Tenancy

The Abbotsford Convent is home to over ninety practicing artists and creative and cultural organisations and agencies. There is also a WellBeing centre that accommodates a wide range of complementary natural health practitioners.

In keeping with the vision for the site, tenants work across a diversity of disciplines including – but not limited to – digital media, literature, visual arts, performance, music, education, architecture and design. Organisations onsite include the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, the Song Room, 3MBS Community Radio, Interact Australia, the Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council, and the Sophia Mundi Steiner School.

The ACF aims to support a vibrant and active community. Tenants enjoy the rich diversity of the Convent’s creative community and there is a very high demand for the Convent’s spaces. Emphasis is placed on achieving a good mix of arts and creative practice, ability to maximise use of the space, and a commitment to our shared vision and participation within the Convent community.

The Convent has over 50 studios designated for non-residential tenancy by creative practitioners. The vast majority of the studios are in the Convent building and are suited to the ‘quiet’ arts. Ten studios in the Mercator building are designated for use as ‘hard’ arts spaces with a public interface. All tenants have access to a meeting room, and other Convent venue hire at discount rates.

The cost and terms of leases vary depending on the size and location of the space. As a guide, for the smaller spaces, tenants can expect to pay between $300 and $400 per month (plus utilities and GST). Two months rent is required as a bond at the beginning of a tenancy. Lease terms are generally a minimum of 12 to 24 months.

Tenancy at the Convent happens through a three-stage process:
1. Notification register
2. Invitation to submit an expression of interest
3. Shortlist and selection.

For more information about the Convent’s tenancy spaces, click on the links below.