The Central Coast still needs a purpose built concert hall, in addition to the Laycock Street Theatre and the new Wyong Art House, according to the Friends of the Performing Arts Precinct (FOPAP).
FOPAP president, Mr Mark Thomas, said there seems to be a prevailing misunderstanding regarding the purpose of constructing a concert hall as a major component of a proposed Regional Performing Arts Precinct on Gosford waterfront. “The misconception is that now with two major theatres on the Central Coast (Laycock Street and the new Wyong Art House) we should be satisfi ed,” Mr Thomas said. “While both theatres are very valuable as live theatre venues, their design is for theatre performances rather than concerts which tend to be unamplifi ed,” he said. Architectural and Technological requirements for theatre productions and concert performances are very different, according to Mr Thomas.
“A theatre with its stage, fl y tower and wings is ideal for theatre productions, however, for unamplifi ed concert performances held in such a venue, the acoustic quality is signifi cantly compromised,” he said. “Attempts to overcome these acoustic challenges in a theatre are rarely successful for either the musicians or the audience. “A concert hall has minimal acoustic limitations between artists and their audience and hence is the kind of venue which will maximise the pure sound enjoyment for musicians, artists and audiences.” World-class concert performers will not be attracted to the Central Coast if it does not have an appropriate, fi rst-rate, state of the art concert hall. “This facility will cater to all performance genres, for example, orchestras, bands, country, rock and classical, choirs and soloists,” Mr Thomas said. “Business planning would suggest that these three premier performance venues, Laycock Street Theatre, the Art House and a regional performing arts precinct concert hall, all of which have their specifi c strengths and performance genres, will live in complementary harmony with well-patronised audiences, for the benefi t of the whole Central Coast Community.” According to Mr Thomas, there are no concert halls between Chatswood and Newcastle. “It is my understanding that Canberra, with a similar population to the Central Coast, has fi ve concert venues,” he said.
Email, Jul 10, 2016 Mark Thomas, Friends of the Performing Arts Precinct