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And when it comes to art, the gallery or cinema may show you the finished product but the Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres are aiming to be the cellar doors where audiences can see the process, director Joseph Falsone says.
The Ainslie Arts Centre will throw open its doors to all on Friday when it hosts a "multi-arts" party to unveil its $1.5 million renovations.
"While the doors at Ainslie have been open to many hundreds of students and their families it's also true that it's a very well-kept secret," Mr Falsone said.
"It's the former Ainslie Public School and it's often mistaken for a school but its 200 metres from Lonsdale Street and it's a fully-equipped music venue for 200 people.
"The aim is to develop it as a community music hub… if you want to learn, teach or listen to music this will be the place to come.
Mr Falsone said the one-of-a-kind centre was open to all genres of music.
"The pop-up things around town are exciting and a way of increasing the audience for the arts… but these places have been here for 90 years," he said.
"Arts organisations have been at Gorman for 34 years and we intend to be here for decades to come."
The upgrades, the first in decades, include the refurbished 200-seat performance hall at the Ainslie centre and restored 70-seat Ralph Wilson Theatre at Gorman House.
The heritage buildings also feature three sound-proof tuition pods, 30 work stations, artist studios and meeting hubs to make use of the combined 5700 square metre art spaces in the heart of the city.
To coincide with the official opening, the centres are calling for creatives to come forward to use the spaces taking advantage of high-speed broadband, refreshed rooms and other opportunities being part of the collective offers including help with marketing.
Mr Falsone said there were already 40 resident artists and organisations across the two sites, but there was room for more.
"All too often when we think of the arts we think of the isolated artist… but the artists we work with are entrepreneurial and savvy," he said.
"Looking at last year's calendar we had close to 5000 events with workshops and activities over the year, it's already a busy place."
Throughout the year the centres will host a monthly jazz night, mic night featuring local bands produced by CIT students, experimental lunch time concerts each Tuesday with ANU students, poetry slams, theatre and dance productions and more.
One of the centre's resident artists, cellist David Pereira, will present a weekly music event on Sundays.
The launch party at the Ainslie Arts Centre from 6pm on July 10 will feature music, art, food vans, a bar, performers and art installations. Tickets are $20 or $10 for concession.
For more information visit: www.agac.com.au.
