Black Wreath raises $1m as Alice Springs venue fights to stay open
The volunteer-run venue has reached its crowdfunding target, but its future still depends on further funding and negotiations over the property.
Black Wreath, Alice Springs’ volunteer-run heavy metal venue, has raised $1m through a month-long crowdfunding campaign to help secure the property and remain open. The campaign reached its target on Friday, with donations ranging from $20 to $10,000 arriving from supporters across Australia.
The result gives the venue momentum, but not ownership. The property’s owners are seeking $1.23m, leaving operators to negotiate a purchase while pursuing additional funding. Founder and creative director Pirate has described the campaign as “step one” and set a new target of $1,111,111, a reference to the venue’s inception on 11 November 2011.
As reported by The Guardian, Black Wreath has hosted hundreds of bands over the past decade, despite Alice Springs being 1,500km from the nearest city. The operators describe it as the town’s only dedicated live music venue, with a recording studio, rehearsal spaces and a stage.
The venue grew from a collective of three bands, first operating as a record label and a series of backyard studios before transforming a run-down industrial building into a creative hub. It is also associated with Blacken Open Air, a national heavy music festival held outside Alice Springs.
Although rooted in heavy metal, Black Wreath serves every genre and a broad cross-section of the Alice Springs community, including First Nations and queer communities, according to its operators. Their ambition is to place the venue in a trust, keep it operating and establish Alice Springs as a year-round touring destination.
The fundraising success has not resolved the venue’s financial pressures. Its isolated location makes artist travel particularly expensive, while alcohol sales are limited to a few larger events. Pirate, who works at the venue as a volunteer, is continuing to seek support as negotiations over Black Wreath’s future continue.
