Red Sand - Arts Management

The Melbourne Centre is a community centre housed in a Victorian building in the South of York. Accessible Arts and Cube Media, two local arts agencies specialising in media projects and training for young people and those with disabilities (now merged to form Accessible Arts & Media), took occupancy of the building in 2005 and are now developing plans for major renovation and refurbishment that will transform the centre into an exemplary inclusive community and media training centre for the city.

red sand worked with the two organisations, the project architect and members of the Melbourne Partnership Group to develop a funding bid to the Big Lottery Fund's Community Buildings scheme. This involved consultation with the user groups who currently use the centre and with the local community plus interviews with individuals in key partner organisations and networks. Along with desk research, these interviews ensured that the plans for redevelopment were closely aligned with local, regional and national strategic policies.

In December 2007 the Big Lottery Fund awarded Accessible Arts a development grant to allow the team to further refine renovation plans and submit a stage 2 bid to the Community Building Fund.

Development work will take place in 2008 alongside the preparation of further funding bids.