Austin Cultural Trust Announces Acquisition of New Venue to Be Managed by Rude Mechs

(from www.ATXTheatre.org)

Community cheers as Austin Cultural Trust announces first creative space project: Rude Mechs will lead a new facility on Middle Fiskville Road!

A crowd of Austin creatives whooped, clapped, laughed and threw themselves into a call-and-response blessing of a new creative space in-the-making on Wednesday evening, May 24, as the Austin Cultural Trust announced its much anticipated first project!

 

Rude Mechs, an internationally respected Austin theatre company for nearly 30 years, will manage the city-owned space at 6234 Middle Fiskville Road (between ACC's Highland Campus and I-35), with a partnering literacy organization, Austin Bat Cave, in residence.

The Rude Mechs have a strong, steady history of fiscal solvency and of operating multi-disciplinary arts and culture venues while staying mindful to provide free or affordable space to diverse arts groups. This history makes the Rudes a strong choice for Austin Cultural Trust’s first public/private partnership project.

 

Currently a lofted empty shell without amenities, the yet-to-be-named space will house offices, a scene shop, a rehearsal/meeting space, a flexible black box theatre for performances, a tricked-out lobby that can be used for smaller cabaret-type performances, and — importantly — enough bathrooms. This venue promises to be welcoming and accessible but NOT FANCY, the Rudes stressed at the announcement. With a careful design and build process still ahead, many excited eyes will be on this space!

The Austin Cultural Trust & Anne Gatling Haynes

 

ATX Theatre affiliate theatres were introduced to the Austin Cultural Trust concept at a ConFab in December 2021, when the Chief Transactions Officer of Austin Economic Development Corporation, Anne Gatling Haynes, gave a spirited presentation about the application process and the point of the Trust — to acquire and preserve local arts and cultural spaces. Multiple Austin theatre companies applied in the first pipeline, with several making the “long list” of potential projects for the Trust to support, and a couple making the “short list” for immediate consideration. Wednesday marked the first official announcement of a Trust project that is City-approved and ready to move forward.

Anne (pictured above), who moved here to build the Austin Cultural Trust’s community interface, has proven herself a straightforward professional who communicates with heart and clarity. The zeal and thoroughness with which she has gotten to know our creative communities are matched only by her determination to push projects through in spite of seemingly impossible odds. The task is beyond unwieldy — with countless constituents to consider, a zillion details about a million different root problems she’s passionate to solve, plus protracted City processes and red tape to leap over. But Anne is not the type to take a victory lap. She just keeps working! So, ATX Theatre wants to take this moment to say: WE SEE ALL YOU DO, ANNE. Our community of theatre-makers thanks you for listening and caring.