Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
4
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre is a cultural facility of the Liverpool City Council on the banks of the Georges River. We have a busy schedule of exhibitions, performances, festivals, screenings, theatre and events across six galleries, two theatres and a large main hall. We also have Bellbird Dining & Bar, open for breakfast, brunches and lunches seven days a week, with dinner available as well for selected evening events. There are kids and artists studios, a ceramics studio, a small outdoor amphitheatre and a self-contained three-bedroom apartment for artists-in-residence. We have free car parking and Casula Railway Station next door, making getting there and home again easy. We are open seven days a week, except for Public Holidays and the Christmas-New Year period.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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4.0
39 reviews
Excellent
18
Very good
14
Average
4
Poor
3
Terrible
0
JoBerg
3 contributions
July 2024 • Friends
What a disappointing experience. Only 3 rooms open, one with some painted single mattresses, one with a projected stars and lights, one in a tiny room with beautiful items but that’s it. One larger space being prepared for an exhibition. Unless we missed something what a very underused space.
On the plus side the restaurant is fabulous!
On the plus side the restaurant is fabulous!
Written 17 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angloteuton
Sydney, Australia60 contributions
June 2019 • Couples
We love going to Casula Powerhouse. We mostly go for the exhibitions and the peaceful atmosphere but we also have seen plays there. We’ve watched the cafe evolve from a workers’ cafe with sausage rolls etc. to a restaurant with pretentious to fine dining. Today was a let down, particularly as the meal wasn’t cheap. My pork belly was missing an element mentioned in the description. The pork itself was not crisp on the top and yielding underneath but just squelchy and gelatinous throughout. It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t nice. The root veg was soft and greasy. It was probably good originally. They grow their veg on site. But they’d messed it up in the cooking. When I pointed out that the crisps mentioned on the menu were entirely absent and there was nothing crisp on the plate (everything was soft, mushy and greasy), the lady checked and said chef admitted she’d forgotten to put the crisps on. I said I’d offered feedback because I wanted to keep coming. I’d thought a discount or a free coffee might have been offered but I thought wrongly. I paid the full price despite the fact that it was admitted that an element had been omitted. What a shame that my positive impression of this place is now clouded.
Written 6 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CasandraTP
Sydney, Australia4,294 contributions
Mar 2019 • Friends
Came here for an art exhibition opening and was really impressed on the diversity of the different artists. One current exhibition is by Robert Hague which is just amazing and his plate prints are thought provoking, do read the descriptions on each one. Another exhibition is by ceramic artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, the size of them alone is impressive. The gallery is an amazing venue in itself and the gardens have some gems through it by the river. Easy to get to with public transport right by the Casula train station. Or just under an hour drive out of Sydney. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. And they do have a great little cafe if you are feeling hungry.
Written 30 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jackie M
Sydney, Australia7,800 contributions
Apr 2016 • Couples
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre Youth (CPAC Youth) were tasked with creating an event that “would interest young people, and of course themselves, and represent the diversity of Western Sydney," coordinator Jax Hornjik explains. Her pride in her young team is palpable as she introduces their resulting event, A Place At The Table.
The collaborative process between Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and local youth allows young people to feel involved with their local arts centre while at the same time as gaining valuable skills in performance, marketing and event production. As Jax explains, each month CPAC Youth come up with new work, “and we just go: we'll write the risk assessment for you."
Aimed at young people aged between 12 and 25, A Place at the Table brought together many of the cultures present in the wider Liverpool Council catchment. For a minimal spend of $20, guests were treated to a ten-course degustation celebrating ten different cultures, with the dishes supplied by local businesses. Beginning with fat pockets of crab meat inari from Sushi Hub, Casula and ending with a quartet of desserts from Italy, Uruguay, Poland and Cambodia, the shared meal was created with the assistance of Taste Food Tours.
Each course was accompanied by a short cultural performance designed and performed by CPAC Youth members. None were more poignant than An Le’s My Story; her own narrative of being a first generation Vietnamese-Australian. While guests tucked into chicken spring rolls from VN Noodle House, Liverpool, An told us that "life growing up here in Liverpool was mostly a really positive experience."
