While the show generated massive interest, with over a thousand tickets sold, the need for a ‘home’ is weighing heavy on the volunteer crew’s mind.
President Peter Read, a founding member of SPW, said that although the initiative had been in town since 2003, many locals were still unaware of the impact it was having in Seymour.
“I can’t tell you the number of times that I have a conversation with someone, and they’re shocked at the sort of things we do,” Mr Read said.
“After more than 20 years of doing this in town, there are still people around who just don’t even know who we are.”
A major struggle of SPW is the neglect faced by the arts in many regional towns.
Mr Read said that although sport was an important part of the community, its prevalence could often lead to the overlooking of initiatives such as SPW.
“We live in a community that is very centred on activities, particularly of a sporting type,” he said.
“There’s not so much when it comes to art and that sort of self-expression.
“One of the really key roles the workshop plays is it provides a place where community members of all ages, and all backgrounds, can come together, explore their voice in the community, tell their stories, and, of course, have fun.
“In Australia, we seem to have this real love affair with sport — anything to do with sport has to be good and there’s no question about it.
“What that means sometimes is that other things that are really good too are just overlooked.”
For years, SPW has been operating out of the Les Bell Pavillion in Kings Park, a space it shares with other community groups.
Although it is a good space, Mr Read said “it’s really not a home”, but it’s been difficult to find a space which suits their needs.
“We’re pursuing the idea of a home,” he said.
“We’re looking for a permanent place that we can operate out of.
“It could look like anything, and it could be anywhere — we haven’t yet seen it, we don’t know where it is, and we don’t know who owns it or whether or not we will be able to hire or buy it.”
While it can sometimes be overlooked in terms of support, there has been a steady growth of involvement at SPW, and the Les Bell Pavillion does not reflect that growth.
Mr Read said it was vital that SPW found its home.
“I think it’s really important for everyone to have access to a place where they can share their voice,” he said.
“To be able to feel like they’re part of a community; to be able to express themselves with like-minded people, these are all really important things in a community, and are what we provide.
“We need this place in which people can tell others who they are through performing their art.”
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