Hume City Council is excited to announce the completion of works for the new arts and culture facility known as Artrise, located at Jacksons Hill in Sunbury as part of the Sunbury Community Arts and Cultural Precinct.
Hume City Mayor Cr Jarrod Bell was joined by fellow councillors, Minister for Planning the Hon. Sonya Kilkenny MP and local state member Josh Bull to mark the exciting milestone at a small celebration with invitees on Friday 24 October.
Those in attendance had the opportunity to tour and explore the vibrant creative hub, meet the people behind the work, and experience firsthand the future of arts and culture in the Sunbury community.
The milestone comes following an extensive community consultation and collaboration period to restore the site of the former Female Refractory into a place for community and cultural connections.
Final preparations and finishing touches are in progress across both buildings of Artrise in readiness to open the site to the public in early 2026, to be celebrated with a community open day event.
New spaces and features include:
multipurpose theatre and performance space
annex as a front of house for the theatre
gallery space to exhibit artworks
maker's space for woodworkers and applied arts
communal spaces for cultural gathering and co-working studios
new flooring, lighting and audio-visual equipment
accessible entrances, pathways and movement throughout the precinct
We want to thank the community for their commitment to transforming this iconic Sunbury site, through joining our community workshops, providing feedback and the creation of a consultative Community Advisory Board, who helped with the official naming of the facility 'Artrise – Gather, Connect and Create on the Hill'.
The project has also been made possible with the support of the Victorian Government, helping us breathe new life into this iconic Sunbury landmark.
Quotes attributable to Hume City Mayor, Councillor Jarrod Bell:
"Every step of the construction for the new Arts and Culture Precinct at Jacksons Hill has been community focussed, honouring its legacy as we created something new for the future.
With primary construction now complete, this facility stands as a testament to the vision and dedication of our community. From community open days, early workshops with architects to the work of the Community Advisory Group, and the ongoing contributions of our Community Advisory Board, the passion of Sunbury's arts community has been vital in shaping its vision.
Sunbury is a growing town with a vibrant, creative and engaged community, and Artrise is already nurturing that spirit in Sunbury, and for all of Hume.
We thank the State Government for their partnership and contribution, and we look forward to what can be achieved in these new community spaces."
