Harbour Theatre

This is a long posting, reproduced in it's entirety with permission from  Harbour's President.

PLEASE read it and help if you can. Contact the ITA for more information. I will be sending this letter out to all of the local theatres this weekend.Norma Davis (ITA Secretary)

HARBOUR THEATRE is Fremantle’s only and original community theatre established here in Fremantle in 1963.  Our mission is “to continually provide a high quality and affordable live theatre experience for the community”.  We are staffed entirely by volunteers that includes the actors, directors, board members and the countless other activities which go to make up our theatre family.  Over the past 46 years Harbour Theatre has considerably enhanced the cultural and artistic diversity of Fremantle.  We have produced hundreds of full length plays (5 full productions per year) and countless one act plays that have earned us many prestigious awards in the West Australian community theatre festivals.  Our productions are extremely well attended and we attract approximately 5000 patrons per annum. Our patrons, particularly the elderly, look forward to their outing to the theatre due in part to the accessibility, professionalism and low cost of our productions.   Harbour Theatre web-site is www.harbourtheatre.org.au.
We initially performed in the Evan Davies Library Building (above what is now Dome and the premises of Kulcha) and for 31 years this was our home.  Over the years the theatre grew and grew and in the 1970’s we undertook a major restructuring of the theatre to provide substantially better facilities for both our patrons and actors.  Harbour Theatre has always been self-sufficient - never having relied on or received Government or Council funding for support.  In 1995 we were informed that the building in which we were situated was no longer available and we had to find another venue in which to perform (no alternatives were provided).  For 18 months we produced plays from the Tivoli Theatre in Applecross which entailed building the sets for the plays on the Friday and pulling them down on the Sunday only to be rebuilt the following weekend.  The fact that Harbour Theatre continued to produce plays and attract audiences during this particularly difficult period is testament to the quality and professionalism of our productions.
At the end of 1996 we were able to negotiate a sub-lease with the Fremantle Education Centre to build a theatre in the Princess May Building, the space that we now occupy.  Our members raised the funds to build the raked seating, stage, proscenium arch, install lighting and build storage in the dressing room adjacent to the stage.  We had no support from the Council or government for this project and indeed no support since that time. 
On 31^st December 2007 our sub-lease with the Fremantle Education Centre expired and they have been unwilling to re-negotiate a lease (either short or long) due to (their words) “the question mark over their own tenure due to the ownership of the head lease on the building”.  Since that time we have operated month to month with lease payments (even though we do not have a current lease) amounting to approx $15,000 per annum (one of the highest of any community theatre in WA).  Obviously, this makes it very difficult for Harbour Theatre to make any long term plans with regard to the upgrade of our facilities, premises and stage area or apply for Grants. As we also plan our seasons 12/18 months in advance it also makes it hard to attract new directors/actors as we don’t know whether we will be in the same premises that far ahead.
The background to the lease arrangement is as follows :-
 
The City of Fremantle has a lease over the Princess May precinct from the Dept of Planning and Infrastructure that includes Clancy’s Fish Pub, Film and Television Institute, Princess May Building. The organisations occupying the various premises sub-lease from the City.  In 2007 the DPI requested that the Council surrender the remaining term of their lease to enable the National Trust to take it over.
After many representations to council from Harbour Theatre the following resolution was passed at council meeting on 25^th June 2008 and passed unanimously :-
1.  The National Trust enter into a new 10 year lease with the City of Fremantle under the
     same terms and conditions as the current lease at the same time as the surrender of the
     existing lease; and
2.  The National Trust agree that the City enter into a new sub lease with Film and Television
     Institute for a period expiring on the same date as the City’s head lease and under the
     previous terms and conditions including peppercorn rental;
3.  All other existing lease arrangements be honoured by the National Trust;
4. The CEO secure a lease for Harbour Theatre under the same terms and conditions as FTI
This resolution was well reported in the local media.
At the council meeting on 27^th August 2008 the minutes state that the National Trust had rejected the proposal and the matter had been deferred until the City of Fremantle undertook a condition audit of the buildings concerned. Since that time we have no contact from the City of Fremantle regarding the matter of the lease.  
 
Fremantle Education Centre have now informed us that they applied for and received a grant (supported by the DPI and the National Trust) of $1.48M to renovate the ground floor of the Princess May Building and have offered to assist us “transition” (we assume this means move).  Obviously, this could spell the death knell for Harbour Theatre unless a community-minded organisation or the council can provide alternative, affordable premises as well as the man-power to physically relocate/remove the complete theatre and fixings from the Princess May Building.
We are now requesting your help as a member of the community theatre family in Western Australia, in our endeavours to remain in the Princess May Building or find other suitable, affordable premises within Fremantle. 
We have enclosed a letter that we would appreciate you signing and sending to the City of Fremantle as a statement of your support.  It is only through a collective effort by the community that we have entertained for over 46 years that will see Harbour Theatre continue.
If you love coming to see the shows we produce - if you think community theatre has an important role to play in the cultural diversity of the City of Fremantle - if coming to the theatre is an important part of your entertainment calendar and if you don’t want to see the demise of Fremantle’s only and original community theatre then you need to sign and send this letter as tangible measure of your support of your theatre.
If you wish to discuss any of the matters raised in this letter please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned on 9316 8751 (evening) or via email at nbond@westnet.com.au.
We look forward to your kind support.
Nicola J Bond (Presiden)t