Our History

Established in 1993, The Street is operated by The Stagemaster Inc. (trading as The Street), a not-for-profit arts organisation under an Occupancy Agreement with the ACT Government.  Following the destruction by fire of two adapted theatre venues, The Street Theatre was established in 1994 by the ACT Government and so The Street began its life as a community theatre facility for Canberra’s community from students to independent and professional groups. Formed in 1996, The Season Inc. [‘The Season’] coordinated marketing and administration of independently funded theatre companies presenting work at The Street Theatre, growing into a themed season within a curated program.  In 2002 The Season Inc. merged with The Street (The Stagemaster Inc.) establishing a single board of management to oversee the theatre building and its programming.  The Street transitioned through the merger with a venue-for-hire model fostering both community participation and professional development of performance-makers, as well as commercial presenters. 

2007 - 2012 brought leadership change and a significant shift in vision for The Street heralding the transition over a five-year period from community venue-for-hire to curated multi-arts space.  With a focus on professional and independent contemporary live performance the next step was a fuller role as creative producers and investor in new Australian theatre works.

Expansion in 2012-2013 saw extensions to the building with dedicated office space for staff, new rehearsal and development space, kitchen café facilities and box office as well as an upstairs admin area that could be used to develop income, with the Canberra Centenary facilitating growth in work. Our activities also expanded from 2013-2019 to include new festivals Capital Jazz Project and Segue celebrating Australia-Europe cultural dialogues as well as a partnership with The Canberra Comedy Festival and producing up to six works a year including sold out houses for Frank Moorhouse’s Cold Light.

Collaborations with Defence Science Technology produced Flight Memory in 2019, developing new audiences, while our partnership with the Australian War Memorial saw Epitaph performed in the Memorial Galleries, in repertoire since 2018. The Wellspring program, in partnership with the ANU, added a new dimension to conversation, alongside book launches and big ideas talks.

In 2020 deep into the COVID pandemic, The Street was the recipient of a Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award for Outstanding Achievement sharing the recognition of its work with all who have played a part. During the pandemic, we supported artists impacted by COVID-19 through specialised wellbeing programs, fuelling their creativity and courage. Re-Storying: The Resilience Project, developed with Zsuzsi Soboslay.

Embarking on new strategic directions in 2023 in its role as a vital arts centre in the ACT, new works were produced developed during COVID including Creswick's In His Words: Voices of Fatherhood, mixing live music with filmed interviews and This Rough Magic by Helen Machalias.

Continuing into 2024 catching up from pandemic related postponements, The Street addressed ever-present risk and the changing patterns of audiences and need to bring artists back to the theatre while bringing classics Waiting For Godot and Crime and Punishment to the stage.

Coming out of development programs First Seen, Early Phase, The Hive, Resident Street, and commissions, new works in 2025 featuring the emergence of new theatrical forms and approaches came onto the stage including Dylan Van Den Berg’s The Chosen Vessel and Nigel Featherstone’s The Story of the Oars.

The Street continues to fulfil its responsibilities to secure, strengthen and grow the ACT professional and independent performing arts sector and contribute to the artistic vibrancy of the region. Its creative engine hums louder and louder as it heads towards a new growth period in 2027.

We acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, the Traditional Owners of the unceded lands on which The Street Theatre stands and where we work, create, gather and live. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, knowledge and culture, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.