Theatre space to the tune of more than $17 million is back in Dunedin’s script for performing arts after the city council went improv on funding a multi-venue package.
The Playhouse Theatre was the most immediate winner for having Dunedin City Council debt-funded money earmarked to support a building upgrade.
It is intended $3.35m will be set aside for remedial and refurbishment work on the heritage building in the third year of the council’s 2025-34 long-term plan.
The Playhouse is particularly well known for its children’s programme and the city’s elected representatives backed the grant with a 13-0 vote yesterday.
The Dunedin Repertory Society would need to come up with $2.44m more for the project from community fundraising.
Development of a central city performance venue within the Athenaeum complex was envisaged as the next project and this would receive $4.25m of cornerstone funding from the council in the fourth year of its nine-year plan.
The full project has been listed as having a price tag of about $15.5m and the council’s indicated contribution was supported by an 11-2 vote yesterday.
Mayor Jules Radich and deputy mayor Cherry Lucas were against it.
Seed funding of $9.5m for a new performing arts facility was tagged to 2030-31 in the council’s plan and this was backed 9-3.
Cr Kevin Gilbert joined Mr Radich and Cr Lucas in opposition.
The council’s intended allocation across the three venues tallied $17.1m, which was the same capital amount approved in the council’s 2021-31 long-term plan but was then missing from budgets for the draft 2025-34 plan.
Removal of the money led to a strong protest across the performing arts sector, reinstatement of the planned spend and support for a hybrid vision of refurbishing two venues and building a new one.
The council also endorsed operational funding for Te Whare o Rukutia of $50,000 a year for three years, which is intended to serve as a stopgap until suitable facilities for professional theatre are established.
The vote for this was 10-2 - Crs Brent Weatherall and Marie Laufiso were against it this time.
Missing from the picture was the Mayfair Theatre, which was particularly criticised by professional theatre practitioners as a dated, inflexible facility — and labelled a ‘‘dead hedgehog’’ by one.
The approved package for performing arts was stitched together on the fly yesterday by councillors.
They first approved changing the council’s revenue and financing policy to enable a community organisation constructing or upgrading a building to access a grant through council debt.
They then agreed there should be a theatre action plan, similar to the city’s approach for live music.
Resolutions were then passed one by one to adopt what was collectively essentially the consensus position from the performing arts sector.
Conditions were attached to the funding - some yet to be fleshed out.
Dunedin Repertory Society president Brent Caldwell watched much of the hours-long discussion and was pleased with where things landed.
It was a massive step forward for securing a special venue for children’s theatre, he said.
‘‘We've got a really big task ahead of us to raise the remainder of the funding and complete the refurbishment, and it'll be a real community effort, but we just can't wait to get stuck in.’’
Cr Carmen Houlahan was prominent in the day’s discussions and, during a debate about building a new venue, said it was about creating a beating heart in the city again.
Cr Gilbert felt it was more ‘‘a shot of adrenaline, followed by a jolt of defibrillation alongside a case of Red Bull’’ and sugar.
Cr Bill Acklin recused himself from the entire discussion, after he said five councillors had raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest due to his son providing professional services to the performing arts industry.
Cr Lee Vandervis, who has previously advocated for the Mayfair, was absent.
