The impact of the record-breaking floods of south-east Queensland have spread to local arts organisations, with many forced to cancel shows and clean up the damage just as their bottom line was starting to recover from Covid-19.

Brisbane Jazz Club was one of the hardest hit, but president Paul Day said rumours of the clubs ultimate demise have been exaggerated.

“We’re going to hang in there. We’re staying,” Day said.

“We’re going to have to pull some of the walls down, unfortunately, because the council advised, the water gets sucked up into the wall.

“We pulled off a couple of panels, we’ve seen that’s actually happening.

“We had no flood insurance – we weren’t covered for flood. We’ve been flooded three times in 50 years, and the trouble is the first time was back in 1974, then the next one was 2011. So it’s getting a bit closer.

“But that little club is treasured. It really is treasured by the community. We want to be around there for another 50 years.”

While the floodwaters rose halfway up the legs of the club’s treasured $25,000 Yamaha grand piano, the water did not damage the mechanism of the instrument itself.

“It’s been taken away by piano movers along with the honky-tonk. We’ll get that checked down thoroughly,” he said.

Day said their biggest disappointment is that they won’t be back in the building in time for the club’s 50th anniversary in that location, but they will simply postpone the celebration to later this year.

“We’ve done an estimation of time, and we think we’re going to be out for all of March and April,” he said.

“On the 9th of April, we had planned to have our 50th anniversary, 50 years in that spot.

“So, we’re saddened by that. We’re going to have to put that back. We’re thinking back to June, around mid-June, early to mid-June for that celebration to be safe.”

Other organisations hit by the floodwaters include QPAC with all performances cancelled until March 13, and the World Science Festival Brisbane which was due to start on Wednesday March 9, but has been forced to go online.

Queensland Museum Network CEO Dr Jim Thompson said while the decision to cancel all face to face events at the science festival was devastating, their priority was the health and safety of staff, participants and visitors.

“This is the second time the Festival has been cancelled, first in 2020 due to Covid, and now in 2022 as a result of this extreme weather,” Dr Thompson said.

“The impacts of flooding at Queensland Museum, Queensland Cultural Centre and across South Bank Parklands, and the personal impact to some our incredible participants and staff, means we’re not able to reschedule our main program of events.

“If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that our supporters are loyal and our team are versatile and able to adapt to changing situations quickly, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by the floods.

“I know many people will be disappointed that they won’t be able to attend in person, but this online and livestreamed program will certainly engage curious minds everywhere.”

At the Powerhouse, the floodwaters breached the river wall, reaching a level comparable to the 2011 floods, but thanks to preventative measures installed since the last floods, the water didn’t get into the lower-lying areas of the building.

Brisbane Powerhouse CEO Kate Gould said only a small number of programmed events were affected in the end, the ramifications of the flood go much wider.

“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the floods, and in particular to impacted arts industry colleagues,” Gould said.

“On the back of Covid-19, these further devastations to our industry will be felt deeply.”

La Boite had to cancel two shows because of flooding at QUT but have now extended the season of Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner to March 19. QPAC will also extend the season for Frozen the Musical.

Some have suggested that the Brisbane Jazz Club should move in the wake of the flood. The club sits on an old boat shed at Kangaroo Point, but president Paul Day said being right on the river was part of the club’s charm that they didn’t want to lose.

“We don’t want to change it. We could have moved away, but it’s just not the same as that little place on the river,” he said.

“So, we’re just going to try and make it as resilient to floods as possible, and use some good materials, more flood-resistant. Keep it where it is. And be back jazzing on the edge of the river in May.”

Day sent out special thanks to all the volunteers who came to help from the moment the waters started rising.

“The water came in, it brought in two inches of mud. Sticky, nasty mud,” he said.

“So, when we came back after the tide went out, we could get into the property, we found that all our outside furniture had been floating away. We lost our barbecue area, our heating equipment, all of that.

“We’ve been gurneying the deck and we’ve got rid of the big marquee – it had been flattened, all the framework was twisted. So, it’s gone.”

He’s hoping the club will be able to do International Jazz Day celebrations at nearby BEMAC on April 30.