Music in the Round has enjoyed a variety of homes since its inception in 1972, including Montsalvat (its first), the Werribee Mansion, and the Abbotsford Convent, where it relocated in 1977 and was staged for nine years. After a massive seven-year community campaign to save the convent from a developer who planned to demolish many heritage buildings and build 289 apartments, Music in the Round returned in 2014, ten years after the establishment of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation (ACF). The sprawling site is administrated by the ACF as an arts precinct that is home to over one hundred studios, two galleries, cafes, a radio station, a school, and glorious green parklands. The Abbotsford Convent, which dates from the 1880s, was added to the National Heritage Register in 2017.

Ensemble Liaison at Abbotsford Convent. Photo © Anne Moffat

Not surprisingly given this history, there is a palpable sense of community ownership and a buzz of relaxed excitement among the attendees of the packed opening session of Music in the Round in the North Magdalen Laundry building. Newly saved from dilapidation and still sporting distressed walls, its massive ceilings feature large...