Time Line

2010 - Projected opening for new theatre

February 2008 -  The review of Q Theatre’s future gets debated at Council’s Annual Planning Direction Setting meeting.  Over 120 members of the performing arts industry turn up in support of Q Theatre.  At the (3 hour!) meeting Councillors voted to allow Q to draw down $200,000 of their grant to finalise resource consent in order to lodge a Lotteries application.  Councillors also vote to undertake a venue needs study with an expected completion date of June 08.  The Town Hall Arts Precinct gets deferred for three years by council’s Arts, Culture & Recreation committee.  Lisa Bates, Q’s new fundraising manager begins work.

November – December 2007 – A newly elected Council, with a mandate of keeping rates at a level of inflation, reviews all capital spending.  Q Theatre is on a list of projects to be deferred for three years.  In appeal of this, Q presented to the Arts Culture & Recreation Committee in December, supported by high profile members of the performing arts industry.  We were subsequently removed from the deferral list pending a review.

- Fiona Mogridge resigns from the Q Theatre Board due to the birth of her second child.

October 2007 – Government announces a new Lotteries fund (“Lottery Significant Projects Fund”) for capital projects worth over $1m.  Applications require resource consent and are due in April.

 – Q Theatre starts recruiting for a Fundraising Manager.

September 2007 – Council’s Arts Culture & Recreation committee votes unanimously to recommend an additional $4.6 million funding be granted to Q Theatre.  This recommendation is then voted on and passed unanimously by the Finance committee, and then by a full Council forum.  Resource Consent is lodged.

August 2007 – Consultation begins with the neighbours on Q Theatre’s draft construction plans.

July 2007 – A second design consultation is held, with the architects reporting back to the practitioners who attended the February sessions.  A first draft of seating layouts are provided.  Chapman Tripp comes on board as our pro-bono legal providers. 

June 2007 – RCP are appointed as Project Managers.  Leading the team is Waren Warfield.  RCP are also project managers for the Town Hall Arts Precinct development.

May 2007 – Q Theatre’s 2007 Business and Strategic plan is presented to Council.  A thank you event is held for our donors. 

March 2007 – ASB Community Trust makes an additional grant of $2.645m, bringing their total funding of Q Theatre to almost $4.5m, and making us one of the Trust’s largest funded projects.  This is a particularly satisfying result for Q Theatre as the decision came out of an extensive external audit by ASB Community Trust on the project – further consolidation that this theatre is absolutely needed for Auckland.

February 2007 – General Manager Susanne Ritzenhoff begins work at Q Theatre. 
A series of design consultation meetings are held, with Q Theatre architects talking directly to practitioners and future users of the new theatre about their needs and thoughts on size, seating and so on.

January 2007 – The office moves out of 305 Queen St and the James Wallace Arts Trust who had kindly housed us for two plus years, and move into the office of Q Chairman, David Appleby.

December 2006 – NTi announces the new Board of Q Theatre to take on leadership of the project.  Subsequently, the appointment of General Manager is made and NTi welcomes Susanne Ritzenhoff to manage the project.  The NTi executive begins the transition phase of handing the reins to the Board of Q Theatre. 

Architects areappointed to the project after a tender process.  Auckland based Cheshire Architects will work alongside Williams Ross, a Melbourne firm with specialist theatre design experience.

November 2006 – The Q Theatre brand is launched in magnificent fashion with one fantastic party! created by Mike Mizrahi and Marie Adams of Inside Out Productions and worked on by over 200 volunteers who perform, sing, play, organised, or simply folded 400 t-shirts!  The event was attended by Prime Minister Helen Clark and Mayor Dick Hubbard.

September 2006 – It’s a busy period as NTi goes through the process of transitioning into the new organisation who will actually run the theatre. Advertising begins to recruit the first Chair, Board and General Manager. 

July 2006 – Success!   In July, the Auckland City Council announces they will develop the Town Hall Arts Precinct, as part of plans for improving the Aotea Quarter.

June/July 2006 – NTi holds two open meetings with the performing arts community to get the industry’s feedback on the current design of the new theatre and the governance structure.  Feedback is hugely positive and constructive.

