Residents, performers and arts supporters will gather outside Gordon Library tomorrow (Sunday 2 August) for Rally in Red, a community protest calling on Ku-ring-gai Council to preserve the architectural plans for Marian St Theatre before they expire on 19 August.
The rally comes just six weeks after Council voted to allow the approved redevelopment to lapse, despite more than 20 years of planning and consultation and $1.7 million of public investment in architectural designs and community engagement. If the approval expires, campaigners say the only approved pathway to reopening Marian St Theatre as a contemporary arts centre will be lost, likely delaying any future project by another decade, if not permanently.
The family-friendly event will feature speakers, live performances and community stories celebrating Marian St Theatre's legacy while calling for urgent action to protect its future. One of the organisers Sally Dashwood said the rally would bring together generations of people whose lives had been shaped by Marian St. "The event is a powerful reminder of Marian St Theatre's extraordinary legacy and, importantly, its future."
The rally will feature appearances by concert pianist Dong Jun "DJ" Ha, best known for his appearances on the ABC's the Piano, Matt Cross MP, Helpmann Award-Winning artist Nathan Gilkes, Sarah Armstrong and Kylie Harris (Midnight Feast: Stories That Unite), Hannah Gwatkin and former Ku-ring-gai Mayor Cheryl Szatow, alongside performances from Tillies Tap House and local artists.
Patron of Marian St Theatre Action and acclaimed playwright David Williamson said: "The design of the renovation is first-class, but the council keeps deferring a decision while approving expensive sports oval developments, demonstrating yet again where the arts rate in our national psyche."
Campaigners argue the decision reflects a broader imbalance in community infrastructure investment that increasingly favours sporting facilities. They point to the proposed acceleration of the $20 million Norman Griffiths Oval synthetic turf project, and a $26.6 million project for two basketball courts within a local school. The campaign also comes amid broader anger over the loss of performance venues across Sydney, including the recent closure of the Divine Playhouse.
Chair of Marian St Action, Jessica Blaxland Ashby, points out that "with increased housing, there must be increased amenity. Council staff stated that it would be unlikely that any other arts space would be opened in the short or medium term, and that there are currently no other plans for arts spaces in progress. Meanwhile, Marian St Theatre has sat empty for over 13 years, with costs increasing with every delay by Council."
Supporters are being encouraged to wear red to demonstrate the strength of community support for preserving Marian St Theatre before the approval expires on 19 August. Rally in Red 12 – 2pm, Sunday 2 August 2026, Gordon Library steps (opposite Ku-ring-gai Council)
