Gasworks Creative Precinct Annual Report 2025
CONTENTS CHAIR'S REPORT 3 TRESURER'S REPORT 4 CEO'S REPORT 5 VISION & MISSION 6 NEW STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK 7 PROGRAMMING STRATEGY & VALUES
8
REBRAND 9-10 A VIBRANT CREATIVE PRECINCT 11 SORRENTO WRITERS FESTIVAL @ GASWORKS WITH AVENUE BOOKSTORE
12
PATHWAYS @ GASWORKS 13 OUTDOOR EVENTS 14 SEASONS IN THE GLADE 15 MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL 17 MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL 18 EXHIBITIONS 19 KIDS HOLIDAY 22 COMMUNITY CLASSES 23 RESIDENT ARTIST 24 VENUE UPDATES 26-27 THE PEOPLE OF GASWORKS 28 AUDITED ACCOUNTS 2025 29-41
2
CHAIR'S REPORT Visitors to Gasworks during 2025 found a precinct transforming, inside, outside and online. We are proud to present this annual report, which chronicles many of the significant shifts, under our new brand.
focused future. New seasonal programming, free community events and new partnerships have brought tremendous joy and energy to Gasworks Creative Precinct.
The board’s primary tasks for 2025 were to search for a new creative leader for Gasworks, and together with them, to refine our 2025-2028 Strategic Plan. We were utterly delighted to engage Sam Strong, one of Australia’s preeminent arts leaders. It has been our pleasure to collaborate with Sam and the team, in supporting initiatives designed to unleash the potential of Gasworks for local creative communities.
I extend a big thank you to my astute and caring board colleagues for their generous commitment to Gasworks. This year was particularly demanding for those in the leadership search and selection, strategic planning, and finance committees. The quality of work has been excellent. Thank you also to leaving board member, Benjamin Skepper, for his service and support.
Our particular thanks to the team for embracing new possibilities under Sam’s leadership, and for their ingenuity in finding ways to implement an ambitious change program within the constraints of our budget. The break-even result was pleasing. Concurrently, the City of Port Phillip’s Gasworks Park upgrade significantly enhanced the beauty and function of the park through new landscape design, thousands of new native plantings, new infrastructure and five new sculptures by resident artists. Seeing local people enjoying the renewal has been a fine reward for the Board’s advocacy for a more ambitious, creative and community-participation
We are forever grateful for the vision of Gasworks Foundation board members and for our wonderful donors, whose contributions elevate our strategic and creative courage. Finally, the ongoing support from our muchappreciated key funding partner, City of Port Phillip, has underpinned our ability to pursue the changes outlined in this report. We thank Council and Councillors for their trust in Gasworks as a community-led endeavour. Come and find creativity your way at Gasworks. We look forward to welcoming you.
Philippa Devine, Chair
3 Image: Nick Manuel
TREASURER'S REPORT Despite a year of change and repositioning at Gasworks, the financial story is a reassuring one. A rebrand, the park redevelopment, and a new approach to events and partnerships all came with intentional investment and some disruption to the park, and yet the organisation closed the year with a surplus of $1,094, a turnaround from the $73,158 deficit in 2024. Total income for the year was $1,838,804, up 6% on 2024. Growth was driven by venue hire, up 19% on strong theatre demand, and ticket sales, up 23% driven by highlights like Kitty Flanagan's It's Whiteboard O'Clock and new partnerships such as the Sorrento Writers Festival. These gains were partly offset by reduced gallery hires, and an 18% fall in Farmers Market stall hire on the prior year as the park redevelopment impacted the available space. Total expenditure was $1,837,710, up just over 1% on 2024. Production costs rose 88%, largely reflecting artist and show royalties, offset by a 46% reduction in contractor costs. Other cost lines were broadly in line with prior year, reflecting a strong level of cost discipline.
