Q Theatre
Construction
| Foundation partner
| Professional Performing Arts Venue Study 2008
Artist's impression of the completed Q Theatre
Once built Q Theatre, at the heart of the city's creative Aotea Quarter, will
be the perfect venue for vibrant contemporary theatre, dance and performing arts
representing the best local and international flavours.
The new theatre will complement the Auckland Town Hall, Civic Theatre, Aotea
Centre, and smaller venues like the Herald Theatre, the Basement Theatre and the
Classic Comedy Club to enhance the existing arts and creative hub in this area.
The auditorium will feature flexible staging and seating for medium sized
audiences of about 350 to 450 people. For performers and production crews, it
will be fully fitted with the tools to stage a world-class performance. For
audiences, it's going to be a great, modern venue to enjoy the arts.
Performance at the site of the new Q Theatre.
Q Theatre will be located at 305 Queen Street, next to the Auckland Town Hall,
and it will extend back to Greys Avenue.
Construction
On 4 November 2009, a dawn ceremony marked one of the first steps in preparing
for the construction of Q Theatre. The event - which took place at the site of
the new theatre - included a karakia to bless the land.
Construction is due to start in December, and the project is expected to be
completed by the end of 2011.
Foundation partner
Auckland City Council is the foundation partner of Q Theatre and has committed
the land and buildings to the project, as well as a capital contribution of
$9.6million and ongoing operational support.
For more information about the plans for the venue, visit
www.qtheatre.co.nz
Professional Performing Arts Venue Study 2008
In 2008, the former Auckland City Council commissioned a
Professional Performing Arts Venue Study to guide its decisions on venue
development priorities in Auckland.
In late 2010, the Auckland Council commissioned a review of
the 2008 report to provide an updated assessment of:
- professional performing arts needs and venues throughout the Auckland
region
- the need for centrally-located venues and the need for, and roles of,
venues in suburban locations
- the most appropriate locations for particular venue types
- current planned or suggested development options and how well each
addresses immediate or future needs. In particular:
- a refurbished St James Theatre
- a refurbished Mercury Theatre
- Auckland Theatre Company's waterfront theatre proposal.
The updated study was reported to the Auckland Council's
Regional Development and Operations Committee at its meeting of 11 May 2011. In
addition, the 25 May 2011 meeting of the council's Strategy and Finance
Committee granted conditional funding of $10 million over two years from 2012/13
to the Auckland Theatre Company waterfront theatre proposal.
You can see the agenda reports and resolutions here.
11 May 2011 Regional Development and Operations Committee
25 May 2011 Strategy and Finance Committee
Professional
Performing Arts Venue Study 2008 (PDF 782kb)
Professional Performing Arts Venue Study Review 2011 (PDF 365kb)
Reviewed July 2011
