Two celebrated Fremantle arts organisations find forever home in the up-and-coming East End
Fremantle Press and CircusWA are excited to announce the purchase of the historic SEC Substation at 10 Parry Street, Fremantle. The move will secure a much-needed permanent home for each organisation, while preserving and activating an underutilised heritage building in the soon-to-be reinvigorated East End of the port city.
This ambitious plan is made possible thanks to the advocacy and support of Adrian and Michela Fini who are providing each organisation with a low-interest loan. The Finis have a strong track record of supporting the Arts to thrive in Western Australia and have a special interest in the revitalisation and reuse of Perth’s heritage buildings. They are hugely supportive of an outcome that transforms a vacant building into a new multi-arts facility, one that would keep homegrown arts organisations in Fremantle as part of the renewal of the East End precinct.
The State Government has announced its commitment to the project with a contribution of $500,000. State Member for Fremantle the Hon Simone McGurk MLA, who is also Minister for Creative Industries and Heritage said, ‘Arts and heritage are the beating heart of Fremantle. We are delighted to acknowledge the longstanding impact of each organisation by helping them transform this wonderful building into a dynamic and inclusive arts facility.’
While Fremantle Press and CircusWA are working together to purchase this building, they will each own a separate strata lot.
Fremantle Press Chair Clair Medhurst said relocating to Parry Street will be the perfect way to celebrate the Press’s 50th anniversary in 2026. She said, ‘With this new chapter, we are setting the stage for an even stronger future – one where we continue to champion WA voices while opening up the Press to create a community hub for both writers and readers.’
CircusWA Artistic Director Jo Smith said the Substation is an exciting opportunity to secure a permanent home with which to vision longer-term plans. Smith said, ‘In typical circus style, we are designing a unique opportunity to survive and thrive in Fremantle. While we’ll be sad to say farewell to our beautiful Freo Big Top, this building will ensure our community and artistic programs can grow. The Substation will position CircusWA as a nationally recognised training and development centre.’
All parties would like to acknowledge Sarah Booth of SPACEMRKT for her role in initiating and coordinating this precedent-making project for Fremantle. Sarah said ‘The more arts organisations we can assist to buy their own premises, the more robust and resilient they become, allowing them to focus on their core operations and activities, while building security and capital. I would encourage all who are interested, and in the position to invest, to explore this type of activity in future.’
Each organisation will soon begin exploring funding opportunities from new and existing private donors, sponsors and the local community.
MEDIA CONTACT: Claire Miller, 0419 837 841, cmiller@fremantlepress.com.au