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Format aims high for new home

Sep 12, 2013
The new Hub Adelaide co-working space. Photo: Denis Smith Photography

The new Hub Adelaide co-working space. Photo: Denis Smith Photography

Format arts collective is cautiously supportive of a new Government-funded creative hub at St Paul’s on Pulteney Street, as long as it is not a competitor.

Format is $4500 away from its crowd-funding target, with just one day to go in its Pozible campaign.

It was controversially forced to leave its Peel Street home to make way for development, including the new Peel Street restaurant and Hub Adelaide, which opened this week.

Format general manager Stan Mahoney said the collective felt the Government had “learnt a lot” from the backlash over a “top-down” approach to the establishment Hub Adelaide and was “at pains to make sure what happens in St Paul’s happens in consultation with the community”.

The Pulteney Street creative hub has been flagged by the State Government, with Premier Jay Weatherill last week saying it was still in negotiations to finalise the exact nature of the venture.

It will be a joint tenant with the Jade Monkey, and will follow extensive consultation with exisiting creative hubs.

“The Government is cautious for this not to appear to be an artificial top-down plant,” Mahoney said.

But he said there remained a risk that the new hub might replicate services already being provided by The Mill and Format.

Mahoney said ideas floated for the creative co-working space included subsidised accommodation for touring artists, an artist-in-residence program and additional studio space.

“There’s a lot of talk that Adelaide doesn’t have critical mass for additional services but we think that’s not true as we’ve noticed the more things spring up, the more they fill up.”

In search of its own new home, Format hopes to raise $22,000 to help it refurbish a property it wants to lease, including adding toilets to make it suitable for live music, and sound-proof studios. Aside from initial start-up costs, Format is otherwise self-sufficient and has not received Government funding.

For a $1000 donation, a supporter can become the City of Adelaide’s Night Mayor for three months – a ceremonial role supported by Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood. Two have already been purchased.

“We’re hoping that a Night Mayor can stand up for people who think Adelaide’s nightlife should be less about binge drinking and more about dancing, handball and mass karaoke,” Mahoney said.

The artist-run collective, which was self-sufficient before the move, has struggled to deal with Government relations, politics and media in its “period of exile” and has appointed a new “experienced” board to run its administration. The board includes Tim Horton, Renew Adelaide’s Lily Jacobs, independent creative producer Jennifer Greer Holmes, arts administrator Will McCrostie, and Steph Crase of Summer Flake.

“It occurred to us some of our own art practices were suffering; we were thinking too much about our political situation, managing media, funding negotiation that tends to be a drain on creativity,” Mahoney said.

Format has also indicated it is keen to work with the new Hub Adelaide, despite initial outcry over top-down funding of the organisation.

Hub has so far signed up 100 members, offering a half-price discount “start-up” membership until mid-next year to help build its community.

With the $1 million Hub four weeks away from being structurally completed, Premier Jay Weatherill hopes the full quota of 250 members will soon be signed up and using the hub daily.

“It really reflects the attractiveness people find in working in close proximity to one another and collaboration with others with the same ambitions, but different skills,” Weatherill said.

“The Hub gives people the capacity to make connections across the nation and also across the world.”

Businesses include an online business administration service, business coaching for marketing, a pro bono management and strategy adviser, and landscape architects.

Hemisphere Designs founder Stuart Heseltine works in a team of three creating outdoor spaces.

He says they were attracted to Hub because of its “learning potential”.

“The Hub concept promotes eclectic collaboration and problem-solving, in my opinion a prerequisite for any design practice.”

Hemisphere has recently worked with the Kaurna community in Adelaide, and with community groups in South Australia, Victoria and the UK in the area of urban renewal through place management.

Pro Bono Australia’s Doug Jacquier, a former not-for-profit CEO, has worked in hubs interstate and says there is a limit to what can be achieved by phone or online.

“The Hub is a chance to bounce ideas off others, access city working and meeting spaces, and [take part in] events for learning and networking.”

Part of the networking will include a fellowship program, which will sponsor 10 young entrepreneurs aged 18 – 25 to work at the hub and be paired with an experienced professional.

 

 

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