Melbourne’s Palais Theatre announces new GM, first round of community project funding

Live Nation has announced Melbourne’s Palais Theatre’s new general manager as Neil Cox, as well as the full list of recipients of its community fund.

Cox joins from the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch, New Zealand.

As its general manager and chief executive since 2008, he looked after the huge $40 million task of rebuilding the venue and bringing it back to operations after the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes which destroyed most of the city.

Over a 30-year career, Cox worked at EMI in various capacities and also ran his own concert promotions business.

Live Nation Australia CEO Roger Field said of his appointment, “Neil Cox has extensive experience and incredibly strong relationships within venues, promoters and producers across the Australasian industry which will give him a flying start when he takes the reigns at Melbourne’s beloved and iconic Palais Theatre.”

Commenting prior to departing from Christchurch, Cox stated: “The past 10 years at the Isaac Theatre Royal has been extremely varied, massively challenging but ultimately very rewarding.

“Moving from one iconic venue in New Zealand to an equally iconic and historic venue in Melbourne is a challenge that I relish.

“By bringing my vast experience to the role, I hope to ensure that the Palais continues to be one of Melbourne’s premier live entertainment venues providing an unforgettable experience for all that walk through the doors.”

As part of granting Live Nation a 30-year lease of the Palais, the City of Port Phillip also made a deal where the promoter would provide awards, initiatives and ideas to the local community as well as the creative arts such as live music, theatre, film, art, dance, comedy and writing.

The first grants of up to $5,000 of its Palais Theatre Community Fund go to 13 local groups.

The Fund is set to generate approx $100,000 to $120,000 per year into the community, each and every year over the 30-year lease term ($3million to $3.6million over the life of the lease) and is funded via a 50 cent donation from Live Nation for every ticket sold for an event at the Palais.  

The 13 recipients are:

• Artists for Kids’ Culture: an arts and cultural bus for children aged 5-15, the mobile space would engage art practitioners, cultural specialists, social workers and volunteers. Elwood St Kilda Neighbourhood Learning Centre is an artistic project for rooming-house residents.
• City of Lost Souls is a ‘ghost ride’ through the hidden stories of St Kilda and surrounds featuring The Roomers Group – a local rooming-house residents writing group. Part One is a performance collaboration with professional artists and community choirs August 29-31 at Theatre Works. Part Two is a hybrid artwork featuring animation, vox pop and music.
• Gasworks Arts Park will upgrade their Gasworks Theatre speaker system to current technology.
• Linden New Art Inc will redevelop the Linden Workshop to create more opportunities for locals to engage in activities that promote social inclusion and to provide spaces that encourage participation for all ages to learn, discuss and participate in the contemporary art conversation.
• Port Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre (City of Voices Inclusive Theatre Group) will stage its annual production, The Carnival of Shadows, at Midsumma, St Kilda Festival and Port Melbourne Community Carnival.
• Port Melbourne Primary School can now embark on a production at the Palais for the whole school instead of just Year 4 students, as in the past.
• Rawcus Theatre Company Inc, the award-winning theatre ensemble of artists with and without a disability will be able to attend arts and cultural events within the City of Port Phillip.
• Space2b Social Design, a social enterprise supporting newly-arrived migrants and refugees to become financially independent and included in the community, will use the funds to train an emerging and newly-arrived gallery coordinator.
• St Kilda Mums can buy additional cot and mattress sets for disadvantaged families.
• Star Health Group Limited, which works in partnership with people and communities to promote and improve equity, health and wellbeing, can purchase tickets for individuals to attend and be transported to theatre, concerts and plays primarily in City of Port Phillip.
• The Torch which supports indigenous arts in prisons and community programs can now provide storage racks for Indigenous artworks.
• Theatre Works will restore the technical workshop to a state where they can offer a space for companies to build and modify their set pieces.

Reinforcing the floor will also open up Theatre Works to other art forms such as physical theatre and circus.