The SubCulture Club is a community of Artists, Performers, and their Supporters: the great APES of Victoria. We are a creative gathering place for those who don’t feel at home in mainstream arts establishments or for-profit entertainment venues. We are a community of friends who encourage each other to be creative and inspire one another by performing and sharing our art. We support those who are learning, experimenting, or simply aren’t interested in mass consumption
Before art can be shared it needs creative space to develop; a place to collaborate, experiment, rehearse, and record. That’s why we’ve come together in the punk/DIY tradition to build an affordable, quality, all-ages space for APES. The SubCulture Club (SCC) has audio, lighting and projection systems and provides access to amps, drums, microphones, and recording equipment for musicians. The SCC has a flexible layout so we can also host small seated or standing-room events including music, film, literary and theatrical events, burlesque shows, flea circuses, ventriloquist acts…
The SCC is a member based, self-funding, not-for-profit group. We cover our operating costs by renting rehearsal space to members and by hosting fundraising events. We also strive to make a contribution to the broader community by providing our space free of charge for events featuring local and touring artists, thereby helping them to cover the costs of making and sharing their art. These events can only be hosted through the generosity of our volunteers who donate their time to greet you at the door, run the sound and lighting equipment, staff the snack bar, and sweep up after the show.
A key element of SubCulture Club is a special kind of volunteer we call a Comoter (Community-Promoter). These individuals organize and promote events at the SCC in a way similar to a traditional promoter, but they do so to support artists and the community rather than for pay. We are very lucky to have a group of experienced individuals who have been providing this service in the community for years and are now hosting events at SubCulture Club. By offering the SCC space for free and having Comotors donate their time we can host events where 100% of the money collected at the door goes to the artists and performers.
The SubCulture Club recognizes that for some, financial means is a barrier to accessing live music and other cultural events. For this reason membership is free and many of our events are on a “by donation/pay what you can” basis. A PWYC system eliminates financial barriers but still provides an opportunity for the community to contribute what they can. So whether you are able to contribute $2 or $20 to an event you can take comfort knowing that every cent is being put directly into ensuring creative space continues to exist and events keep happening. When bands make money, they can continue to pay for rehearsal space, buying and repairing gear, and recording and releasing their work. When the SCC makes money at fundraising events, it helps cover the many costs of running and maintaining our space. Therefore, it’s in everyone’s best interests to contribute honestly when they are asked to pay what they can.
Our goal is to be a comfortable, welcoming, creative place for people of all ages and members and guests are expected to act accordingly. For this reason, we are a dry space and we ask that you don’t attend if you are intoxicated. Please respect our space, respect our neighbours and take care of one another.
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For physical events that happen at a specific time. For example a concert, or dance performance. If there are multiple shows, you can still duplicate your event to cover them all.