Past Event
Much-loved Melbourne venue closes on 22 October 2017
22nd Oct 2017
Presenter: Bella Union Events
Website: http://www.bellaunion.com.au
Event Duration: 30 minutes
MEDIA RELEASE: ISSUED 23 MAY 2017
Bella Union will close in late October after more than 12 years of programming festivals, live performance and community events at Trades Hall in Carlton. The closure is not what Bella Union management wants.
Bella Union has been a major drawcard and hub of activity for the wonderfully historic but tired Trades Hall. Whilst Bella Union submitted a proposal for a five-year lease extension in October 2016, this was formally rejected by the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) in mid-December.
Bella Union has been in discussions with VTHC personnel over the last five months in the hope of securing an additional eight weeks through to the beginning of January 2018, allowing a full calendar year of programming for the venue and its regular promoters, artists, patrons and crew of 18 people.
However, Trades Hall Secretary Luke Hilakari told Bella Union representatives in late March that he was unable to provide such a guarantee, notwithstanding his acknowledgement that November and December represents a peak period for the hospitality and events sector.
Hilakari stated that Bella Union’s operations over this time may interfere with the planned $10 million State Government funded building restoration project announced in May 2016. We do not believe this is the case.
Whilst Hilakari said that the project schedule would mostly likely be known by late April to mid May 2017, sources today indicate that final building plans are yet to be approved.
To date, there has been extremely limited consultation with existing tenants about the scope of work, overall timeline for completion, and potential short-term impacts on adjacent operations, including those of Bella Union.
Given their landlord’s consistent lack of transparency, reliability and failure to respond to requests for support from their tenant, Bella Union must now put in place plans to vacate their tenancy by the end of October. All staff, long-standing promoters and artists who regularly perform at Bella Union have been notified.
Bella Union is hoping that they will all be keen to play a major part in making sure the old dame goes out in a long and spectacular blaze of entertaining glory.
Company founder and director Catherine Woodfield said “It is with great sadness that I must finally accept we are not welcome at Trades Hall. However, I am extremely proud of what our small but mighty team has achieved over the years. We have all worked hard to create a venue that embraces creativity, diversity and, perhaps most importantly, the possibility of experiencing joy.
Those values are most evident in the passionate and highly capable Bella Union crew. Their warmth and active investment in the success of the events we host has contributed significantly to many memorable nights for performers, patrons, promoters and event organisers alike. This simple, humanistic spirit is much greater than the physical space we’ve been taking up within this historic union building.”
The Bella Union back-catalogue includes:
2005-2006 Keating! The Opera
2006-2009 Four seasons of Comedy @ Trades prior to MICF taking over in 2010
2006-2012 Seven ASRC Benefit Concerts raising over $40,000
2008-2012 Five seasons of Fringe @ Trades as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival
2008 to now The Tuesday night home of Anna’s Go-Go Academy (weekly)
2008 to now The home of Mr McClelland’s Finishing School (fortnightly)
2008 to 2016 Annual festive traditions including Anna’s Twistmas parties & A Swingin’ Bella Christmas
2010 & 2011 The Terminativity
2013 to now Melbourne Practica Group’s Milonga for Argentinian tango aficionados (bi-weekly)
2014-2015 Heartstop Music’s Melbourne Folk Club weekly concerts
2014 The inaugural tilde: Melbourne Trans & Gender Diverse Film Festival
2015 to now 1929 Studio’s Rugcutters Live Jazz Dance Parties
2016 to now PBSFM’s Soul-A-Go-Go (and previously 2011 & 2012)
2016 to now The New International Bookshop’s Left Q&A monthly
2016 to now Magic Steven monthly
2016 to now The Round Up bi-weekly performances by local artists
2008 to 2017 Ten Eurovision SBS Broadcast parties in big-screen Bellavision
PLUS, hundreds of album and book launches, countless celebrations of milestone birthdays, lives and marriages and a ukulele festival – Bella Union and its crew has brought a little bit of rhythm, music, reflection and laughter to thousands of people over its 10 years. In fact, an average of 3,000 people walk through the doors of Bella Union each month.
Explore all Past Events (since 2008) HERE
Hilakari indicated that the areas previously used for Bella Union’s activities would most likely revert to being a bar for union members in 2018, once building works are completed.
You can read the Trades Hall media statement released on 24th May HERE