Locals support call for affordable artist live-work space

An overwhelming number of community members signed a petition in support of the call to include affordable artist live-work spaces in the redevelopment of the Bay Street Depot site.
Over 100 signatures were gathered at the Pyrmont Art Festival, including the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, director of the Powerhouse Museum, Dr Dawn Casey, and Dean Ian Howard from the College of Fine Arts.
“The inner city?s lack of affordable live work art space has reached crisis proportions,” the petition outlined.
“Over the last decade many former warehouse artist workspaces have been lost to redevelopment and many artists have been forced to relocate from inner Sydney entirely.”
Those who signed the petition agreed that given the range of small and large scale media and design businesses in the Ultimo area, the Bay Street Depot site would make an ideal location for mixed-use art space.
Many local community groups also pledged to gather additional signatures in support of the cause.