An idea for a pop-up studio in Bega has caught the interest of local artists and teachers.
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“Bega is in need of a creative epicentre for the public,” curator Cayce Hill said this week.
In a sign of changing times, a two-storey building once filled to the brim with the latest Hollywood VHS and DVD releases on Hill St may soon become full of the next generation of entertainers and creatives.
The need for space to teach her dance classes, daily confrontations with empty Carp St shopfronts and a chat with organisers at the Makers Market in Rixon’s Arcade inspired Ms Hill to investigate Bega’s unused space.
“With places like the new civic centre and plans to change the Indoor Sports Stadium, it’s hard for artists not to ask where our place is in the Bega landscape.
“As a dance teacher, I started looking for a studio space to run my classes, but came across quite a few barriers, to my surprise,” she said.
She said many people are in need of a studio environment in order to increase productivity.
“I think it’s completely unfair that rural regions like the Bega Valley are neglected, that you don’t come to expect the same facilities that you get in the cities, because it’s not for lack of talent,” Ms Hill said.
"Moreover, I think it's important for artists who live in rural areas like we do to stay connected to each other, so combating isolation in the arts community here is a huge focus of the space."
She said the project would not be possible without the help and understanding of the space’s landlord Peter Turner.
“He understands the need for something like this and knows how important it is to the fabric of a healthy, thriving community,” Ms Hill said.
Locally based classically trained ballet dancer Veronica Valderrama is one of the many excited to become involved.
“It is going to be incredible because it has two levels and if you have a bigger space as a student you learn much faster,” she said.
“Many local halls don’t have the facilities students need.”
Amateur theatre company Theatre Onset and local musician Travis Broughton are also among those inspired by the concept.
“It is an opening to create a different kind of culture we don’t have here in Bega,” Mr Broughton said.
“I see it as a potential hub for artistic people to congregate in town and it will be great for high school students.”