The space opened in May, 2022, as a temporary pilot under the umbrella of the Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust to support local theatre following the demise of the Fortune Theatre and while work continued on planning for a purpose-built theatre in the city.
After the pilot ended in December 2023, the Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust continued to operate Te Whare o Rukutia with reduced capacity but even so it has become an important community facility, hosting performances, festivals, launches, awards ceremonies, workshops, dance events and gigs.
The Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust has been in talks with the council in recent months over securing the future of Te Whare o Rukutia, located in the council-owned building at 20 Princes St, for a further three years.
Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust co-director/creative producer Kate Schrader said under the council’s Nine Year Plan, Te Whare o Rukutia would continue to occupy the Princes St site for the next three years and would receive funding of $50,000 per year.
"This is great news for us, as it means we will be able to employ someone to be venue manager, take more bookings, increase our offerings, and take a look at our hire prices," Ms Schrader said.
"And we can continue to provide an interim space for local creatives, alongside our hard-working fellow venues in Dunedin, while the council pursues its longer-term plans around a purpose-built venue for the city.
"It is a fantastic result, and it is thanks for the council’s generous investment and the advocacy of many community members — that Te Whare o Rukutia should remain accessible to the community as an interim solution," she said.
"And it will enable us to get the most out of the space and support the hirers using it. We have a lot of ideas that we are looking forward to discussing further.
"Having the multi-year support is crucial — it means we can extend our goals further, rather than always having to take a short-term approach."
Te Whare o Rukutia was a useful multi-purpose venue, with seating for 120 people, a stage, lighting and sound equipment, a high-spec projector and screen, tables, its own kitchen, bathrooms, storage space and a backstage area.
It could also easily be used as an all-ages space.
"The Amped Music Project has made great use of the venue for its all-ages gigs, with the young people involved having the chance to organise the shows themselves," Ms Schrader said.
Recruitment was already under way for a part-time venue manager, who would oversee the space and work with creatives hiring it to ensure they had the best possible experience.
It was hoped this person would be in place by the end of the year.
The additional funding would also enable the Fringe Arts Trust to review the venue’s hiring structure, with the aim of making it as accessible as possible to Dunedin’s creative community.
Ms Schrader paid tribute to the vision of the people and organisations involved in the foundation of Te Whare o Rukutia back in 2020-21, including Dunedin Arts Festival, Prospect Park Productions, Stage South and the council’s Ara Toi team, in the midst of the Covid pandemic.
Funding support from the Ministry of Culture & Heritage, the Te Uringi Project Fund and the council were vital to the establishment of the venue.
The advocacy of Dunedin Arts Festival director Charlie Unwin, H.J. Kilkelly, former council arts adviser Cara Patterson (now a Creative NZ senior adviser) and Fringe Arts Trust representatives Gareth MacMillan and Andy Meldrum had been crucial.
"The council did a lot of work on the space, which had been the Dunedin Community Gallery, to convert it into a functional and pleasant theatre space.
"Fortunately, the Community Gallery was able to go in next door and the two spaces often work together on hosting events during festivals and so forth.
"Together, they are extremely valuable," Ms Schrader said.
