Venue to add vibrant buzz to city

Auckland City Council will give $4.6 million, plus land and buildings for the new theatre.

When the curtain came down on Auckland's Watershed Theatre late in 1996, its supporters - among them some of the country's best-known performers - vowed it would return.

The theatre, they said, was in recess until a new permanent venue was found and they were optimistic that would be soon. Several buildings were being looked at, negotiations had started and private investors were keen to support the project. Then there was silence.

It wasn't until last month that the long-awaited replacement venue was announced and the results of nearly a decade of behind-the-scenes negotiations, fundraising and feasibility studies revealed.

Auckland City Council has confirmed it will give $4.6 million, plus land and buildings for a purpose-built theatre behind Auckland Town Hall, between Queen St and Greys Ave, as part of an "entertainment precinct".

The theatre (total cost $12.5 million) includes a flexible auditorium, seating for 350-460, a bar and a cafe.

Actor, director and long-time project supporter Michael Hurst welcomes the news. "It was a tragedy that the Watershed Theatre fell over, and while the Maidment is great as a theatre, it faces huge pressures in terms of bookings.

"We need a theatre around the 400-seat mark because Auckland doesn't have one.

"At this size, the theatre can be profitable; it is purpose-built to be flexible so it's practical for a wide range of groups at a time when we are seeing a revitalised Auckland theatre scene."

Catherine Chappell, founder of mixed-ability dance company Touch Compass, hopes a new theatre will solve some of the difficulties she has in finding suitable venues.

"There's a big difference between what you can do in your own venue and what you can do in someone else's. Because this is a flexible space, managed by industry, it means you can change the configuration of the seating, re-arrange the space, screw things into the walls and generally make things the way you want them."

With half the money already in hand, members of the New Theatre Initiative (NTI) must find the rest. Plans for major public fundraising next year are under way so building can begin in 2007 for an opening in 2008.

So why the delay? The Watershed's demise was, it should be noted, a result of the building lease expiring rather than the venture being a financial flop.

Justin Lewis, a founder of the Indian Ink Theatre Company and executive member of the NTI, says the city council and performers alike wanted to ensure a new theatre was successful.

Lewis acknowledges that for the council to stump up funds, it meant being able to offer a robust defence to arguments that ratepayers' money is better spent on roading and drainage than arts and culture.

"Your feelings about the project depend on what you see as being the role of a city council. I think it's about helping to make Auckland an exciting and vibrant city to live in, and the performing arts are part of that.

"They must not be seen in isolation from other creative industries such as film and IT. If you look at the sheer number of performers, technicians and designers who move backwards and forwards between film and television, you won't find many without a theatre background."

In 1998, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu surveyed Auckland's professional performing arts venues to see if a new theatre was needed. It found that a flexiform theatre, with moveable stages and seating, was necessary.

The following year, a working party was set up to work on a design brief with the council and architects. The site for the new theatre, 305 Queen St, was identified as best.

In May 2000, theatre and dance practitioners met and agreed they wanted a space which was available for a variety of companies and individuals to use, becoming a focal point for the arts community.

Three months later, the NTI was established and the next two years were spent working on a business case to present to the council.

Lewis says those reports showed the new theatre would generate around $2 million of business for Auckland annually.

Although the city council's events and recreation committee approved in principle its support for the theatre's development, further work was required to strengthen the business case. This included drawing up more detailed plans to provide accurate estimations for building and fit-out costs.

Two years later, in May 2004, the committee voted to support the flexiform theatre's development on condition that the NTI raised $1.5 million by June 2005. ASB Trusts contributed $900,000 to the project and the Sir John Logan Campbell Residuary Trust $100,000, meeting the council's deadline.

The plans became public after final approval from the council.

New Theatre Initiative chairman Andrew Caisley describes the decision as "fantastic".

"When you look at other cities similar to Auckland, they all have this size and type of theatre in their mix. It's a critical part of the cluster of live performance opportunities that energises people and makes for the creative buzz of a city."