Ever wondered what the big concrete building behind Capital Brewing Co is?
At one point, it was a storage facility where the Royal Australian Mint kept coins that were yet to go into circulation.
For a while it was full of pallets of beer.
Now the space is about to be transformed into one of Canberra's most exciting venues - aptly named The Vault.
The windowless bunker is a blank space, 26 by 30 metres wide, industrial beams hang six metres overhead, when the lights are out it's pitch black.
It's the imagination of Dave Caffery and his team from his cultural events company Dionysus that will bring it to life, with a four-month program of eclectic events kicking off on May 18.
There's a roller disco on July 5-6 that's already sold out, a skateboarding day on May 18 presented by Big hART that combines skateboarding music and art; and a kid-friendly rave, called Banging Beats and Bubbles on July 13.
And things will get a little saucy, too. As you would expect out at Fyshwick. Sound and Fury, the Canberra-based performance art party who've appeared at events such as Enlighten, is bringing its Carnal.Art.Party on June 15. The theme is carnal and the dress code is dark. (At least there is a dress code.) Intimate moments are guaranteed and it's definitely adults only.
"We're joking that what goes in The Vault stays in The Vault," laughs Caffery, who says he's been looking for a big brutal warehouse site for a while now.
"The best thing about a space like this is that we can transform it into whatever we want and we hope that when people come here they might be transformed themselves, immerse themselves into the experiences and just let go."
He's managed to sign international artists alongside local performers and producers.
Skin on Skin is a DJ who's played on the main stage at Coachella; he'll be performing on July 12. On May 25, local DJs will participate in Too Many Crews, with more than 20 locals mixing up a storm in 20-minute sets.
"And I can't wait to catch the Australian Dance Party presentation of The Dataset," he says. "It's two nights of a bold contemporary dance work by the award-winning Canberra group that imagines a world where we physicalise the data that forms us."
For food and wine-lovers, the Oozy Boozy Cheese and Wine Festival will run for three days from June 7-9, in partnership with Belconnen's Le Cheeserie. And there'll be a special masterclass from cheese master Sam Studd.
On July 28, the Winter Market takes over in collaboration with Southern Harvest Festival and the Truffle Festival. There'll be food stalls packed with artisan condiments, local wines, smooth olive oils and a winter favourite, truffles.
Caffery says The Vault is due to be demolished in September as part of the Molongo Group's redevelopment of the Dairy Road precinct.
"This really is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it opportunity to catch some world-class acts," he says.
He says the main aim of The Vault is for people, of any age, to have some fun in the midst of a Canberra winter, but also, at a time where the arts industry is struggling, to see it as a way to support and promote artists from the Canberra region and around the world.
- Keep up to date on The Vault program on socials @thevault.place thevault.place.
