Horsham Rural City Council has committed $450,000 to the project, with the Wesley committee fundraising the remaining $550,000.
Horsham Arts Council, HAC, has fundraised for charitable causes during many of its past shows, and will donate proceeds from fundraising efforts at its upcoming production ‘The Last 10 Years’ to The Wesley.
Producer Chris Versteegen said the reopening of The Wesley would be a boon not only for HAC, but the wider Horsham community.
“It’s a really special place, not just for performances, but for weddings and funerals and the community in general,” he said.
“It’s a beautiful community building, which is why we wanted to align our fundraising with The Wesley this year.
“It can host some of those more intimate shows.
“A lot of travelling shows that come to Horsham don’t want to have 400 seats, which is what the town hall has, they want something a bit more intimate and a bit more personal, and The Wesley is ideal for those sorts of boutique shows.”
With the WPACC committee having raised about $200,000 on top of the council’s $450,000 pledge since the fundraising drive began last year, Debbie Boutcher – a member of both the HAC and WPACC committees – said she wanted to help sustain the momentum.
“We’re hoping to raise anything that would help the Wesley committee out,” she said.
“We will have a donation tin at our shows and there will probably be some other things as well.
“We often fundraise with our shows, but we thought this time around we’d keep it local.
“We wanted to help The Wesley committee out, because once it’s up and running we’ll certainly be using it, and it’ll be used for a lot of other things as well.”
The Last 10 Years, a retrospective show celebrating HAC performances from the past decade, is set to open on May 9, with eight shows scheduled.
People can email info@horshamartscouncil.com for more information.
Tickets are available from Horsham Town Hall website or the box office.
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