D-Day launch for Reignite: The Meteor campaign. Photo / Supplied
D-Day launch for Reignite: The Meteor campaign. Photo / Supplied
The Meteor Theatre is gearing up to reignite live arts and reopen its doors this weekend and theatre, comedy, live youth bands, a kids' show and a live-streaming festival are just some of the events for the coming months.
Saturday June 6 will be the first live event at the Hamilton theatre after two months of closure during the Covid-19 response.
First up is the long-running gallery crafting event Music to Make Things To but it also will be the beginning of The Meteor's Reignite Campaign - a massive fundraising drive to help the theatre recover from the loss of more than 70 per cent of annual earned income through cancellations.
Theatre manager Deborah Nudds says The Meteor will be fundraising via online crowd-funding platform Boosted Live, by collaborating on a live recording and digital streaming project with three local productions that were about to go nationwide before lockdown.
The Reboot on June 7 and 14, sees Ross Macleod create sequels to popular films suggested by an online audience. Photo / Supplied
Reignite aims to showcase Waikato performing arts and to provide a platform for the shows to continue their artistic journeys, by presenting the works online to a national audience and those who are unable to attend live performances.
"It's apt that we are starting our Reignite: The Meteor project on D-Day - June 6th," says Nudds.
"It represents the 'storming' of the space by some great local acts to get performing arts events live again.
"Our Reignite campaign will be running right through to July 11 and our kids show Destination Earth," she says.
"The campaign is focused on reawakening The Meteor as a performance space, showcasing local work and helping our community trust venue to survive and remain independent in these difficult times.
Sorry For Your Loss on June 19 is a one-woman play by Cian Gardner. Photo / Supplied
"We have been supported by Government and CNZ wage relief, but we can't take out bank loans to cover our operational costs."
Three local works being showcased in Reignite were booked for festival and venue programmes across the country but are now facing uncertain prospects following Covid-19. They are:
• Sorry For Your Loss on June 19 – a one-woman play by rising talent Cian Gardner, about her own life story, which was developed by CNZ and Creative Waikato's Incubator project in 2019.
• Ihirangaranga on June 27 - an immersive multimedia work, showcasing toi Māori, through modern composition, taonga puoro, spoken word and live painting, by local practitioners Jeremy Mayall, Horomona Horo, Michael Moore and Regan Balzer.
• Hood Street: The Musical - July 25 - A catchy musical comedy show by four of Hamilton's most proficient musical theatre talents – Kyle Cheun, Nick Wilkinson, Courteney Mayall and Nick Braae - about life in Hamilton's infamous bar precinct.
Ihirangaranga on June 27 is an immersive multimedia work, showcasing toi Māori. Photo / Supplied
"These performances will be filmed by a multi-camera crew, with live sound and video mixing to create a high-quality recording, with a small live audience," says Nudds.
"The videos will then be streamed via the Boosted Live website by The Meteor for one performance and the donations received will go towards sustaining our creative space."
Throughout the course of their Reignite campaign The Meteor is also hosting a range of other small-scale local events, such as solo improv comedy show The Reboot on June 7 and 14, where local actor, writer, improviser and Meteor trustee Ross Macleod will create sequels to popular films suggested by an online audience.
Hood Street: The Musical - July 25 is a catchy musical comedy about life in Hamilton's infamous bar precinct. Photo / Supplied
Plus, touring stand-up comedy from rising star Joe Daymond and Liam Malone, the gold medal Paralympian is scheduled for June 25.