I'm grateful to have continued serving on the Board this past year, and especially pleased to see Gasworks maintain financial stability in a year of such transformation. That result doesn't happen by accident and it takes discipline and leadership through a lot of change, so I'd like to thank Sam Strong for leading Gasworks through its reinvention while keeping the organisation financially sound. Thank you also to Finance Manager Lachlan Keys and Finance Officer Kris Andrews for their diligent financial management, and to the Finance Committee for their ongoing guidance. Looking ahead, I'm excited to see Gasworks continue to embed itself as a creative precinct at the heart of this community, and to see what the next year brings. Sarah Petty Treasurer
4 Image: Nick Manuel
CEO'S REPORT 2025 was a year of change at Gasworks – a new name, a new strategy, a new brand, a new foyer, a new programming rhythm, a new upgraded park, new partnerships, new artforms, and new events. This report will capture that change. It will set out the shift from Arts Park to Creative Precinct, the new vision to be a home for creativity, new collaborations like that with Sorrento Writers Festival and Avenue Bookstore, and the launching of the first of our quarterly seasons and blockbuster Seasons in the Glade events. At the same time, this report will also catalogue business as usual. In 2025 Gasworks did a lot of what it has always done best. This includes the creation of pathways for artists and artworks, like Kitty Flanagan’s record breaking It’s Whiteboard O’Clock, or the long-running Queer Playwriting Award Showcase. It also includes: the curation of a vibrant hub during Festivals like Midsumma or Fringe; the provision of a safe and creative space for families (especially during school holidays); and an extensive range of visual art exhibitions (such as the immersive delight Obscuratorium, by resident artists Kitty Calvert).
This balance of old and new is fitting. Because while some of the changes might look and feel very new, they are in fact a return to the spirit with which Gasworks was founded nearly 40 years ago. Our points of difference have always been our range of spaces, our range of artforms, and our range of activities. Most importantly, we have always connected the community with creativity. Gasworks was giving people the chance to actively participate in arts and culture well before that idea became the future of the creative industries. A huge thank you to all the people who gave so much to make Gasworks what it was in 2025, from the Gasworks Arts Inc Board (superbly led by Philippa Devine), to the Gasworks Foundation Board (superbly led by James McCaughey), to everyone at the City of Port Phillip, to all the Gasworks Staff, to everyone who made Gasworks their home for creativity. Sam Strong Creative Director and CEO
5 Image: Emily Hunger
VISION:
A home for creativity
MISSION: To cultivate a vital creative precinct where communities gather for connection, belonging, and to experience the transformative effects of art, nature, and culture.
Image: Gasworks Creative Precinct
6
NEW STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK In 2025, Gasworks re-imagined our organisational strategy, our programming strategy and our values. Galvanising around the vision of being a home for creativity, this new strategic framework connects our groundbreaking past with an ambitious future. Its key elements are summarised below.
STRATEGIC GOALS 1. A precinct of gathering, connection, and belonging To cultivate a welcoming gathering place where connected experiences activate our creative precinct and natural environment, fostering a sense of belonging for all people. 1.1 Putting First Peoples First 1.2 Cultivating a Natural Sanctuary of Creative Experiences 1.3 Activating our Precinct 1.4 Contributing to our Community's Wellbeing 1.5 Improving our Precinct and Place
2. A Thriving Organisation To develop a well governed, healthy and financially sustainable organisation that grows its capacity, capability and its people, enabling goals and strategies to be achieved and exceeded, valuing creativity and inclusivity. 2.1 Valuing Our People and Investing in their Skills and Wellbeing 2.2 Increasing the Capacity of our Organisation 2.3 Ensuring strong Board Governance and Development 2.4 Ensuring strong Financial Risk Managment 2.5 Improving Financial and Cultural Impact Reporting 2.6 Investing in Assets, Infrastructure, Systems and Sustainability
3. Where creativity transforms communities To enrich community and promote meaningful engagement through the transformative power of people-centred creative arts programming, participation, and practice. 3.1 Connecting People, Place, Community and Identity 3.2 Growing Participation and Audiences 3.3 Supporting Creative Practice and Pathways 3.4 Extending Partnerships and Collaboration 3.5 Expanding our Community of Support
