Celebrating 40 years of showbiz with West Gippsland Arts Centre
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Published on 17 February 2023
To kick off a bumper 2023 showstopping season, West Gippsland Arts Centre invites friends and families across Baw Baw Shire to an Open Day event and belated 40th birthday celebration, featuring free activities for the kids, backstage tours, live entertainment and yes, there will be cake!
Held on Sunday, 26 February, the day’s festivities will begin in the forecourt of the iconic West Gippsland Arts Centre (WGAC) from 11am, with live music by local musicians as well as behind the scenes’ tours of the venue, rehearsal sneak peeks of upcoming shows and a series of interactive workshops for the little ones.
For a full program of events scheduled for the Open Day as it is confirmed, please visit West Gippsland Arts Centre’s website.
This state-of-the-art facility has been a landmark community venue since its construction in the early 1970s and has officially been operating as West Gippsland Arts Centre since July 1982. Since then, the venue has undergone a significant $13.4 million redevelopment project in 2017 that saw the facility refurbished and expanded to better serve the needs of the local creative community.
Having officially turned 40 last July, anniversary celebrations were put on hold to maximise celebrations on the forecourt in line with the warmer weather and coincide with the 2023 season launch.
Since its reopening to full capacity, WGAC doesn’t appear to be slowing down. The venue has recently played host to a number of near packed-out music and comedy shows, including Noiseworks performance last week and upcoming performances featuring the comedy duo of Lano & Woodley on the 24 February, and Ross Wilson’s celebration of ‘Eagle Rock’ on 5 March.
Don’t just take our word for it! The WGAC was also recognised as one of Victoria’s top 10 regional theatres by the RACV.
West Gippsland Arts Centre prides itself as being a community space that offers something for everyone. The best way to keep across new shows, exhibitions and special events is through a WGAC membership. There are a range of packages to explore, offering discounted and exclusive bookings, newsletters and regular members-only events suited to suit all budgets
Quote attributable to Mayor Cr Annemarie McCabe “For 40 years, visitors from every corner of the state have walked through the doors of the West Gippsland Arts Centre to experience incredible shows, see the iconic exhibitions and utilise the quality function spaces on offer at the venue.
Celebrating this incredible milestone recognises the value of our Arts Centre and reminds us how fortunate we are to have the region's leading performing arts and cultural spaces right here in Warragul.
I hope you can join us at the Open Day event and to find out more about what’s in store for this iconic venue in 2023!”