Guy Pearce backs GSODA in quest for permanent home

On the eve of possibly becoming Geelong’s first actor to win an Oscar, it can be revealed Guy Pearce has thrown his support behind GSODA as it searches for a permanent home.

Guy Pearce attends the 97th Annual Academy Awards Nominees Dinner at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on February 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Hollywood star Guy Pearce has thrown his support behind Geelong’s longest-running amateur theatre troupe, as it searches for a permanent home.

The Geelong Society of Operatic and Dramatic Art (GSODA) has been providing theatre training and running shows for Geelong’s youth and is one of Australia’s longest operating youth theatre companies.

The troupe’s Junior Players, comprising young people up to 17, have been putting on shows for the public since 1965.

GSODA lost its home in 2022 and has operated out of multiple facilities, including the Victoria Railways Institute (VRI) building.

However, the current premises “are not adequate”, the letter of support states.

Mr Pearce is nominated for an Oscar for his work in ‘The Brutalist’. (Photo by Lia Toby/Getty Images)

“An appropriate permanent facility will allow GSODA to continue to provide its unique platform for training in the arts and live theatre, to a larger and more diverse cohort of children, teens, and young adults into the future,” it reads.

“To see GSODA unable to offer their full potential to our community because of their unsustainable circumstances would be a great shame.

“Operating across multiple premises has deeply impacted the organisation and its large volunteer base who, despite their dedication and passion are disheartened that they are yet to find a permanent suitable home.”

Pearce, who could on Monday become Geelong’s first Oscar winner in an acting category, joined GSODA’s Junior Players as a 13-year-old in 1980.

The now-57-year-old has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in post-World War II film The Brutalist.

Pearce signed the letter in November 2023, when he returned to his roots and joined GSODA’s 2023 variety performance.

Pearce’s letter was echoed by GSODA president Jo Manderson, who recently penned a statement following comments made by mayor Stretch Kontelj in the media, asking the city to invest in grassroots art initiatives.

Ms Manderson argued that the essential role of community theatre and smaller, grassroots arts initiatives was often overlooked, when compared to large-scale projects such as the redevelopment of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, and the proposed expansion of the Geelong Gallery.

Community theatre funding was a “glaring omission in the way we fund and prioritise the arts in our city”, Ms Manderson wrote.

“While these larger-scale institutions and initiatives undeniably have their place, it is crucial to remember that community theatre plays an equally vital role in shaping our local culture,” she said.

“It is in these spaces where raw talent, diverse voices, and new ideas emerge — often against the odds.”

Originally published as Guy Pearce backs GSODA in quest for permanent home