Fremantle theatre company calls for State investment into local arts scene to prevent collapse

A theatre director wants the State Government to invest $125 million into Fremantle’s arts scene to prevent the sector’s collapse.

Fremantle Theatre Company artistic director Renato Fabretti slammed the State Government’s response to the City of Fremantle’s recent vote to find interested buyers for the group’s port city home.

Councillors agreed to enter an expression of interest process for Victoria Hall last month after the FTC’s previous licence to operate there expired and the new licence allowed the property to be sold.

A State Government spokesperson said while there were “multiple streams of investment” into Fremantle’s arts scene already, the building sale was a matter for the local council.

Fabretti is now calling for a five-year plan to support other local performing arts organisations and save the sector from caving in.

“I think in the short term you’re putting people in the arts who are already in traumatic situations and in crisis modes under more pressure,” he said.

“What I’m calling for is $25 million a year for five years that is directed to arts and tourism in Fremantle.”

His call comes the same month that regional performing arts organisations received Government grants of up to $150,000, totalling more than $1.3 million of funding into the arts.

The grants went to 11 groups from Carnarvon to Albany, including $400,000 to Black Swan State Theatre Company which performed ‘Barracking for the Umpire’ across nine regional locations.

Fabretti told PerthNow Fremantle Theatre Company was at the heart of performing arts in an under-pressure industry during COVID — presenting in six cities across WA regions— but had not received any support for its shows to date.

“During COVID, Fremantle Theatre Company put itself right at the centre of things, presenting shows when no one else in the country could produce,” he said.

“We made sure to keep ourselves going when actors got sick, we found ways to give a bit of solidarity, a bit of strength back.

“We also went to three separate regions in WA to present in six cities.”

He claimed the touring grant funding system managed by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural industries favoured organisations that had already been funded.

“The system is set up to support pre-existing leviathans that are already receiving a large share of funding and it doesn’t seem capable of meeting new offers for the community,” he said.

“I think we evidenced that we could do it well.

“We’re very aware of the ecosystem in which the arts benefits three or four other adjacent sectors simply by engaging that traffic in entering a city and getting (people) out of their houses.”

A spokesperson for Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman did not address Fabretti’s call for $125 million but said the State Government made a “significant” investment in the Fremantle arts scene and had started a business case.

“The State Government is developing a business case that assesses the longer-term options for a shared use performing arts venue that meets the needs of the sector in Fremantle,” they said.

“It will align with the Fremantle Harbours Master Plan, planning work being done by the City of Fremantle and plans being developed by the Public Transport Authority.”

The spokesperson said grants from the DLGSC supported touring through two programs and had different levels of expected track record touring, with the Playing WA Multi Year funding program dedicated for organisations with a “strong track record”.

“The other program is Regional Performing Arts, which includes a category called Playing WA,” they said.

“Successfully touring under this program would be the way for a new organisation, such as FTC, to build up its regional touring track record.”