Holden Street Theatres

Address
32-34 Holden Street, Hindmarsh 5007

Phone
08 8223 1450

Website
holdenstreettheatres.com

A heritage-listed church complex in Hindmarsh has been Adelaide’s home of quality, independent theatre for nearly two decades, with community and nurturing talent at its core.

In 2002, actor Martha Lott and a team of volunteers refurbished the dilapidated All Saints’ Anglican Church (built in 1850) and the Church Hall (1882) at 34 Holden Street into a multi-theatre arts hub that could host local, national and global productions all year round: Holden Street Theatres.

The venues include The Studio (the former Church Hall), The Arch (the old All Saints’ Church), The Box Bar and the outdoor Barbara Hardy Garden. Holden Street expanded in 2020 with the acquisition of the old Anglican Church Rectory at 32 Holden Street to form the Holden Street Theatres’ Arts Park comprising of seven venues and room for more.

“People can rely on quality when they turn up to a production at the picturesque arts hub,” says Holden Street Theatres’ founder and Artistic Director, Martha Lott.

“Then there’s the people, we’ve got such a loyal following, a hugely loyal audience, and they want the theatre to succeed.

“Our audience is invested in the artists that come through; they are invested in the theatre. We look after the artists. Our focus is on the performances and making sure the artists and the audiences have a really good experience of being here.

“We’re flexible, so if a show comes in and they’ve got a low budget, we’ll work with them; our marketing department is insanely good, and we put a huge amount of support behind all of the shows, ensuring artists feel really supported by the entire team.”

Community is pivotal to Holden Street.

“Our Friends of Holden Street Theatres group numbers around 100 and includes a core group of active volunteers who are the heart of the venue. They have a sense of ownership of the venue and are active all year round. There’s a gardening crew, a cooking crew, and during Fringe they see all the shows and really get to know the artists.

“The Holden Street family includes artists and arts workers from around the world.”

The venue has presented the annual Holden Street Theatres’ Edinburgh Fringe Award since 2007, the only award to tour theatre from the Edinburgh Fringe to the Adelaide Fringe including work by acclaimed theatre-makers such as Henry Naylor, Gary McNair and Molly Taylor. There is also an Adelaide Fringe Award offering local artists four weeks of free rental to develop or perform their work.

Holden Street especially comes alive during Adelaide Fringe with a hub-like atmosphere comprising of tasty food offerings and outdoor bars for pre- and post-show food and drinks as audiences move in and out of the venues.

At the 2020 Adelaide Fringe, Holden Street presented 24 shows in six performance spaces with 336 sessions. SALA, Guitars in Bars, Cabaret Fringe and Feast Festival are just some of the other festivals that utilise Holden Street Theatres.

Organisations can hire the venues for corporate and private events, too. They’ve had festivals, concerts, comedy shows, markets, weddings, wakes and birthdays, so anything is possible at Holden Street.