During Festivals, we transform our training centre annex in the Nicholas Building (Room 502, 37 Swanston Street) into a large theatre, and book it with amazing performances.

The venue is extremely close to Melbourne Town Hall and the Festival centre.

The theatre medium to large stage with wings that will be ideal for medium ensemble shows, but can also host smaller cast shows too.

TIC Swanston Entry - Walkthrough video

<aside> 🪑 Room Configuration Seating: Up to 60 chairs Stage: Raised stage with step (3.6m W x 2.4m D x 300mm H) Backstage/Wings: Wooden flats and curtains allow for two small backstage areas

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<aside> 💻 Technical Facilities *Mono ***PA: ✅ Programmable DMX Lights: ✅ ****Projector & Screen: ❌

Other details: Microphones and stands (2 max), 12-channel multicore for sending signals to and from tech desk.

Our lighting rig is basic but sufficient. It can be controlled via a provided DMX hardware lighting board, or using QLab on your own laptop computer – connected ******via a provided USB-to-DMX adapter.

As the lighting configuration is quite simple, it can be controlled via a standard free version of QLab.

We do not have a permanent projector and screen in this space, however we do have a large TV and stand for video/slideshow needs.

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<aside> ♿ Wheelchair Accessibility Venue Access: ✅

Toilet Access: ❌

The venue on Level 5 is accessible via a lift, however the toilets in the building are only accessible via stairs. Some previous guests in wheelchairs have elected to get in touch with Travellers Aid to find accessible toilets in the immediate area (Flinders Street Station, etc.)

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<aside> 📅 Available Days

• Thursdays
• Fridays
• Saturdays
• Sundays

Please check the relevant application form for specific dates and the number of shows on offer

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<aside> ⏰ Available Times

• 6:00pm
• 7:30pm
• 9:00pm

All shows have a maximum run time of 55 minutes, and start one hour earlier on Sundays.

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<aside> 👉 You Provide

• Lighting and sound technician
• The show! </aside>

<aside> ✅ We Provide

• Front-of-house staff
• Access to the technical facilities described above
• Complimentary Technical Access To The Space
  • 1-hour technical induction to brief your team on how to create Qlab files that integrate with our lighting rig (well in advance of your technical rehearsal)
    • A technical rep will be on hand to walk you through this
  • 3-hour technical rehearsal (the week of your show)
  • Additional venue / technical rep time may be available – charged on an hourly basis
• A modest amount of shared storage space
• Plus advertising/exposure through TIC's:
  • Collaboration on Instagram posts and shared content, mailing list, etc. with over 10k reach – please contact us to discuss in the lead up to the show
  • Physical venue signage </aside>

<aside> 🎟️ Ticketing Facilities

As TIC Swanston does not have its own website, any online ticket bookings for this venue must be sold via an independent provider (Trybooking, Red61, Melbourne Fringe, etc.) and are not advertised through the Improv Conspiracy website

Tickets will also be available at our venue for in-person purchase before the show.

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<aside> 💰 Venue Hire Fees – Minimums and Box Office Split

We do not require any upfront costs for reserving the venue as long as a contract is signed. After your show’s season, we will charge a box office split, with a minimum fee due regardless of sales.

If your average ticket price – including concession/group discounts, before any applicable inside fees – is at least $25, you will be eligible for our best possible box office split of 30/70 (venue and producer).

If you elect to charge less for tickets, your split may be adjusted as far as 40/60 (venue and producer). The specific formula for this will be spelled out in your final contract.

The minimum due is $175 per performance. Please note that should a performance take place on a public holiday, there is a 15% surcharge to account for increased venue staffing costs. Please note that any cancelled performances still count towards your minimum.

The final fee will be the higher of your minimum fee, and your box office split.

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<aside> 🤔 Potential Downsides

• There is light sound bleed from Swanston Street traffic – you may hear the occasional tram ding, or street busker coming up through the Level 5 windows
• There is no central lobby or hangout area – punters queue up in the Nicholas Building hallways
  • We recommend having a note in your show description asking audience members to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show's start time. We will have staff on the ground floor to guide audience members to the room, however this process can take a few minutes
• The venue’s window curtains do not block 100% of incoming light – should your show take place during daylight hours, it is impossible to get a full blackout. Every festival, we tape down the curtains so it can still be quite dark, just not fully black

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