Collingwood Yards is a

not-for-profit arts organization A not-for-profit arts organization, also known as a nonprofit arts organization, usually takes the form of a not-for-profit organization, association, or foundation. Such organizations are formed for the purpose of developing and promoting the wor ...

and arts precinct located in Collingwood, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Collingwood Yards hosts visual artists, musicians, performers and a range of arts organisations across a large inner city site and forms part of the Collingwood Arts Precinct which includes

Circus Oz Circus Oz is a contemporary circus company based in Australia, collectively owned by its Membership, founded in 1977. Its shows incorporate theatre, satire, rock 'n' roll and a uniquely Australian humour. History Early years Circus Oz was inco ...

. It provided accommodation to more than thirty Arts-related organisations on a not-for-profit basis.

History

Collingwood Yards was officially opened on 13 March 2021. It is located on the site of the former Collingwood Technical School or College which closed in 2005. The buildings lay dormant for close to a decade before being redeveloped. The area was first established in 1871 as the Collingwood Artisans’ School of Design, and then became the Collingwood Technical School from 1921 until 1968, when it was renamed Collingwood Technical College until the site was closed in 2005. The

Victorian State Government The Victoria State Government, also referred to as just the Victorian Government, is the state-level authority for Victoria, Australia. Like all state governments, it is formed by three independent branches: the executive, the judicial, and th ...

, through the Creative Victoria agency, took over management of the site in 2010. The area was initially developed into a new home for Circus Oz, which takes up approximately half of the former school grounds. The rest of the site, comprising three buildings, was subsequently redeveloped over two years to create the Collingwood Yards Contemporary Arts Precinct.

Architecture

The site has three buildings including a striking art deco entrance on Johnston St. The recent development was designed by architecture firm Fieldwork. A notable mural was painted on an exterior wall of the Technical College by the American artist

Keith Haring Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual language". Much of his wor ...

in 1984. It was restored in 2019 as part of the redevelopment of the site. Keith_Haring_Mural_Collingwood

References

Arts organisations based in Australia {{Australia-org-stub