June 2006 – ASB Trusts brings us even closer!  ASB Trusts gives the new theatre a further $1 million towards the capital project, bringing our funds raised to over $7 million towards the capital fundraising target.  ASB Trusts have been tremendous supporters of the project, not only with the capital fundraising but with day-to-day support as well.

May 2006 – NTi makes a submission to the Auckland City Council’s Draft Long-Term Plan for developing Auckland for the next 10 years.   Lots of our members come in behind to support this advocacy, which aims to ensure that a really buzzy re-development of the Town Hall Arts Precinct  - plans which include providing offices and rehearsal spaces for an exciting new group of leading arts producers - goes ahead.

March – June 2006 – NTi holds a series of  intimate fundraising events with some of Auckland’s noted arts patrons and citizens, inviting them to get engaged in plans to build Auckland's newest, most exciting theatre.  Champions of the project attend or perform at these events. With this support, we’re well on the way with our fundraising.  The first event in Waiheke alone generated pledges of $90,000.

November 2005 - Council confirms their financial support of the $3 million plus land and buildings, plus contributes an extra $1.6 million, which takes us over the halfway mark of fundraising for the capital campaign. NTI joins in discussions with the Council on the Outside the Square project, and the fifth AGM is held at 305 Queen Street, future home of the new theatre.     

June 2005 - ASB Trusts contribute $900,000 to the capital campaign, and the Sir John Logan Campbell Residuary Trust donate $100,000, taking us to the $1.5 million mark and meeting the Council's condition.

November 2004 - Fourth AGM is held on site at 305 Queen Street, future home of the new theatre.

September 2004 - Fundraising group is established.

July 2004 - Project Manager Margaret Belich is appointed to oversee fundraising efforts.

May 2004 - Auckland City Council's Recreation and Events Committee resolve to support the development of the flexiform theatre on the Queen Street - Greys Avenue site with a capital contribution. Council will contribute the site and buildings plus $3 million towards capital costs (estimated at $10 million) on condition that NTi raise $1.5 million by June 2005.

August 2003 - After further development, the Business Case is presented to Auckland City Council.

September 2002 -Third AGM is held. Report to members includes progress reports about Council's response to the business case, designs, plans for next 12 months.

July 2002 - Auckland City Council's Events and Recreation Committee approve 'in principle support for the development of a Flexiform Theatre on the sites at the rear of the Town Hall.' Further work is required to strengthen the Business Case including a feasibility study and development of more detailed architectural plans to enable more accurate estimation of building and fitout costs.

February and April 2002 - Second series of Creative and Professional Artform Development Workshops for 6 mentored projects involving 32 participants.

August 2001 - a Business Case for development of a flexiform theatre on the Garage Site in partnership with Council is submitted to Council.

June 2001 - 2nd AGM and new executive members. Report to members includes concept drawings for the new theatre on the Garage site, draft Aims and Vision, draft governance structure.

March and May 2001 - first series of Creative and Professional Artform Development Workshops are held at UNITEC studios. 8 mentored projects involving 60 participants.

October 2000 - Auckland City Council approves the development by NTI of a business plan for development of a flexiform theatre on the Garage Site in partnership with Council to be submitted to Council.

August 2000 - Establishment of New Theatre Initiative as an incorporated society. First AGM is held and Executive committee appointed.

May 2000 - Theatre and dance practitioners meet to discuss the need for a new, flexible theatre in Auckland, and air their ideas. Their vision is a theatre that supports the work of a number of companies and talented individuals; a theatre that brings new talent through, commissions some work and acts as a focal point for the community with an active arts development programme; and one that has a bar and restaurant open throughout the day.

1999 - Auckland City establishes a Flexiform Working Party to develop a brief for this new theatre. Committee includes number of arts professionals including John Verryt, Cath Cardiff, Lester McGrath, Margie Mellsop, and Justin Lewis, who work with the Council and architects Pip Cheshire and Warren Young from Jasmax to develop the design brief. A survey is taken of suitable sites and plans are developed for a 350 seat flexiform theatre on the site of the old Auckland City Council Garage (at the back of the Town Hall and next to Silo).

1998 - Auckland City Council commissions Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu to do a survey of professional performing arts venues in Auckland and identify what, if anything is needed. The Deloitte report concludes that a flexiform (moveable stages and seating) theatre is the most pressing need.

1996 - The Watershed Theatre lease expires and owners not willing to renew.