Theatres furiously fundraising

Auckland Theatre Company has launched a public fundraising campaign to pay for a purpose-built $35 million 600-seat drama theatre on Auckland’s waterfront in the Wynyard Quarter beside ASB Bank’s planned office tower.

The company aims to raise $1 million from private donations for the project, which would finally see a permanent home for Auckland Theatre Company, currently headquartered in a basement of a Mt Eden hall.

The company’s fundraising campaign launches as Wellington’s Downstage Theatre strives to come back from near collapse last year. The theatre – the oldest professional company in New Zealand – abruptly cancelled most of its shows and laid off five fulltime staff over money woes last October. Downstage blamed reduced funding and lower than anticipated ticket sales.

The theatre has raised some funds since then and has now announced productions for the first half of this year.

Downstage was not alone in its financial struggles in Wellington. The iconic BATS theatre struggled when its home was put up for sale. But it was rescued by Sir Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, who bought the building in November.

The Auckland fundraising coincides with Auckland Theatre Company’s 21st birthday. The company was set up after an earlier professional company, the Mercury Theatre, collapsed. Its building was turned into a church.

The proposed ATC waterfront complex would have a 600-seat drama theatre; a studio theatre; and an outdoor court yard which could be used for performances, cultural events and other activities in the space between the 660-seat theatre and ASB building.

The facility will boast a café, bar and lounge and a restaurant on the ground floor of the ASB building. 

The cost of the project is $35 million and the company has received pledges of $16.5 million, including a conditional budget allocation of $10 million from Auckland Council. The pledges are conditional on further support for the project being. The council recently held a robust discussion on whether it should continue supporting the project but agreed to hold on based on further funding coming in.

Other sources of funding are being pursued and Auckland Theatre Company hopes to have the majority of funding set when it reports back to Auckland Council on progress in May.

A 400-seat theatre, the Q Theatre, was opened in Auckland last year after many years of fundraising.

The Shed

In Christchurch the Court Theatre has had to fundraise after its home was red stickered post the February earthquake. The theatre has now moved into an Addington warehouse, rebuilt and renamed The Shed.

The theatre company has done considerable fundraising for the $4.6 million needed for the Shed conversion and to keep running without access to its costumes, lighting and other equipment, still trapped in the original building.

It came up with several unusual fundraising efforts including a special brand of coffee which has raised $10,000 so far and patronage from British acting doyenne Dame Maggie Smith.

Theatres are also finding new activities to fund their activities. The Oamaru Opera House, for example, has become a temporary courthouse since the 1883 Oamaru Court Building was closed because of earthquake risk late last year. Court activities were mostly moved to Timaru but Family Court hearings moved to the opera house and criminal hearing are now expected to move there shortly.