At 17 Browning Street in West End lies Browning Street Studios. They have operated there the last three years. Two years before that they were located just a few houses down the street, where you now will find Betty’s Espresso.
After successfully operating Browning Street Studios in West End since 2008, as a Worker-Owned Cooperative, they now want to ensure their economical future by asking the community to support them in 2014.
Browning Street Studios needs your pledge to help them make history in West End.
To make this possible, and more appealing to everyone, by giving a pledge to Browning Street Studios, the pledgers will receive something in return.
I met up with Browning Street Studios Director Sarah Gall at the studio before we walked down to Betty’s Espresso to have a chat about what is happening there and their future plans.
At the café where they once operated out of I am told they sometimes come here to play music and practice.
She tells me their campaign is almost half-way and that there are only 18 days left to reach their goal. Which shows that the music field is very competitive and tough. But ensures me that they are confident in their campaign.
What sets them apart from other establishments that offer training in music, dance, production and performance is their focus on making their students performance-ready and how to reach their audience with their music and acts.
Browning Street Studios also has a zero-tolerance for aggressive, competitive behaviour such as undercutting your colleagues.
“It is a supporting culture, not a competitive culture [at Browning Street Studios].”
Sarah says they try to foster the musician within the student. Not only teaching their students the standards of a certain genre or instrument, but also allowing their students to add their own uniqueness to the music they end up creating.
This is why they started their Help us make history! campaign. To be able to continue their unique studio and to foster music and creativity in West End.
In an email to Westender Sarah says, “we’re not asking for straight-out gifts of money per se. Rather we are asking our clients and supporters to consider investing in some products ‘up front’ for 2014, or particularly, introducing friends or family to Browning Street Studios by giving them the gift of music this Christmas.”
“It’s a bit like sponsoring a musician. Most of us are now running pretty sustainable businesses from Browning Street, but struggle with the up-front investment to pay for things like security bonds on the business’s commercial leases.”
Fore more info about Browning Street Studios and their campaign, visit these web sites:
http://browningstreetstudios.com.au
http://browningstreetstudios.com.au/helpusmakehistory/
http://pozible.com/browningst