The council’s Noisy! Spaces! project includes 15 venues, ranging from spaces in the heart of the city, to small halls in semi-rural areas.
Among them is the Dunedin Gasworks Museum, which aims to cater to a range of different rehearsal needs, from newly formed bands looking for a space to practise regularly, to community choirs needing a place to prepare for an upcoming concert.
Museum trust chairman and musician Jonathan Cweorth said it was “fantastic and it’s essential”.
He said not every group had its own rehearsal venue, and it was becoming more difficult to find affordable and accessible spaces because of the shift in the property market.
“Live music has been such a strong part of Dunedin’s creative life that we absolutely need to look after it and ensure that it continues into the future.
“I think the current initiative to increase the number of rehearsal spaces is really fantastic and certainly the Gasworks is very happy to support it.”
Details of each space are featured on the DCC’s website and in a new booklet that includes a map.
DCC Ara Toi Creative Partnerships adviser Nick Tipa said the team had worked with a range of community groups, sporting clubs and other organisations to create an extensive list of places in which to practise.
The greatest part of the initiative was that it was beneficial to everyone involved, he said.
“It’s a win-win arrangement.
“The venue owners have a way of bolstering their coffers, while musicians find more doors being opened to them.
“Building these connections to bolster our local music ecosystem is a key element of the Ōtepoti Live Music Action Plan.”
Mr Tipa said there were “some really interesting spaces”, ranging from venues in South Dunedin to semi-rural facilities, including a hall on Otago Peninsula where The Chills once played.
“One of the most interesting spaces is the Gasworks Museum.
“A unique industrial heritage site and one of a few preserved gasworks museums in the world, the museum has become a hub for community activities in recent years and is now available for musicians to use as a rehearsal space.”
Other spaces for hire are: Karitane Hall, Pioneer Hall (Port Chalmers), East Otago Event Centre (Waikouaiti), Fire Station Theatre (Mosgiel), Warrington War Memorial Hall, Dunedin Malayalee Association, St Anne’s Hall (Dunedin), Events on Stafford (Dunedin), Playhouse Theatre (Dunedin), Fairfield Bowling Club, Brighton Community Hall, Mornington Methodist Church, Long Beach McCurdy-Grimman Hall, Knox Church and Halls, Musselburgh Baptist Church, Broad Bay Community Centre, A Y U Community Space (Dunedin), Ousa Clubs and Societies Centre, Robertson Memorial Hall (Ocean View), Portobello Coronation Hall, City of Dunedin Pipe Band Rooms, Knox College, Salmond College, and The Hope Centre (St Matthew’s Church, Dunedin).
