The Q Theatre has been given a temporary lifeline after the Auckland City Council Finance and Strategy Committee today voted to release $200,000 of planned funding to allow the theatre to proceed with resource consent.

The council delayed the full $4.6 million grant, agreed to by the previous council last September but never counter-signed. It also voted down (11-8) an amendment to release a further $500,000 to continue design work.

Q Theatre chair David Appleby told The Big Idea after the meeting that the release of funds would allow it to pursue government funding, which requires projects to have resource consent to apply, for the $6.4 million shortfall.

"It's a lifeline and we'll seize it. There's a lot of passion for this project and we'll work hard to make it happen."Mr Appleby said the council's decision to not release the further $500,000, part of a $700,000 originally scheduled for release, showed there was not total council support but the Q Theatre would re-apply after the resource consent process.

"We have to take it one step at a time."

Q Theatre, a new mid-sized flexible performing arts venue to be built at 305 Queen Street next to the Town Hall, is designed to fill the gap in venues left by the loss of the Watershed and Mercury theatres. The projected opening was 2010.

Mayor John Banks told TBI that he did not support the extra funding because he was elected for affordable progress.

"It's enough money for the project to go ahead. It hasn't delayed the project one minute, not one minute, and it does give the Q Theatre people the opportunity to go to Helen Clark and raise the rest of the cash."

The cost of the Q Theatre has risen from an initial estimate of $9 million in 2004 to a projected cost of $20-$21 million.

The Finance And Strategy Committee recommendation to combined committees also said "That in light of the significant increase in costs, and the issues raised around theatre priorities to meet wider theatre user needs, there is a need to reconsider the best value for investment Auckland City Council could make for the theatre industry as a whole."

(See the full recommendations.)

During the meeting today the council also heard from other groups including Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra chair Rosanne Meo.

She said the council needed to consider the impact of ongoing operational and capital costs on the funding available to the broader sector.

The Aotea Centre Board of Management also spoke at the meeting in support of "a detailed review of the cbd theatre/entertainment venue needs so that generally agreed priorities are able to be identified."

They said there was a very real shortage of venues in the Auckland CBD and the city needed a 600 seat drama theatre, a mid sized 1000-1200 seat theatre and a flexiform theatre.

A large contingent of the Auckland arts community turned up at the Town Hall in support of the project including former Auckland Mayor Dame Cath Tizard, Roger Hall, Peter Elliott, Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Hurst.

Michael Hurst told TBI that the city needed a lot of money, at least $60 million, to build three purpose-built venues but for now Q Theatre had to be supported - "not cut off at the knees."

He said the city needed decent venues if it wanted to be the international city that John Banks wants.

"There are too many people and too many new people in the industry, the audience is growing, everything is burgeoning and now is the time. If we don't jump on it now it's only going to get more expensive."

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Story and image: By Cathy Aronson

Background: TBI story - Financial drama for Q Theatre

12/02/08