Indie arts spaces defy COVID gloom

From Canberra to East Gippsland, the indie theatre sector shows no sign of calling it quits.

An independent theatre relocating from Footscray to East Gippsland; a temporary performing arts space opening in Melbourne’s inner north; and a Canberra theatre revealing its debut program are all signs that the sector refuses to be cowed by COVID-19.

In Brunswick, in Melbourne’s inner north, a new temporary performing arts theatre named The Citizens Theatre is opening thanks to a partnership between These Are The Projects We Do Together (Testing Grounds, Siteworks, TwoSixty) and The Liminal Space.

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts