NORPA has launched a $600,000 fundraising campaign to secure a new home in Lismore’s CBD following the devastating 2022 floods.

The new venue, to be known as ‘The Joinery’, will provide a resilient and creative space for the company to continue its work in the Northern Rivers region.

The 2022 floods destroyed NORPA’s previous home at Lismore City Hall, causing extensive damage to the building. While City Hall is planned to be restored in the future, NORPA informed Lismore City Council that it will not continue to manage the premises and would be assessing options.

NORPA has now seized the opportunity to create a new, purpose-built facility that will better serve the needs of the community in the old Hampton & Larsson joinery building on Hampton Street in the CBD.

The Joinery is massive 3,000 square metres, which is large enough for NORPA to offer a range of facilities for hosting special events and productions, rehearsal and creation spaces for artists, and an incubator for creativity hosting artist-in-residencies. The venue will also serve as a training centre for local talent in acting, dance, stage design and technical production.

(An artist's impression of The Joinery)

“A fit-for-purpose space where artists can experiment, create, collaborate, and present their work locally," said Heather Fairbairn, NORPA’s Artistic Associate. "An arts precinct will help bridge the gap between the limited resources available to local talent and what is available to artists working nationally and internationally. – allowing our community to thrive.”

NORPA aims to raise the $600,000 to purchase the building, which will catalyse the broader $9.1 million Joinery development.

The new development is being designed by award-winning Australian architecture firm, Chrofi, and will be flood-resilient and climate-adaptive.

The Joinery is expected to attract significant investment into the region and create over 160 jobs annually. NORPA currently engages with over 15,000 community and audience members annually and leverages over $1 million of arts funding annually.

“This new home will enable NORPA to transcend its Lismore-centric roots and truly become a cultural anchor for the entire Northern Rivers region,” said NORPA. “With a larger, more versatile and professional making space, NORPA will be able to create and host productions that resonate with and draw artists and community from across the region and beyond.”

NORPA is urging the community to support the campaign, emphasising that their contribution will determine the cultural and economic trajectory of the region for decades to come. We have a limited window to secure the property and begin this visionary project.

Contribute now to join cultural heroes shaping the future of arts and community resilience in the Northern Rivers.

Donations can be made through their giving page or by signing a petition to illustrate community support to funders.