Potential contestants in the various disciplines for this year’s Royal South Street Society’s competitions have been given tours of the alternative venue, 1870 Founders Hall at Federation University’s Mt Helen campus.
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Royal South Street CEO Brett Macdonald said the conducted tours have gone a long way to alleviate concerns that the hall would not meet the standards required of the performers and of Royal South Street itself.
“We’ve had several groups come through already,” said Mr Macdonald.
“People are understandably nervous, as were the board of South Street. We have had a lot of conversations about what we could do to reassure people, and showing them just how suitable Founders Hall is seemed to be an obvious solution.”
Mr Macdonald said RSSS was willing to conduct tours for other interested parties.
Royal South Street’s traditional home, Her Majesty’s Theatre, is unavailable due to heritage works across 2018, forcing the society to seek an alternate main venue.
The society announced a partnership with Federation University to use the 1870 Founders Hall at their Mt. Helen campus on Monday.
Founders Hall seats up to 670 patrons, has an excellent-sized stage and plentiful dressing and warm up rooms, said Mr Macdonald.
Federation University’s Mt.Helen campus also presents a number of food and beverage options for the RSSS community as well as on campus accommodation for visitors and those competing. Parking is also extensive and conveniently located, the society stated in a release.
Royal South Street CEO Brett Macdonald said Fed Uni have really come to the rescue, and paid tribute to other venue lessees who had made way for the 60-day RSSS tenure.
“Stakeholders such as BLOC Junior have generously made way for us, and are now searching for alternative venues themselves,” he said
Stakeholders such as BLOC Junior have generously made way for us
- Brett Macdonald, RSSS CEO
“Federation University have been amazing, they understood our predicament and have worked swiftly and in the spirit of partnership to make the venue available. They’ve been a true community champion, that’s what we love about Ballarat.”
Founders Hall will be used for the Victorian Band Championships, Festival of Bands and Strings, Choral Contest (TBC), Dance and Calisthenics.
