Charles Sturt University has dismissed rumours regarding the closure of the Riverina Playhouse, stating "the future of the Riverina Playhouse is assured".
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Questions regarding what lies ahead for the venue began to emerge after CSU announced that it would be removing some of its creative industry courses from the Wagga campus from 2022 in June.
A statement from CSU on June 30 acknowledged that it will now be delivering: "A Bachelor of Communication (with specialisations in Strategic Communication; News and Media; and Design and Content Creation) at Bathurst and online.
"A Bachelor of Arts (with specialisations - Performing Arts and Creative Arts) with a Performing Arts specialisation at Bathurst and online and a Creative Arts specialisation at Wagga Wagga and online A Master of Communication."
But the university has guaranteed the Wagga community that the iconic venue will remain open for future events.
CSU's lease of the facility does not expire until 2034 and despite the university's course restructure, CSU said the community will now have more access to the venue than before.
"Charles Sturt University has clearly stated the future of the Riverina Playhouse is assured; [the] community will continue to have full access to it and we look forward to it being the home of many plays and events in the future," a CSU spokesperson said.
"Charles Sturt University spent more than $4 million upgrading the Riverina Playhouse in 2018.
"Community access to the Riverina Playhouse will actually increase in the future.
"Charles Sturt University dismisses any rumours or scaremongering about the future of the Riverina Playhouse."
Concern communities involvement in foundation forgotten
Wagga local Gail Crozier earlier this month raised concerns to The Daily Advertiser that the community's contribution in funding the construction of the venue seems to no longer be acknowledged.
"When the Playhouse was built some of the money raised for its construction and furnishing of the interior was generously donated by many Wagga businesses, the general public and some of the Wagga service clubs," she said.
"When CSU took over the running of the Playhouse all the plaques acknowledging these gifts were taken down. The generosity of the Wagga Wagga community should not be forgotten."
The Daily Advertiser can confirm that when the Riverina Playhouse was constructed in 1986 in collaboration between CSU [then Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education] and the Riverina Theatre Company, that the community did indeed help fund the interior of the Playhouse and contributions were acknowledged with a plaque.
Among the contributors were the Rotary Club of Wollundry, which donated $5000 and Fran Trench, wife of former Playhouse general manager Tony Trench.
But what happened to the plaques remains a mystery.
"The building costs were shared equally by the two organisations in the 1980s and the theatre company got a grant from the NSW state government for a share of the building," Tony Trench said.
"Subsequently the estimated cost of the building was increased by $100,000, and both organisations had to find another $50,000 each.
"That's when the theatre company for its share, initiated a fundraising drive and approached members of the community to buy a brick, or a lamp, or a seat.
"In return for what they gave, we had plaques made up which were displayed in the theatre. But when the seating was rearranged because there were faults with it, those plaques were shifted and nobody quite knows where they are."
There are currently two plaques at the venue which give minor reference to the theatre company's involvement with the university in establishing the Playhouse.
But these are not the plaques mentioned by Mr Trench.
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