History
Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium is a not-for-profit,
community-based organisation whose vision is
To enrich the cultural life of
the Coffs Harbour community through the provision of quality
music education, accessible to all.
The Conservatorium offers multi-level training across a
broad range of musical styles and instruments, including
voice, from pre-school through to adults.
Programs
are designed to suit students of all ages, levels of expertise,
experience and creative aspiration.
Programs reflect the key
teaching values of the Conservatorium:
- To encourage and facilitate involvement in and appreciation
of music
- To develop skills and an understanding of music
- To stimulate the development of creative expression, self-esteem
and social interaction through music.
The Conservatorium services a wide geographic area - from
Woolgoolga north of Coffs Harbour, to Nambucca Heads and
Macksville in the south, and inland to Bellingen and Dorrigo.
Tuition takes place in the Conservatorium’s facility
at the Bray St Complex (next to the cinema complex), cnr Bray St and Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour,
and in various schools.
Since its formation in 1984, hundreds of students of all
ages have enrolled for lessons, joined ensembles and been involved in courses and workshops at
the Conservatorium. Some have progressed to become professional
performers and teachers. Most have achieved a
level of technical proficiency that has enabled them to
enjoy their music making for the rest of their lives.
Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium is one of a network
of 17 regional conservatoriums, each of which provide a high standard of community-based
music education for people living in regional New South
Wales.
Top
of Page
Administration
Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium is managed by a team
of professional staff overseen by an honorary Board of Directors.
The Conservatorium is primarily funded by grants provided
by the NSW Government Department of Education and Communities (formerly Dept of Education and Training),
with support in part from local government, corporate sponsors
and private benefactors.
Administration
Carol Hellmers
Director |
Gillian Thaine
Finance Manager |
Lorraine Armstrong
Office Manager
|
 |
 |
 |
Honorary Board
- Lesley Schoer - President
- Michael Fishburn - Vice-President
- Anne Partridge - Secretary
- Ian Hartcher - Treasurer
- Christopher Frater - Staff Representative
- Ann Gee
- Garry Nehl AM
- Graeme Ross
- VACANCY
If you are interested in offering your voluntary services and professional expertise to the Board of the Conservatorium, please contact the Director Carol Hellmers, ph: 6652 1592.
Top
of Page
Supporters
The Board of Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium gratefully
acknowledges the valuable support of the following organisations in 2012:
Top
of Page
Friends
The Board of the Conservatorium invites you to play a part
in the development of music in Coffs Harbour by joining the Friends of Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium.
Your membership will help the Conservatorium provide
the best in music education that this region has to offer.
In addition to the knowledge that your support will nurture
musical creativity, you will receive the following direct benefits:
- A quarterly newsletter – keeping you in touch with
programs, activities and events
- Direct mail – special offers, news, and promotions
- Membership card – offering various discounts annually
- Preferential booking – to public events produced by
the Conservatorium
- Access – to open rehearsals and ‘in house’
performance activities of Conservatorium teachers and students
Cost of annual membership (inclusive of GST):
- Student Membership $11 (under 18 years)
- Adult Membership $22
- Family Membership $33 (2 adults, 2 children)
- Organisation $55 (10 persons)
Contact us today and we will post you a brochure.
Top
of Page
Location
The Conservatorium moved to its new location on 12 July 2010. The official opening took place on 12 September 2010. Two Brisbane-based Australian performer/composers were commissioned to write new work for this historic event: Grant Collins and Dr Paul Svoboda.
We are located at:
Bray Street Complex
Cnr Bray Street and Pacific Highway
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
|
 |
 |
About the Building
Art and Music Merge
A building in the Bray Street Complex, formerly an old night club, is now the home of Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium. It has been transformed inside with brightly coloured feature walls and energy saving lighting, the interior design work of Nicolle Foster of Natural Habitat. |
Local Architect, Ann M Gee, drew up the plans and oversaw the refurbishment of Stage One of the facility with Builder Rick Wilson. The new Conservatorium now houses twelve acoustically designed rehearsal/teaching studios, a roomy foyer, kitchen facilities, music library, administration offices and bathroom facilities. The design cleverly makes use of all available space, connecting the facility with a secure carpark downstairs for staff use.
Ann Gee has been a valuable member of the Board of the Conservatorium for over ten years. Her designs for this building stretch to Stage 2 (a 178 seat performance space) and an additional three contemporary music rehearsal studios downstairs, all of which will be connected by a lift.
The walls of Stage 1 are adorned with a set of limited edition prints by Australian artists, purchased from the Australian Youth Orchestra with a donation provided by Tom Hamilton Foster when he was General Manager of Park Beach HomeBase, the former location of the Conservatorium.
But the latest artistic addition to the Conservatorium building and perhaps the most inspiring for the students, both young and young at heart, who come to learn music are the three panels of original artwork created by local lettering artist Colleen Little. Colleen is a founding member of Coffs Calligraphers and has held many honorary office bearer positions with the club for more than 20 years. Colleen’s work is acclaimed both nationally and internationally, her creations having appeared in many exhibitions and publications.
The Conservatorium commissioned Colleen to create artwork that would greet people as they entered the building, to tell a musical story, but in a visual context. The brief was vague to say the least, but Colleen addressed the challenge with her usual professional and creative flair.
Colleen writes:
"I wanted to visually recreate the sounds and texture of music. The brief for the panels, located on the front of the reception area, were to have two purposes. The first was a practical one, as the panels were to be in a busy traffic area it was important to keep the painted fronts of the counters from becoming scuffed. Three transparent perspex panels with a design printed to the back was decided upon. The panels, all separate, would be visually connected as a triptych. The second purpose was to be aesthetically pleasing, reflecting what the building was to be used for, and to tie in with the modern and eclectic collection of paintings that would be hung in the area. In planning and researching for a suitable design for the panels, I stumbled across a documentary about the Glass Percussion Project at Federation Square Melbourne - an installation, performance and interplay between sight, sound, light and movement. Whilst the Federation Square Project was more about the performance, I was inspired to visually recreate the sounds and textures of music for the panels for the Conservatorium. The design was created firstly by hand, in four layers, using a variety of writing instruments from balsa wood pens, to ruling pens and the brush to visually interpret the texture and sounds of music. I then scanned the artwork into the computer to overlay the layers in a digitally arranged design, and then added a final fifth layer of text. Each was a quotation about music by famous authors, the words woven into the design. The finished designs were then sent to a signmaker to make a digital print and apply them to the back of the perspex panels."
The results are outstanding and much admired. They are also inspirational, providing waiting students and visitors with visual interest and plenty of food for thought. |
See larger photos (PDF) |
| |
Top
of Page
Contact
Details & Opening Hours
The Conservatorium Office is open six days a week:
- 9am – 8pm Weekdays
- 9am – 1pm Saturdays
During NSW School Holidays, the Conservatorium Office is open from 9am-5pm weekdays only.
Phone: 02 6652 1592
Fax: 02 6652 7664
Email: info@coffscon.org.au
Postal Address: PO Box 6527, Coffs Harbour Plaza, NSW 2450
Top
of Page
Useful
Links
