Hume City Council has completed construction of ArtRise, a new arts and culture facility at Jacksons Hill. The project forms part of the broader Sunbury Community Arts and Cultural Precinct.
The completion was marked at a small event on Friday, 24 October, attended by Cllr Jarrod Bell, Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny, MP Josh Bull, and city councillors. Guests toured the site and viewed some of the spaces that will soon be available to the community. The media was not invited to attend.
ArtRise occupies the restored buildings of the former Female Refractory and is designed to serve as a creative and cultural hub for Sunbury.
The $8m redevelopment followed community consultation and input through workshops and a community advisory board, which also contributed to the naming of the new facility: ArtRise – Gather, Connect and Create on the Hill.
The centre includes a multipurpose theatre and performance space, gallery, makers’ space for woodwork and applied arts, co-working studios, and communal gathering areas. Upgrades to accessibility, flooring, lighting, and audio-visual equipment have also been completed.
Final preparations are underway, with the site expected to open to the public in early 2026. A community open day is planned to celebrate the official opening.
The project has been supported by the Victorian Government in partnership with Hume City Council.
