The Belconnen Arts Centre is an arts facility in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

which was opened in 2009. The facility is owned by the

ACT government The Government of the Australian Capital Territory, also referred to as the Australian Capital Territory Government or ACT Government, is the executive authority of the Australian Capital Territory, one of the territories of Australia. The lead ...

and managed by Belconnen Arts Centre Incorporated. The centre is operated by a small group of staff with support from volunteers.

Building

The Belconnen Arts Centre was designed by Williams Ross Architects and built by Project Coordination Australia P/L. The building is located on the waterfront of

Lake Ginninderra Lake Ginninderra is an artificial lake located on the Ginninderra Creek in Canberra. It is adjacent to the Belconnen Town Centre. The lake was constructed in 1974 to collect stormwater discharge from a catchment that includes the surrounding s ...

next to the central business district of Belconnen. In 2018, the Centre was expanded with new performance space, dance studios, cafes, conference rooms, and an updated foreshore. The ACT government invested $15 million over three years to expand it. Work on-site began in December 2018; it was completed and officially reopened to the public in August 2020. The new wing includes a 400-seat black box theatre, additional exhibition space, resident company offices and a rehearsal space.

Development of dance classes

Grassroots communities were initially chosen to start "dance for

Parkinson's Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

" classes in Australia in order to share information and demonstrate classes with support groups and dance teachers of Parkinson's. In May 2013, Australian teacher training workshops were offered in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

and at

Queensland Ballet The Queensland Ballet, founded in 1960 by Charles Lisner OBE, is the premier ballet company of Queensland, Australia and is based in Brisbane. Queensland Ballet is one of only three full-time, professional classical ballet companies in Australi ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. As the initial training went well, these programs have developed in Brisbane and Canberra. Parkinson's ACT collaborates with the Belconnen Art Centre to hold dance classes for Parkinson's which were taught by experienced dance teachers and Community Cultural Inclusion Officer Philip Piggin. In July 2013, the ACT Government's Inclusive Participation Funding Program funded the program by supporting the dance classes. Participants have also attended activities in other art centres. IMB Foundation has sustained this program by continuously funding the further programs which also expands the classes at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre.

References

{{Australian Capital Territory Museums in Canberra Art museums and galleries in Australia

Building

Development of dance classes

See also

References