Bendigo Creative Industries Hub Study
Client: Creative Victoria
Collaborators: Clare Cousins Architects
Location: Bendigo, VIC
Year: 2016-2017
Delivering on the State’s commitment to regional creativity
Brief
In 2016, Creative Victoria made the commitment in the State’s first creative industries strategy Creative State , to invest in the development of a creative industries hub for Bendigo. A public tender was issued seeking to test and refine this proposal and articulate a model around which it could be delivered under the guidance of a joint Creative Victoria and Regional Development Victoria steering committee.
Approach
Left Bank Co. won the tender to shape the proposition for this hub, with the objective to firstly to take a deep dive into the needs and opportunities of the local creative sector, and secondly, to develop potential functional and operational models that could enable this hub to be delivered. The recommendations delivered to Creative Victoria set out the key priorities for the hub and the best way to progress with the preferred model while working within the constraints of the project budget and governance opportunities.
Impact
The outcomes of this work made clear that the most pressing need for this creative community was the networking, collaboration and professional development opportunities, more so than space or facilities. Creative Victoria went to market for an operator for the hub in early 2018 and a strategic partnership was established with ACMI to oversee a local team who will operate and programme the hub. The hub, now called The Emporium, opened in early 2020.