7
PROGRAMMING STRATEGY PRIORITIES 1. Increased engagement with place, including the centring of local people, local relationships and local storytelling 2. Increased participation, including projects that engage communities in the act of creativity 3. Increased activation of our creative precinct, including through multi-art-form collaborations
VALUES Community Minded
Respectful
We foster connections, a sense of belonging, and embrace local and wider communities
We listen, we are compassionate, and we consider all ideas and viewpoints
Collaborative
Generous
We pride ourselves on our teamwork, our collegiate approach, and our partnerships
We are warm, open, and enthusiastic
Accessible
Professional
We welcome everyone and strive to be inclusive and diverse
We are honest, accountable, and ambitious in our standards
8
REBRAND In 2025, Gasworks partnered with Koto for a rebrand, marking a vital evolution in how we represent our precinct, our community, and our vision. The starting point for this reimagining was a change in name — from Gasworks Arts Park to Gasworks Creative Precinct. This shift better reflected our new vision and our unique breadth of artforms, activities and areas. Alongside the name change, we introduced a new visual identity, including a brand narrative, logo, mascot and colour palette (see below for examples). The new design is contemporary, flexible, and more reflective of the energy and diversity of the precinct. It positions us for the future and strengthens our visibility across digital and physical platforms, whilst providing a cohesive framework for communications, marketing, and partnerships.
Brand Narrative Gasworks has many rooms, windows and thresholds. Each one drawing you in to make, watch, and linger.
Wordmark/Logo Our wordmark is our primary brand element. It encompasses the notion of ‘Creativity Your Way’ through the use of winding line work that connects various characters and goes slightly off piste to allude to the sense of wandering and discovery. It’s also a subtle nod to our industrial heritage.
Monogram
Mascot Meet our new mascot, Spark. They're a dog unafraid to get their paws dirty and jump into new creative experiences. They are created from the same winding linework that we find throughout our brand, and subtly contain our ‘gw’ initials in the linework of their eyes and mouth.
A painter leaves the door ajar, colour spilling onto the footpath. Music drifts from the theatre to the foyer. Clay dust blows from a studio to the playground. A writer’s festival one weekend, contemporary dance the next. Here, nothing stays in its lane, because Gasworks was built for detours. Where you’ll happily bump into artists, neighbours and friends--some on two legs, some on four. Where works-in-progress sit alongside wellrehearsed shows. Masters experiment. First-timers take the stage.
Colour Pallete
And somehow, no single voice drowns another, everyone is heard. Whether you’re stepping in as a maker, a neighbour, or a first-time visitor, you have a place here. Every path is an invitation into creativity. Held, shaped, and shared. Creativity your way
9
ARTS CRAFTS THEATRES GALLERIES STUDIOS MARKETS EVENTS EATS WOOFS
10
A VIBRANT CREATIVE PRECINCT In 2025, Gasworks was a home for creativity for nearly 75,000 people. Our entire precinct was taken over by an incredibly diverse range of artforms and activities:
232
74,433
Performances across theatre, music, dance, circus, puppetry, physical theatre, cabaret, and comedy
Attendance throughout the year
20
12
Kids Workshops
Farmers' Markets
560
12
Creative Classes
Visual Art Exhibitions
Image 1: Tender, Midsumma Festival, credit: Suzanne Balding Image 2: Tender, Midsumma Festival, credit: Suzanne Balding
53
1
Community Functions
New Literary Event
Image 3: Keep in Touch, Exhibition opening, credit: Moon Nguyen Image 4 credit: Nick Manuel
11
SORRENTO WRITERS FESTIVAL @ GASWORKS WITH AVENUE BOOKSTORE In December 2025 Gasworks added literature and ideas to our program through a partnership with Sorrento Writers Festival and local institution Avenue Bookstore. The inaugural event, Sorrento Writers Festival Director Corrie Perkin in conversation with Don Watson about his new book The Shortest History of the United States of America, sold out our main theatre on 6 December 2025
12
PATHWAYS @ GASWORKS In 2025 Gasworks consolidated its reputation as a home of pathways for artists, artworks and arts-workers. Artistic Development Programs included:
Premiere at Gasworks
Gasworks Circus Showcase
Premiere is an initiative designed to support independent Melbourne-based creatives in staging their original productions for the first time. Citizen Theatre’s Ripening, which was developed through the program in 2024, had its successful world premiere in the Studio Theatre in June 2025.
Gasworks Circus Showcase is one of the only opportunities of its kind in Victoria. We provide a platform for circus performers to develop innovative acts for presentation, culminating in an on-stage showcase in front of a live audience, with feedback from industry experts. The 2025 Showcase on 3 May featured: On Then and Now by Split Focus, The Awakening by Oddity and Grace Duo, Step One of Five by Cahedron Project and Luminous Beginnings by Luminous Beings.
Small Gems The Small Gems performing arts producing consortium brings together Melbourne partners to co-produce new Australian work. In 2025 Gasworks, Burrinja Cultural Centre, and Kingston Arts collaborated on a call out to identify works to develop and stage in 2026.
Queer Playwriting Award Showcase (QPAS) A partnership between Gasworks and Midsumma Festival, QPAS champions new queer talent and stories through a call-out, shortlisting by industry experts, a public reading, and an award. In 2025, the finalists were Norm Things by Jorja Bentley, Much to do with Love but more to do with Love by Danish Sheikh, White Christmas by Courtney Cavallaro, and Abi is Missing by Sarah Bell. The winner was Danish Sheikh’s Much to do with love but more to do with Love.
Gasworks Script Lab This free, immersive playwriting development program is presented in partnership with Melbourne Writers’ Theatre at Gasworks. In 2025, 8 experienced and 10 emerging applicants were shortlisted from an expression of interest and their works developed through to a series of public showcases from July to October.
Ripening, Citizen Theatre, Premier at Gasworks, Image: Olivia Morrison
13
OUTDOOR EVENTS Concerts In the Park
Open House Melbourne
In 2025, Gasworks continued its outdoor music series set beneath the lush canopy of the Gasworks Glade. The 2025 Season included indie pop icon Angie Hart on 25 January 2025 and Ali McGregor on 22 February 2025.
For the seventh year Gasworks opened its doors (and its spaces) as part of Open House Melbourne. Activities included open Artist Studios and free drop-in workshops designed for all levels of art-making experience.
Gasworks Farmers’ Market Gasworks Farmers’ Market is a free, inclusive gathering that celebrates high-quality organic produce and the people behind it. Alongside fresh, seasonal goods, the market’s vibrant community atmosphere is brought to life by local buskers and pop-up performances. Visitors are also invited to explore our resident artist studios, open during the market, offering a glimpse into the creative practices that shape the precinct. Sustainability remains at the heart of the market, with a continued commitment to a noplastic-bag policy and ongoing collaboration with stallholders to expand reuse and recycling options across their products.
14
SEASONS IN THE GLADE (Formerly Summer in the Glade)
From January to April 2025, Summer in The Glade was a monthly family-friendly free event from 5 PM to 9 PM featuring arts, crafts, food, drinks, and live music. From December 2025, the program was expanded into a new quarterly series of destination events: Seasons in the Glade. The first of these, Summer in the Glade: Carols, took place on 8 December 2025. This featured an expanded format including 15 open artist studios, 5 food trucks, a 70-stall arts and craft market through
a partnership with Rose Street Artists Markets, and kids activities for hundreds of children in our main theatre. At the centre of the event was a community Christmas Carols on an outdoor stage, created in partnership with Lakeside Community Carols. The whole event was attended by over 2000 community members and set the blueprint for future Seasons in the Glade events.
Image: Emily Hunger
Image: Nick Manuell
Image: Naomi Tsiglopoulos
Image: Emily Hunger
15
GASWORKS SEASON Prior to December 2025, Moving Parts was the name given to Gasworks’ curated season of theatre, circus and music—showcasing outstanding new work from Australian and Victorian artists Performances in 2025:
• The Waiting Room by Born in a Taxi 12-15 February, 2025
• Pursuing Pleasure by Piera Dennerstein 7-8 March, 2025
• Radiohead for Solo Piano ll by Josh Cohen 13-15 March, 2025
• Sing for Your Supra by Citizen Theatre 5 April, 2025
• It’s Whiteboard O’ Clock (Work in Progress Show) by Kitty Flanagan 19 May - 7 June, 2025
• Ripening
by Citizen Theatre (Developed through Premiere) 28 - 31 May, 2025
• Touch
by Chandralaya and Rebel Stepz Arts 6 September, 2025
• Eat, Pray Walk by Marcus Ryan 17 April, 2025
• Primal
by Highwire Entertainment 6 - 10 May, 2025
Image: It's Whiteboard O'clock, Kitty Flanagan, 2025, credit: courtesy of A-list Entertainment Image: Radiohead for Solo Piano ll, Josh Cohen, 2025, credit: Frankie Casillo
16
MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL For three weeks across January and February, Gasworks served as a vibrant multi-arts hub for Midsumma Festival. The precinct came alive with a dynamic program celebrating and centring queer artists and communities. 2025 Midsumma events included:
• Queer Playwriting Award Showcase
by Gasworks & Midsumma Festival 20 January
• Tender
by Cirque X 29 January - 8 February
• Day For It
by Lindstedt & Davies 4-8 February
• Small Acts of Resistance by Women's Circus 5-8 February
• The Queer Kingdom (a staged reading) by Tom Ballard 8 February
Small Acts of Resistance, 2025, credit Alexis D-Lea
17
MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL In 2025 Gasworks was once again a heaving southside hub during Melbourne Fringe, platforming emerging and established artists in our theatre and gallery spaces, and drawing audiences to a dynamic season of independent work. Fringe 2025 included: • Magic Noir
by Mr Marmalade Magic & Becky Bubble 30 September - 4 October, 2025
• Now You See Me
by NICA 30 September - 4 October, 2025
• Super Science Show
by The Scientwits 30 September - 4 October, 2025
• The Flute Revamped
METRO, PAK Productions, credit: @aartichoke_studios
by Melanie Waters 7-11 October, 2025
• Metro
by APK Productions 7-11 October, 2025
• La Folie After Dark by La Folie 7-11 October, 2025
• Caminare - The Echo of my Steps by Mario Acosta-Cevallos 7-11 October, 2025
Now you See Me, NICA, credit: Cameron Grant, Parenthesy
• Tiny Doctors: Happy Lab
by Sarah Bowers & Hamish Pickering 9-11 October, 2025
• Space Pirates
by Kat Glass Creative 7-11 October, 2025
Magic Noir, credit: Mad Dame Art
18
EXHIBITIONS Exhibitions across the Gasworks galleries offered a platform for community inclusion and creative expression. Our Visual Arts team worked closely with a diverse range of artists, supporting the professional presentation of their work. Spanning a variety of mediums, the program reflected the breadth of contemporary practice and the many voices that shape the precinct
• Obscuratorium
Kitty Calvert and Robert Earp 10 March - 6 April, 2025
• Where Shadows Dance Hannah Grace 1 April - 4 May, 2025
• Land and Flowers Sarah Hankinson 2 - 22 June, 2025
• Seven
Linda Condon, Sara Curtain, Jane Curtain, Dianne Gameson, Phin Murphy, Ann Stinton 14 - 27 July, 2025
• Keep in Touch
Louise Samuelsson, Sam Kariotis, Alana Davis, Anselma Forlano, Amelia Dowling, Sydney Sydney 20 September - 2 November, 2025
• Clarendon Children's Center Annual Fundraiser Exhibition 17 - 31 November, 2025
• Colourscapes
Di Hilyear 27 October - 16 November, 2025
• Hidden Myths
Eduard Ingles 1 December, 2025 - 18 January, 2026
• Dreaming Places and Transit Times Andrew Pearson 23 June -13 July, 2025
• Homage to Nature
Susan Brown 28 July - 10 August, 2025
• Conversations
Linden Dean 4 - 31 August, 2025
• H.A.I.ku
Leanne Poole 11 - 31 August, 2025
• Emerald Hill Art Group Annual Exhibition 1 - 21 September, 2025
Dreaming Places and Transit Times, Andrew Pearson, 2025, photo courtesy of the artist,
19
Obscuratorium
Kitty Calvert and Robert Earp 10 March - 6 April, 2025 "At the heart of the OBSCURATORIUM are
Calvert’s striking sculptures, crafted from forgotten objects... while Robert Earp, known for his evocative photography, takes these sculptures into new territory” - FORTE Magazito
20
Keep in Touch
30 September - 2 November Louise Samuelsson is a former short-term resident artist (2022) and a City of Port Phillip local. She received the City of Port Phillip Cultural Development fund to curate a group exhibition and run public programming in the gallery at Gasworks. The project shone a light on the loneliness epidemic, emphasising how we struggle
Image 1: Keep in Touch, Social Dinner Documentation, 2025, credit: Raagini Ram Image 2: Keep in Touch, Exhibition Documentation, 2025, credit: Louise Samuelsson Image 3: Keep in Touch, Exhibition Opening, 2025, credit Moon Nguyen
21
Image: Keep in Touch, Exhibition Opening, 2025, credit Moon Ngyuen
KIDS HOLIDAY PROGRAM The Gasworks Kids Holiday Program offers creative, hands-on experiences for children aged 4-14. Delivered quarterly, the program brings together a diverse mix of workshops and events led by skilled artists and performers, designed to spark imagination, curiosity and learning.
Workshops in 2025 included:
• Coppersmithing by Ben Storch
• Fencing with Chris
• Raccoon Hot Cho Winter Painting by ARTea Art School
• Seaside Mosaic Clay Tile by ARTea Art School
• Chemical Capers Workshop by Fizzics
• Yarn Sweater Cats by ARTea Art School
• Collage Art by Elyas Alavi
• Illustrate Otters by ARTea Art School
• Melody Makers
by Merinda Dias-Jayasinha
• Butterfly Clay
by ARTea Art School
• Cardboard Skateboard Sculptures by ARTea Art School
• Dance & Movement from Around the World by Rebel Stepz
Coppersmithing with Ben Storch, credit: Raagini Ram
22
COMMUNITY CLASSES Creative classes in the Gasworks Access Spaces welcomed a diverse community, offering opportunities to engage across performing arts, visual arts, and health and wellbeing. The program featured workshops spanning the following areas: • Kids Arts and Craft • Painting workshops • Ceramics workshops • Photography • Dance Classes • Jewellery Making • Life Drawing • Pilates, yoga, and tailored senior movement therapies.
23
RESIDENT ARTIST COMMUNITY Resident Artists
Sculpture Studio
Gasworks is home to 15 resident artists working across visual arts, sculpture, ceramics and music. Grounded in a commitment to inclusion and community ownership, the residency program is at the heart of our creative precinct. Resident Artists actively contribute to life at Gasworks, collaborating to deliver precinct activations, accessible tours, workshops and creative activities for the community.
Benjamin Storch
Short Term Residencies
Visual Arts
The Gasworks Studio Residency program is a professional development opportunity to incubate new projects during a 3-month residency on site. The residency enables the development of studio practice, collaboration and creative exchange, in addition to mentoring and career guidance from Gasworks staff.
Robbie Harmsworth
John Meade Fiona Abicare Jonathan Leahey David Getty
Tricia Sabey Julia Brampton & Phill Calvert Liz Milsom
Visual Arts Short-term (Fe –Apr) Pam O’Neil (May-Jul) Jae Laffer (Aug-Oct) Leo Bagus Purnomo
Ceramics Kris Coad Cinda Manins Sasha Heath
Small Sculpture Short-term (May-Jul) Veronica Pena (Aug-Oct) Rachel Wheeler (Nov-Jan) Jennifer Oh
Showcase Studio Lucy Rash - musician & composer Short-term Residency Studio, credit Raagini Ram
24
1. Jumping for Joy, 2025, Ben Storch 2. The Gathering, 2025, Kris Coad 3. Pods, 2025, Jonathan Leahey 4. Contemplation Spot, 2025, Kitty Calvert
25
VENUE UPDATES Theatre Drapes Upgrade The Main Theatre benefited from the installation of new drapes, improving the experience of rehearsals and performances for artists and audiences.
