• In 2001 the Salamanca Arts Centre, under the Centre's director Rosemary Miller, took on the task of addressing a need for professional theatre training in southern Tasmania. The result was SPACE (originally the Salamanca Performing Arts Certificate in Entertainment).

• The Salamanca Arts Centre secured the support of TAFE Tasmania and a pilot course was established under the VET Entertainment Training Package focussing on delivering foundation skills in audio, lighting, sets and props construction and stage management. 

• These formative years provided a solid foundation for the course to grow and evolve. After a couple of years working around the theatre's busy schedule, it was felt that SPACE needed a permanent base with access to a greater range of teaching facilities.

• In 2006 the then SPACE Coordinator, Jon Bowling, reached an agreement with Hobart College to move the administrative and teaching base to the  Mount Nelson Theatre on the Mount Nelson Campus. The move extended the administrative and teaching resources of the course and also gave the students the opportunity to get more hands on experience working on a variety of campus, amateur and professional productions.
   
• The following year saw the expansion of the course from Certificate IV level to Diploma and Advanced Diploma level. The expansion was supported by the entertainment industry and TAFE Tasmania and greatly improved the outcomes for all stakeholders. This also brought about a slight adjustment in the course title to the Salamanca Performing Arts Course in Entertainment.

• At the start of 2008 course co-ordinators Jon Bowling and Jen Cramer moved on but both remain as valued tutors in their fields of expertise; Jon in Sets & Props and Core units, Jen in Stage Management and Core units.

• 2009 saw the establishment of the Tasmanian Polytechnic as SPACE's Registered Training Organisation and the restructuring of the course to facilitate training in three main streams with each stream involving a specialised training program.
  
  
• SPACE continues to evolve under the guidance of Coordinator Guy Hooper. SPACE provides quality training from industry professionals for aspiring theatre and live event technicians in Tasmania.

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Written by Jason James