Immersive arts education is mistakenly characterised as the purview of big cities. Those much-reviled latte-sippers and their highfalutin ways have supposedly sucked all the available culture down their greedy cosmopolitan gullets, leaving nary a drop for the idyllic townships dotted between the capitals. Challenging this rather offensive stereotype is a city, and a venue, unlike any other.
Port Macquarie is more than just your typical pretty beach town. It sits in the customary clear blue waters and even clearer, blue skies of any fantasy holiday destination, though here the sun-seekers look beyond the fish and chip shop – just a block from the waterfront – for altogether more nourishing fare. Not to disparage the high-class dining peppered throughout the picturesque town, but with a venue like The Glasshouse culture is the main item on the menu.
The Glasshouse’s chic modern facade mimics the flow of the waterfront and reflects the lively CBD around it, but the award-winning building is quite literally steeped in history. Its lower levels house foundations from another time: the preserved remains of convict overseer William Branch’s cottage; one of the earliest buildings in one of the first colonial settlements in Australia. The brutality of early Port Macquarie life seems at odds with such a beautiful setting, where so many culturally important heritage sites were built by the blood and sweat of convicts. This burgeoning city has a newer, better raison d’être nowadays: arts, and plenty of them.
Busloads of students from the Port Macquarie-Hastings area used to have to make special trips to Sydney or Melbourne to see shows and exhibitions: both a physical and mental distance to be traversed. Fortunately this is no longer the case, with Port Macquarie fast becoming a premier arts centre for the surrounding regions and serving as a bright reminder to the community that can be found art anywhere we make space for it. Dedicated to bringing high-quality cultural entertainment to the region since 2009, a million people have passed through the doors of this all-in-one arts venue. Boasting world-class touring shows and local initiatives, the venue attracts visitors hungry for creative education for young and old.
Central to the community both in location and spirit, The Glasshouse keeps 920 members engaged and entertained with early access to bookings and discounted tickets. It’s not uncommon for folk to travel a few hours to make a night of it at The Glasshouse, booking a local hotel and soaking in the convivial atmosphere of a small city in its prime. Whatever their disparate passions, whole families can now enjoy some of the finest arts around just a few hours from home, whether it’s The Octonauts Live or The Archibald Prize.
Wandering the galleries and assorted spaces of the centre, youngsters will find a new hands-on art experience around every corner thanks to the Glasshouse Sprouts program. A whopping 32,000 students have experienced a new kind of arts education since the programs began. Here kids can learn not only to appreciate the arts, but how they can become part of the industry, discovering pathways into a new world without having to leave home ground.
Parents aren’t neglected when it comes to culture and education: whether its song and dance they seek (such as Opera Australia, Bangarra Dance Company or The Glenn Miller Orchestra) or theatre (Bell Shakespeare, Circus Oz, and more). For the visually-inclined, curators and the artists themselves regularly take groups on wine-quaffing talking tours of the latest exhibitions, providing the kind of personal context and insight a Sydneysider could only dream of. And if they’d rather get their hands dirty, Craft Spot @ The Gallery provides professional tutoring from artists and craftspeople in the various unusual disciplines exhibited onsite.
A bustling tourist hub, Port Macquarie plays host to more than just dinosaurs and immersive art classes. In early May this year the Ironman Australia Triathlon event made its home among the galleries, Glasshouse lending its space to swarms of peak performance athletes, fans and sponsors. The venue also boasts an elite function centre, hosting everything from tradeshows to wedding receptions. The palatial theatre complex boasts 594 seats over two levels, all crimson upholstery and blonde wood. This is the only proscenium arch theatre of its kind on the mid-north NSW coast, and as such attracts top-level performing arts talent. Carl Barron recently completed a sold-out six show run, and the stage has been graced by Australian luminaries like Paul Kelly, Jessica Mauboy and Chet Faker.
As the winter months draw close it’s the perfect time to plan some indoor activities for school holidays, so check out their comprehensive events calendar and book tickets early. Port Macquarie is a 4-hour drive North of Sydney or a 1-hour flight from Sydney and Brisbane with connections to the rest of Australia. A range of accommodation is available close by, from boutique eco experiences and apartments at Rydges to 4.5 star luxury hotels like the Observatory, all just a stroll away from the hip cafes, hatted restaurants and elegant wine bars of this cosmopolitan coastal gem.
To plan your visit, head to www.glasshouse.org.au and www.portmacquarieinfo.com.au
