While the latest annual report shows the beloved Potato Shed continues to play a huge role for the Bellarine community, councillors have warned that it desperately needs funding for upgrades.
The Bellarine Arts Centre, which includes a 200-seat black box theatre, outdoor amphitheatre, studio spaces, rehearsal rooms and classrooms, welcomed 50,250 visitors during 2024-25, including 70 performances, 145 dance classes and11 community functions.
Operated by the City of Greater Geelong under a joint use agreement with Bellarine Secondary College and St Ignatius College, the small arts venue also hosted 875 high school classes and 450 care sessions outside school hours.
The Potato Shed’s Morning Showtime Season also consistently sold out through the last financial year, providing quality entertainment to older audiences and those who struggle to access evening performances.
Councillor Rowan Story, the elected representative of the Potato Shed’s Murradoc Ward, said the venue had operated “at or beyond capacity for over a decade”.
“The redevelopment of the Bellarine Arts Centre is of key importance,” he said.
“It’s not just the parochial aspect…One of the things that happened in COVID was that a lot of the back-of-house and technical support staff in the theatre world in general lost their jobs and went off and did other things.
“One of the things that the Bellarine Arts Centre does, in its relationship with secondary students, is to encourage and introduce them to that sort of world. We will, in the future, be an incubator for these vital members of the creative community.”
The annual report tabled at the council’s December meeting calls for a $36 million investment, which would provide a second larger theatre, improved backstage and technical facilities and additional teaching and learning spaces.
Councillor Eddy Kontelj, chair of the City’s arts and culture, hospitality and live entertainment portfolio, said he would “be standing right beside” Cr Story in his advocacy for funding.
“I think we have to do all that we can to continue to support, develop, promote, grow and of course celebrate our creatives here in Geelong,” he said.
“Not everyone’s built for sport…the creatives, the arts, live entertainment is an extremely strong and valuable (part of) the fabric of Geelong.”
