps” could transform Hastings into a tourist hot spot.
South East
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A $92m performing arts centre proposed for the Mornington Peninsula is being compared to the ground breaking, architectural landmark that transformed a Spanish industrial town into a tourist mecca.
The local council wants to build a dual venue centre on the Hastings waterfront with an open air performance space and festival plaza.
It would include a 650 seat theatre, a 150 seat venue and a festival plaza.
Mornington Peninsula council on Tuesday night voted in favour of proceeding with the next stage of the ambitious project which has already cost ratepayers $1.5m.
Councillor Sarah Race likened the decision to one taken by Bilbao, Spain in 1997 that led to the building of the Guggenheim Museum.
“It was controversial at the time,” Ms Race said.
“Bilbao was a city down on its luck … it was built on steel and ship building but by the 1990s those old industries were dying.
“In 1997 the idea that art could kickstart a flagging economy was still relatively novel.
“But as London and Liverpudlians have seen it was an idea that works
“Tate Modern and Tate Liverpool transformed their respective waterfronts.”
Fast forward to 2017 and Bilbao had 19m visitors, 70 per cent from outside Spain, most staying overnight, Ms Race said.
“The economic knock on has been immense and Bilbao is now a tourist hot spot.”
She said the Guggenheim now generated about $658m every year for Balboa.
“Our performing arts centre may not be a gallery but it will be a hub for our creatives and the start of a creative precinct … it will draw people from around our local area as well as further afield.
“We can be that ambitious.”
The performing arts centre was the dream of Strictly Ballroom star turned Hastings Labor MP Paul Mercurio.
Mr Mercurio included the project on his campaign platform when running for Mornington Peninsula council in 2020.
He continued to push for it while serving as a councillor prior to being elected as Hastings MP in 2022.
“We have a large cohort of aspiring actors, musicians and dancers on the peninsula, but the performing arts doesn’t have anywhere the near the sort of investment that is put into community sport,” he said.
“Melbourne is a long way away when you’re a young person dreaming of being on stage.”
Mr Mercurio, who rose to fame playing dancer Scott Hastings in the iconic Australian film Strictly Ballroom, said he wanted the next generation of dancers to be able to live out the movie’s motto ‘dance your own steps’.
“They really need a proper professional theatre to achieve that,” he said.
“It would be a valuable community asset and provide important investment for Hastings”.
Contributions from local, state and federal governments and possibly philanthropic investment would be needed to cover the cost of the project, he said.
Councillor Anthony Marsh agreed with the need to invest in the peninsula’s “poor cousin”,
“This is one of those projects that is visionary,” he said.
He compared the project to Yawa, the council’s $39m aquatic centre which opened in Rosebud in 2021 after more than two decades of campaigning by locals.
“Yawa is an example of investing over the long term,” Mr Marsh said.
“Noone would say that was a bad call.”
Councillor Lisa Dixon said the council was providing 2ha of land for the project and she was looking forward to the community being able to fundraise for the project.
Councillors on Tuesday night voted to proceed to the next stage which included developing a preliminary concept design and seeking community feedback.
Fittingly, the vote took place on the 32nd anniversary of the first cinema screening of Strictly Ballroom in Sydney on August 20, 1992.
“It’s a nice coincidence,” Mr Mercurio said.