Page 1890 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 May 1990
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Backstage Cafe
MR WOOD (5.20): Mr Speaker, I want to use this time to make a plea on behalf of the Backstage Cafe that it should be able to continue to exist. The Backstage Cafe is a very well used, small venue in Mort Street that provides theatre and other entertainment to the people of Canberra. Going back 12 or 13 years ago when I came to Canberra, Domenic Mico, who now runs the Backstage Cafe, was doing a remarkable job in the ACT with innovative and exciting programs. He has carried that on in a variety of ways over many years. He has provided stimulation to countless numbers of ACT children and to adults and he has provided clear leadership in one area of the arts in the ACT.
Just less than a year ago, he undertook a new venture at the Backstage Cafe. I would make clear also that it is a private enterprise business. There is no government funding in it, and maybe that creates some problems. In that time he has conducted 17 shows and six concerts over many nights. He has had three art exhibitions, nine poetry readings, two book launchings, three community arts events and three workshops; he took one production to Melbourne, another production for a week at the Playhouse, and has had three nights of new play readings. He works very hard at it and I believe provides leadership to this community in the area of community arts and in small productions.
It is a marginal business for him. He will not be able to survive the shock that is coming to him as the building he is in closes down for a period of some months. The action of this Government, well intentioned - and I do not criticise what is happening - may nevertheless lead to his bankruptcy. We provided funding of $330,000 or so to rebuild the TAU Theatre which sublets the area to him, to renew it and do a great deal of important work. I think that is great. But in that period the toilet will be knocked down. He runs licensed premises, and he has pretty well to close down in that period. If it were not such a marginal operation by virtue of what he does, he may have been able to survive. The irony in this situation is that, if he had been supported more from community funds, he probably would have had some community protection; but because it is a commercial operation, there seems to be no protection available to him. I want to make the plea because of the remarkable service that Mr Mico provides to the ACT - no-one else in this community can provide the range of things that he does - that we ought to give some special consideration to him and to the Backstage Cafe.
I have taken this argument through to the Minister for the Arts. Perhaps it was in the wrong direction. I do not deny Mr Humphries' interest and good intentions. It is simply that he has not been able to find a mechanism to help Mr Mico. Perhaps I should have taken this through the small business area or some other area in the Government
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