Melbourne arts studio shuts after founder receives death threats

An after-school arts studio in Melbourne has closed for the foreseeable future after its founder, Alice Krause, received death threats and threats to firebomb the premises. The threats followed a video of Krause telling an Asian motorist at a Bunnings car park to “go back to China”, prompting her to apologise publicly and take responsibility for her racist remarks.

Krause also apologised to students and families who trusted her to provide a respectful environment. The studio’s windows were spray-painted with the word “racist”; a man removing the graffiti said the threats made the children’s venue unsafe. He described Krause as not racist while agreeing that what she said was racist.