As a teenager An rebelled against the Vietnamese language classes her Mother sent her to, but in later years she came to recognise the importance of knowing her cultural heritage. Amidst a flurry of tears, An related a conversation with her Mother where she asked why she wasn’t mad when her daughter rejected her culture. An said her Mother told her she immigrated because she wanted her kids to be happy, and have choices, because “hers were so limited at my age.”
Chilean empanadas, supplied by popular Carramar bakery, Lion D’Or, were a lucky dip of flavours; but guests were able to choose their favourite type of Serbian burek. Opting for meat, I was particularly excited by the airy ripples of flaky pastry in the offerings sourced from Royalty Bakery in Liverpool. (I've even noted down their address at the end of this post, so I can visit it at a future date.)
A short break in proceedings afforded guests the opportunity to wander the grounds of the art centre; experiencing the cacophony of sound generated by the river’s extraordinary bird life, and take in the art.
The large oil and water tanks, remnants from the venue’s time as an electrical substation, are one of the few legal art walls available to street artists in Sydney. You’ll also find pieces like a poured concrete ‘old skool’ boom box if you keep your eyes peeled.
"Zionists invaded our land, which they were promised, but we were not warned," reads Renee. She’s wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh and illuminating us on the plight of the Palestinians as we resume our meal, tucking into falafel and hummus from Yum Yum Bakery in Guildford.
We also hear about the struggles of the Khmer in Cambodia while eating coconut jelly from Mrs Op’s Shop in Bonnyrigg. Both performances neatly put paid to the lie that young people are politically disengaged.
“Leichhardt? Don’t go there for Nonna’s cooking, it’s rubbish,” volunteers the vivacious Amelia Morgano. She’s summoning her Italian Nonna for a cannoli demonstration that co-opts a few audience volunteers. We’re kept from getting too envious with our own vanilla, chocolate and ricotta cannoli from Divine Sweets in Casula; licking our fingers to a bubbling monologue seemingly streamed direct from the lips of her Italian Nonna.
We start to hit maximum sugar overload when trays of Uruguayan cakes from Lion D’Or bakery are circulated, fast on the heels of glazed, plum jam-filled Polish doughnuts from Copernicus Café and Restaurant in Liverpool.
It's hard not to leave impressed about the positive impact this metropolitan arts centre is having on the young people of South West Sydney. By engaging youth in the process of producing art-based events, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre ensures it has a youth-relevant programme while simultaneously equipping the area's young artists and event producers with hands on experience that will flesh out their creative portfolios - a win-win situation!
The collaborative process between Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and local youth allows young people to feel involved with their local arts centre while at the same time as gaining valuable skills in performance, marketing and event production. As Jax explains, each month CPAC Youth come up with new work, “and we just go: we'll write the risk assessment for you."
Aimed at young people aged between 12 and 25, A Place at the Table brought together many of the cultures present in the wider Liverpool Council catchment. For a minimal spend of $20, guests were treated to a ten-course degustation celebrating ten different cultures, with the dishes supplied by local businesses. Beginning with fat pockets of crab meat inari from Sushi Hub, Casula and ending with a quartet of desserts from Italy, Uruguay, Poland and Cambodia, the shared meal was created with the assistance of Taste Food Tours.
Each course was accompanied by a short cultural performance designed and performed by CPAC Youth members. None were more poignant than An Le’s My Story; her own narrative of being a first generation Vietnamese-Australian. While guests tucked into chicken spring rolls from VN Noodle House, Liverpool, An told us that "life growing up here in Liverpool was mostly a really positive experience."
As a teenager An rebelled against the Vietnamese language classes her Mother sent her to, but in later years she came to recognise the importance of knowing her cultural heritage. Amidst a flurry of tears, An related a conversation with her Mother where she asked why she wasn’t mad when her daughter rejected her culture. An said her Mother told her she immigrated because she wanted her kids to be happy, and have choices, because “hers were so limited at my age.”
Chilean empanadas, supplied by popular Carramar bakery, Lion D’Or, were a lucky dip of flavours; but guests were able to choose their favourite type of Serbian burek. Opting for meat, I was particularly excited by the airy ripples of flaky pastry in the offerings sourced from Royalty Bakery in Liverpool. (I've even noted down their address at the end of this post, so I can visit it at a future date.)
