Former Arts Minister speaks on revival of the Metro Minerva Theatre

By JOHN MOYLE

As a politician Don Harwin was a rarity in that he genuinely liked his final portfolio as arts minister. He was admired by both the public and performers for his attention and understanding across its many facets.

From 2017, under Berejiklian, and until his resignation in 2022 with the ascendancy of the Perrottet government, Harwin was a regular at theatrical and musical events across Sydney, often attracting applause with his entrances.

Since leaving politics after 22 years, Harwin has rarely spoken to the media at length.

However, as developer Central Element is petitioning City of Sydney for a modifications to their development application to turn Potts Point’s heritage listed art deco Metro Minerva Theatre into a 63 room boutique hotel with bars, undefined spaces and underground car parking, he now feels the need to speak out in defence of the theatre.

The developer’s intention is to keep the facade of the building and construct the hotel block over the roof of the existing building, keeping some of its heritage listed features while removing others, such as the much lauded theatre ceiling.

The development will also destroy the streamline modern lines of the world class art deco structure, that is surprisingly intact after 84 years.

“The design puts the ceiling in danger and puts the structure on top of the ceiling that can take hotel rooms and will be strong enough to take additional height in the future,” Don Harwin, former Arts and Heritage Minister said.

To detract from the call by local action Metro Minerva Theatre Action Group to revive the building as a venue for live theatre, Central Element has put forward the argument that the restoration of the 1,000 seat theatre is both physically impossible and economically unviable.

“Not so,” says the former Arts Minister.

“The Minerva Theatre has a dedicated group of people who want it preserved,” Harwin said.

“The reality is that there are very few opportunities for new theatres in Sydney.

“The Minerva gives us an opportunity for a 1,000 seat theatre in a location adjacent to the city that is desperately needed.”

Former Arts Minister speaks on restoration

During Harwin’s time in the arts portfolio it was determined that Sydney needed at least two 1,000- 1,200 seat lyric theatres, as well as one larger theatre, to attract the shows that it has been losing to Melbourne for years.

“I got the Theatre Royal reopened, which filled one of those gaps, and the Minerva could easily be the second,” Harwin said.

“If we have a new 1,000 seat theatre, and preferably some other larger lyric theatre as well, we will get a much broader range of theatre being presented in Sydney.”

A lyric theatre is one that is generally capable of staging performances involving both music and singing.

While acknowledging that restoring an old theatre can be expensive, “The cost of reopening the Minerva as a 1.000 seat theatre is considerably less than obtaining a strategic site and starting from scratch,” Harwin said.

“There is no doubt that reopening the Minerva Theatre with associated food and beverage outlets and entertainment spaces would have a massive multiplier effect (and) would reactivate the area and be a stimulus for further activation of spaces for arts and culture.”

The Metro Minerva Theatre Action Group currently have an online petition.

*John Moyle is a member of the Metro Minerva Theatre Action Group