EVELEIGH: In early May, when Carriageworks announced it had gone into voluntary administration due to “irreparable loss of income” from Covid-19 shutdowns, shockwaves rippled through the arts world and wider community.
How could one of the largest multi-arts centres in Australia close?
Later in May, when a group of potential funders stepped up to help with a bailout deal, the relief was palpable. But the fight is far from over given the philanthropists’ offer of funding is contingent upon Create NSW granting Carriageworks a long-term lease.
Local residents Alice Anderson and Louisa Dyce are anxious about the site’s future but remain hopeful. They spoke recently about their love of the space, the importance of its history, and the vibrant arts events and markets it hosts.
Alice lives in an apartment block next door to Carriageworks and has regularly attended visual arts and performances at the centre since moving to her unit in 2015. She is passionate about the site and what it means to the local community.
“I was upset when I heard Carriageworks was going into administration. The site has a rich history which emerges in conversation with all sorts of people whenever I say I live in Eveleigh. A lot of people, not just locals, feel a connection to the history of the building and the site.
“I love living so close to such a vibrant creative place – even with the downside of noise at times when events are bumping in and out.
“I’m also pleased to be asked to comment on this issue because the 88 units in my block are all affordable housing and sometimes the voices of affordable-housing residents are lost in consultations about community facilities like Carriageworks, which isn’t right.
“I’m really concerned for the future of Carriageworks given its reliance on income from big events which haven’t been able to happen since Covid-19. This makes the prospect of private funding encouraging and, as it’s happened before, I’m not too worried about private stakeholders gaining control.
“What I am worried about is that Carriageworks is on public land and that in the current economic climate the government might feel a strong temptation to sell it to the highest bidder.
“If that happened the community would lose in a big way. This includes the artists who work from studio space, exhibit and perform there, and the local community overall. Events at Carriageworks draw a big audience from across the city which has a flow-on effect to local businesses like pubs and restaurants. On top of Covid-19 losses – will they survive?”
Louisa worked at the Saturday Farmers Market at Carriageworks and has been associated with the market since its inception.
“I live in Darlington so it was wonderful to have a 10-minute walk and then be at work. What made the market different was that it was mainly actual growers who were selling their produce. For many it was their only retail outlet.
“Carriageworks is a wonderful place where the community could meet and be entertained in so many ways. Night markets, art fairs, food fairs and fashion week: it made me proud to be able to meet with, and work with, so many people who enjoyed the space as I did.
“We loved visiting the fabulous art installations that you couldn’t see anywhere else. It was also very refreshing to wander around inside the building as it holds a great deal of history.
“We would acknowledge how rare the buildings and the shows were – and recognise that Carriageworks is part of our history that shouldn’t be lost or taken for granted.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime space. If lost, it could never be replaced.”