A short break in proceedings afforded guests the opportunity to wander the grounds of the art centre; experiencing the cacophony of sound generated by the river’s extraordinary bird life, and take in the art.
The large oil and water tanks, remnants from the venue’s time as an electrical substation, are one of the few legal art walls available to street artists in Sydney. You’ll also find pieces like a poured concrete ‘old skool’ boom box if you keep your eyes peeled.
"Zionists invaded our land, which they were promised, but we were not warned," reads Renee. She’s wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh and illuminating us on the plight of the Palestinians as we resume our meal, tucking into falafel and hummus from Yum Yum Bakery in Guildford.
We also hear about the struggles of the Khmer in Cambodia while eating coconut jelly from Mrs Op’s Shop in Bonnyrigg. Both performances neatly put paid to the lie that young people are politically disengaged.
“Leichhardt? Don’t go there for Nonna’s cooking, it’s rubbish,” volunteers the vivacious Amelia Morgano. She’s summoning her Italian Nonna for a cannoli demonstration that co-opts a few audience volunteers. We’re kept from getting too envious with our own vanilla, chocolate and ricotta cannoli from Divine Sweets in Casula; licking our fingers to a bubbling monologue seemingly streamed direct from the lips of her Italian Nonna.
We start to hit maximum sugar overload when trays of Uruguayan cakes from Lion D’Or bakery are circulated, fast on the heels of glazed, plum jam-filled Polish doughnuts from Copernicus Café and Restaurant in Liverpool.
It's hard not to leave impressed about the positive impact this metropolitan arts centre is having on the young people of South West Sydney. By engaging youth in the process of producing art-based events, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre ensures it has a youth-relevant programme while simultaneously equipping the area's young artists and event producers with hands on experience that will flesh out their creative portfolios - a win-win situation!
Written 15 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bartyjy
Sydney, Australia321 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
This gallery is fantastic. We came to view the refugee themed exhibition and were not disappointed. Like a miniature Tate Modern, this former industrial space is beautiful, well thought out and welcoming. The exhibition was an exciting mix of headline names including Ai Wei Wei, Anish Kapoor and Chagall as well as fascinating post refugee artists recently able to settle in Australia. The staff were very friendly and the setting is beside the river. There is also a large area for people to experiment with street art which was really good fun for the children. The gallery is also as easy to access by car as it is by train; it is located right beside Casula station. This is a venue for the people of Liverpool and Casula to be really proud of.
Written 7 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bazzathebuff
Liverpool, Australia2 contributions
Feb 2016 • Couples
The annual list of attractions always offers something for everyone. Children to Seniors can enjoy entertainment locally and the venue has every comfort. Parking, food, diverse shows, art, movies, displays and cultural events are all there and it is very accessible. A slight minus is that the bain-marie service of food sometimes can get cold, get in early. Enjoy your many visits, I have!
Written 27 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jemi W
Greater Sydney, Australia76 contributions
June 2023 • Couples
What a fantastic space for a theatre and art centre this wonderful old powerhouse is just brilliant saw an excellent show there today 13 suitcases highly recommended also the aviation display was also excellent staff very kind very helpful
Written 2 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tamsin H
Sydney, Australia781 contributions
Sept 2022 • Friends
Terrific building with lots of interesting exhibition space. A small shop stocks lovely gifts. Nicely designed interior.
Written 11 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rex b
Sydney, Australia174 contributions
Oct 2019
Very helpful people, great space and some interesting exhibitions. Worth a trip out there and make sure you stay for lunch!
Written 29 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nigel B
Sydney, Australia400 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
Haven't been here in literally decades and wow hasn't this place changed. Now a sophisticated and intelligent, the arts museum has lots of thought provoking and always changing exhibits and experiences. We dropped in and they ahd some steampunk and Ironfest characters roaming around as well some interesting and quite different art pieces.
Written 12 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I want to book for Thursdays Trash Test Dummies, however the only seat available are at the back. Are all the seat on the same level? Will our children be able to see the show?
Written 11 July 2017
Sorry I only went to the café, so can't answer you
Written 12 July 2017
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