Artsembly Puts Art in a Box

An initiative of non-for-profit organisation ArtSembly, the movable venue will deliver a “unique and architectural theatre space for South Australia” according to ArtSembly board member Peta-Anne Louth.

The project has been a long awaited reality – the idea emerging more than three years ago as a conversation among friends. “We wondered how we could showcase South Australian theatre in a new way,” Louth says.

The state has a well-established history of unique and innovative theatre and arts productions, as evidenced by acclaimed local companies such as Windmill Theatre Co and Australian Dance Theatre. ArtBox answers a need to present small-to medium productions in a new and engaging space. As South Australia is so innately identified as a festival city, there are also greater opportunities for the mobile venue to be used in annual events such as Fringe and OzAsia.

ArtBox is unique in its ability to provide a “complete event solution”, says Anthony Balsamo, a board member of ArtSembly.

The venue has a capacity to host a number of different events beyond live theatre, including conferences, cabaret dinners, expos and festival events, and has the ability to accommodate more than 200 people. Developed in partnership with local business Specialised Event Solutions, the 16.8m x 12m module promises to be an art, culture and design offering.

Thanks to advanced technological materials, it can have a fully printed exterior skin that will enable it to have many visual identities depending on its use.

As a demonstration of the strength of the state’s ability to work in partnership because of its scale, it is a vehicle to show how businesses can build long lasting and high quality relationships through collaborative initiatives and have art and design at the heart of this discussion. The construction of the concept, which has been in production over the last month, has engaged manufacturers and specialists from a number of local businesses, further supporting the state-driven ethos of the project.

It is an opportunity to stimulate dialogue on the value and offering of design into other parts of culture such as theatre and arts festivals like the Fringe. Cleverly, ArtBox will create a valuable street presence and a platform (both physically and socially) for a rigorous and thoughtful dialogue on the exposure of South Australian art and design during this month’s Open State.

ArtBox will debut as a temporary ‘hub’ for Open State (Tuesday, October 18 to Thursday, October 27), and will be situated prominently on North Terrace.

artbox.org.au