Can a grand piano revive the Winchelsea Globe?

A community campaign is underway to return a grand piano to Winchelsea’s Globe Theatre, with supporters arguing it is the missing piece needed to revive the historic venue as a centre for music and performance.

Rural Arts Victoria and Winchelsea Major Events are leading the push, saying the absence of a piano has made it difficult to attract concerts and other live performances.

The theatre has been home to several grand pianos over the years, but at some point the most recent instrument disappeared from the venue.

Exactly when it was removed – and where it ended up – remains unclear.

The mystery has even prompted the Surf Coast Shire to investigate what became of the instrument.

“We’re looking into why the piano was removed from The Globe Theatre and speaking to community members to better understand the role it played in the venue’s rich history,” the shire’s acting general manager of community life, Andrew Hewitt, said.

Rural Arts Victoria founder Zinaida Campion said a grand piano was a “non-negotiable” to any venue hoping to attract quality live music performances.

“The piano is the basis of any successful community of music,” Campion said.

“[Pianos] are terribly difficult to move. That is why it has come to be expected that any venue that is for hosting concerts will always have a piano.”

Built by the family of renowned soprano Marjorie Lawrence, the Globe Theatre was once a thriving arts venue but has seen its role diminish in recent decades.

Campion believes the loss of its grand piano has played a significant role.

 

Community members have already rallied behind the campaign.

Campion said supporters now needed to demonstrate there is sufficient demand to justify housing a grand piano, which can occupy up to 8sqm of floor space.

Campion and Winchelsea Major Events representative Elaine Atkinson met with councillors Adrian Schonfelder, Tony Phelps and Joel Grist in June to discuss the proposal and the next steps.

Campion said the response from the Shire has been positive, but the return of a piano is yet to be approved.

“After receiving a request for a grand piano to return to the theatre, we are happy to continue the conversation with community members on what would be required,” Hewitt said.

“This includes who would be responsible for taking care of it in a venue that is used by various groups.”

Although parts of the Globe have recently been upgraded, including a commercial kitchen and a new PA system, Campion believes the theatre cannot fulfil its potential as a performance venue without a grand piano.

“There’s not going to be demand [to use the Globe] if there isn’t a piano,” she said.

“I would like to see it used as a theatre. It was built as a theatre.

“It went through a dark age from about the year 2000 up until now but we’re seeing a resurgence.”