The much-loved Rhino Room is facing extinction, with only 6 days left to secure the $38,000 needed to help the comedy club move premises before it closes.
13 Frome Road, the home of Rhino Room for 20 years, has been earmarked for demolition to make way for a 36 level hotel. At the end of Adelaide Fringe 2017, they must begin the migration to their new home at 1/131 Pirie Street where they’ll remain committed to providing a space for emerging artists, entertainers, DJs, comedians and their Rhino family.
This is a big, and costly move for the small South Australian business. Building and infrastructure, removalists, sound equipment, security and licences are just the basics. So they’re trying to raise $38,000 to help Rhino Room start this new chapter.
A crowdfunding push on Pozible has managed to secure $23,543 so far, but with less than a week to go, fans of the iconic Adelaide venue are scrambling to find donations to reach their $38k goal.
Established in 1998, Rhino Room began as an offshoot of Urban Cow Studio, providing a venue for emerging performing artists in the same way Urban Cow provides an opportunity for emerging visual artists. Rhino Room still maintains the same ethos to this day and is recognised Australia-wide for its commitment to up-and-coming entertainers.
Providing an eclectic atmosphere, Rhino Room is known as being the ‘spiritual home of comedy’ to comedians around the globe and is the venue for world-class standup shows run by Adelaide Comedy as well as being a hot-spot for Adelaide Fringe artists and guests for more than 18 years. Celebrities from all genres have graced their stage, including Arj Barker, Wil Anderson, Tom Green, Ross Noble, Dave Hughes and many more.
If the funding goal is met, 5% will be donated to the Save the Rhinos initiative run by Monarto Zoo.
How The Funds Will Be Used
In addition to the moving and new venue set-up costs, the Rhino Room crew are hoping for your support to help them build a NEW PERFORMANCE SPACE at Rhino Room. A functional, eclectic, beautiful and engaging environment to allow their performers and Rhino family to continue making their art in Adelaide.
Funds raised will be put directly into creating this space at the new Rhino Room at 1/131 Pirie Street.
The money will be used for new staging, design, curtains, a sound system, lighting, green room, airconditioning and painting. All the things associated with building a new room for the next generation of South Australian comedians, musicians and visual artists. A fresh, functional Rhino Room with the vibe of the old one!
While saving the Rhino Room they wanted to consider the plight of flesh and blood rhinos around the world, so 5% of the total proceeds awarded from their crowdfunding campaign will be donated to a Save the Rhinos initiative run by Monarto Zoo who are currently raising funds to relocate about 30 White Rhinos from South Africa to Monarto Zoo.
“More than 1,300 rhinos were poached last year in South Africa alone, and we’ve nearly reached the tipping point where more rhinos are poached each year than are born. At the current rate of poaching, rhinos in the wild will be extinct by 2024. To save the rhino, we must increase our efforts to safeguard and breed rhinos in protected places which is why we are relocating these rhino. It is hoped that the first rhinos will be relocated in the next twelve months. As a conservation charity, Zoos SA is committed to helping ensure the future of this near-threatened species and we are proud to have already bred five Southern White Rhinos.” Zoos SA
Rhino Room and Adelaide Comedy are both very excited about supporting Zoos SA in a small way through this campaign and are looking forward to working with them on future projects to save more actual Rhinoceros. So stay tuned for that! Click Here to find out more about the Australian Rhino Project.
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