News

$5M gift secures Griffin’s future in Kings Cross

The largest philanthropic gift in Griffin Theatre Company’s history has enabled the company to purchase its home at the SBW Stables Theatre outright.

15 Aug 2022 14:08

Richard Watts

Performing Arts

‘This gift from the Neilson Foundation is a game changer,’ said Griffin Chair Bruce Meagher. Pictured are the crowd at Griffin’s 2020 season launch. Photo: Ken Leanfore.

A $5 million gift from The Neilson Foundation has enabled Griffin Theatre Company to purchase its current home, the SBW Stables Theatre, securing the company’s future in Kings Cross.

The multi-million dollar donation is the largest single philanthropic gift in Griffin’s 42-year history, and follows two earlier gifts of $50,000 each, made to Griffin by the Neilsons after the theatre was hit by COVID lockdowns in 2020.

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Richard Watts

Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts