Ulumbarra Theatre

THE CONTEXT

A new scale of possibility.

Ulumbarra’s opening in 2015 marked a substantial expansion of Bendigo’s performance infrastructure. Alongside the 485-seat Capital Theatre, the city now had a theatre of around 1,000 seats, with a full fly tower, an orchestra pit lift and the technical facilities to support larger productions.

Built within the historic Sandhurst Gaol precinct, Ulumbarra also shared its facilities with Bendigo Senior Secondary College. Establishing how the building would operate meant understanding the needs of performances, audiences and an active school community.

BRINGING THE VENUE TO LIFE

Bringing a new theatre into operation.

I worked on Ulumbarra’s operational preparation and opening year, helping establish how its technical infrastructure, performance spaces and audience facilities would function in practice.

I worked closely with David Campbell, initially engaged as a consultant on the project and subsequently the theatre’s first Technical Operations Manager. Working under David’s leadership, I helped develop and put into practice the operating standards and procedures that supported staff, visiting productions and audiences in the new venue.

My involvement continued through the theatre’s first year of operation. Working regularly across technical operations and front of house connected the preparation before opening with the experience of running the building day to day. Establishing practices, applying them and helping colleagues work confidently within the venue were closely connected parts of that work.

Working with David was particularly formative. It deepened my understanding of the relationship between a building’s design, its technical systems and the people who make it function—an understanding I continue to bring to venue and production work.