A pearl, as defined in the dictionary, is a person or thing of great worth.
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It is also the traditional gift and gemstone that represents 30th anniversaries.
So as speaker after speaker made their presentations during the 30th birthday celebrations of the Manning Entertainment Centre, it was clear the facility was a pearl of the Manning, giving something invaluable to its community over the years.
Guests were treated to food and drinks on the stage before sitting down to hear from acting theatre manager Chris Tippett, MidCoast Council general manager Adrian Panuccio, former theatre manager Jeremy Miller, Taree and District Eisteddfod’s Tim Stack, Taree Arts Council’s Lyn Moore and Paul Eade, and long time supporter, volunteer and usher Val Audet. Jeremy Saunders gave the welcome to country.
The theatre’s sales and marketing co-ordinator Helen Knight also presented a taste of what is to come in the first half of the 2019 season. Click here for more details.
Another highlight was the performance of the Waang Djarii Dancers outside on the development site of the MEC’s smaller theatre space.
“The funding of $1.55 million granted by State Government Regional Cultural Fund will be used in conjunction with the incredible donation from the estate of the late Beryl June Flett, who is contributing $1 million,” Chris Tippett said.
“The new building will be a multipurpose facility suited to the need of the sort of performances that don’t suit well in this auditorium.
”It will include state-of-the-art facilities, retractable seating for up to 150 patrons, a versatile rigging system to accommodate many different types of shows, cinema projection equipment and audio equipment and a commercial kitchen. The amount of shows that’s going to be delivered is going to increase dramatically,” he said.
The Manning Entertainment Centre, affectionately known as the MEC, has seen hundreds of thousands of people tread its boards over the years.
Jeremy Miller said there was something genuinely different about the MEC and that was the sense of community ownership. “It was built very much by the community, with support from local, State and federal government.”
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