Energy Efficiency Initiatives We invested in ten new LED lighting fixtures for the Main Theatre and high-efficiency LED lights for the Ceramics Studio. The adoption of LED technology increases the quality and lifespan of the lighting and reduces electricity consumption and maintenance. Such changes are in line with our long-term environmental objectives and are expected to contribute to a measurable reduction in our carbon footprint.
Image: Gasworks Theatre by Nick Manuell
Technical Equipment Upgrades The acquisition of new lighting equipment is part of our wider strategy to modernise theatre facilities and ensure we remain competitive with other venues across Melbourne. To support these upgrades, a new power distribution unit has also been procured, allowing efficient connection and operation of all newly installed LED lights.
Digital Infrastructure Improvement As part of our efforts to enhance digital storage and internal communication, we have engaged a new IT contractor. All staff phones are now fully integrated with our MS Teams infrastructure, streamlining communication and collaboration. In addition, several new laptops have been purchased as part of our computer renewal plan, enabling staff to work more flexibly and independently.
Image: Nick Manuell
Exhibition's New Equipment Supporting our new exhibitions program, we have repurposed and acquired two television screens for the display of video art pieces within our galleries. This initiative expands the spaces available for contemporary art presentation, benefiting both our in-house curatorial projects and collaborations with external partners.
Image: Gasworks Studio Theatre by Nick Manuell
26
FOYER RENOVATION In 2025, we undertook a significant upgrade of the foyer in our theatre venues, replacing the carpet with high-quality vinyl flooring throughout the James McCaughey Foyer and all the hallways leading to our galleries and studio theatre. To enhance accessibility, modernise the space, and improve exhibition experience, we removed outdated furniture, installed new handrails, and painted the foyer walls, doors and doorframes.
All Image credit: Raagini Ram
27
THE PEOPLE OF GASWORKS Board of Management The Gasworks Arts Inc board is elected annually from the membership and also includes two artist representatives and one City of Port Phillip representative.
Board Members • • • • • • • • •
Philippa Devine (Chair) Judith Klepner (Deputy Chair) Sarah Petty (Treasurer) Dr Kylie Weston-Scheuber (Secretary) Heather Cunsolo (COPP Representative) Julia Brampton (Artist Representative) Tricia Sabey (Artist Representative) Sarah Lowndes Christina Costigan
Staff (As of 31 Dec 2025) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Partners • • • • • • • • • • •
Eventfinda Melbourne Fringe Festival Midsumma Festival Kiddiehood Cayzer Real Estate (until August) Quest – St Kilda Avenue Bookstore Sorrento Writer’s Festival Brown Brothers Rose Street Markets CBco Brewery
Sam Strong, Creative Director & CEO (From June 2025) Lachlan Keys, Finance Manager Eduard Ingles, Operations Manager Martha Villamil, People & Culture Manager Tracey McIrvine, Visual Arts Manager Anna Garcia Solana, Cultural Experience Manager Lily Macmillan, Programming Administrator (until August) Josephine Mead, Programming Administrator (from May) Genevieve Piko, Venue Sales Coordinator (from Jan) Jacob Shears, Head Technician (until April) Calvin Hudson, Head Technician (until September) Rami Boles, Head Technician Kristine Andrew, Finance Officer Raagini Ramasubramanian, Marketing & Fundraising Specialist Louise Samuelsson, Marketing, Fundraising and Visual Arts Assistant Lucinda Barnett, Reception & Administration Coordinator (Maternity leave from Feb) Annie Corey, Reception & Administration Coordinator (from Feb)
Gasworks Arts Inc. is funded by City of Port Phillip. 28 Image credit: Raagini Ram
AUDITED ACCOUNTS 2025
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41