Our Mission

Five years ago, the Friends of the Liberty Theatre and Cultural Centre was formed by community members as a not-for-profit dedicated to restoring and reviving the heritage listed Liberty Theatre in Yass, New South Wales.

Our mission is to restore and upgrade the beautiful and rare 1939 Art Deco building to promote the arts, education and culture in the area by:

• promoting public enjoyment of theatre, performance art and cinema

• conducting vocational training in the arts

• utilising the space to encourage cultural appreciation in the community.

With the co-operation and support of the current owner, we wish to see the Theatre owned by the whole Yass Valley community, run for the benefit of the broader region and as a destination for local, regional and national visitors.

Our plan

Listed by the National Trust as a heritage building of national significance, the theatre will receive a major upgrade of its current facilities whilst maintaining the much-loved heritage aspects of the building.

A modern screen and digital projection will enable films to be shown to the community with new releases on the weekends for family viewing and young people in the community, with classic films being shown during the week.

Upgrades will include a new exhibition space, state of the art lighting, movie screen and audio system to support live theatre, dance, other productions and the viewing of films. Ventilation and air conditioning, seating, theatre entrances and public toilets will be upgraded to meet accessibility standards.

The roof will be replaced, and an extension made to the rear of the building creating additional theatre facilities, dressing rooms and storage backstage. Enhancements will also be made to the foyer area. A flexible space will be developed to run cultural and arts workshops and exhibition space for art, book and music launches.

The restoration of the building will ensure that Yass, and the wider regional community can again use this unique building for a range of local and touring theatre, cultural, exhibitions, workshops, and educational activities.

Our Achievements

Our Fond Memories

Many residents of the Yass region have fond memories of enjoying family movies, teen outings, first dates at the Cinema followed by many marriage proposals. The Liberty has been held with such love that prior to closing, many weddings had some formal wedding photos taken on the steps of the second-floor foyer.

We know with the restoration of the Art Deco Theatre we can return those wonderful memories, and we also envisage a much broader use to incorporate entertainment, enjoyment, education, and employment.

Our committee