Paddington Town Hall to be transformed into performing arts venue

The City of Sydney is planning to transform the Paddington Town Hall into a performing arts venue, with a likelihood that the venue will become a new centre for live music.

Generally known as a venue for wedding receptions, school concerts and community events, earlier in its history the Town Hall's main auditorium was a major performance venue.

In the 1960s it hosted hedonistic artists’ balls while in the 1970s and 1980s it hosted such iconic Australian acts as The Saints, Radio Birdman, The Divinyls, The Triffids and Hard-Ons, as well as a number of the Recreational Arts Team’s seminal parties. More recently the hall has been used by events like the Sydney Writers’ Festival, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir and performances by contemporary acts Tame Impala, The Sleepy Jackson and Jack Ladder.

With this past in mind, the city is seeking proposals from venue managers, creative organisations and producers, artists and musicians to transform the building’s main auditorium into a performance space.

In a statement, the City of Sydney explained "while proposals focusing on live music are welcome and encouraged, this opportunity is not just limited to live music.

"The successful proposal could focus on theatre, comedy, cabaret, or any other type of performance.

"Proposals must consider the town hall’s heritage, existing technical infrastructure and backstage (and) as part of this process, we will be consulting with existing organisations, including Chauvel Cinema, Metro Screen, Eastside Radio and Paddington Library, as well as the hall’s regular hirers."

These changes are coming from the City of Sydney's Live Music and Performance Action Plan and the Cultural Policy, both of which back live music and performance so that Council-owned properties are made available as space for performers.

Click here to register at the Tenderlink website in order to view the Expression of Interest and/or to submit a proposal.

19th May 2014 - SYDNEY’S CREATIVE FUTURE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

11th April 2014 - ACTION PLAN FOR LIVE MUSIC IN SYDNEY