This is the review of the Theatre project for the financial year July 2021 to June 2022, from the Momentum Waikato Annual Report 2022 - see full report in PDF.
For several years it seemed like every time the starting line for construction came into view, another hurdle would appear in the path of the Waikato Regional Theatre project.
The Theatre’s build contract was finally signed by the Waikato Regional Property Trust and Foster Group in July 2021 and site work got underway soon after. In November of that year then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ‘turned the sod’ at a Covid-delayed ceremony, formally celebrating that the job was well and truly underway.
Around the same time the Riff Raff Statue was lifted out of Embassy Park, re-appearing in March in his temporary home outside the Waikato Museum. The bronze masterpiece will return to his original spot, which will be outside the front door of the new Theatre, in time for his 20th Birthday in late 2024.
Over the next few months the Hamilton Hotel was careful dismantled, so that the various heritage elements therein could be saved for eventual re-installation in the new building.
As that work was progressing, systematic asbestos removal was carried out, which saw the roof disappear under a large white tent for several weeks.
Next in early 2022 came the steel frame to hold up the Hotel’s street façade while the new complex is built behind it, the largest such façade retention ever carried out in the Waikato.
This was of course required by the building’s heritage status, but was also happily embraced by the Theatre project team as it is clear that its French ‘Beaux Arts’ architecture style is a unique-to-NZ asset deserving rejuvenation and an entirely appropriate cladding for a cultural undertaking like a Theatre.
While the site work continued apace, Momentum Waikato was gearing up for the final fundraising push, scheduled for after the start of work as it is well understood that donations and funding commitments often require obvious evidence of progress.
In May of 2022 the Share the Stage campaign was formally launched with an event at the Theatre site that featured the first public screening of the Share the Stage promo video featuring a range of familiar Waikato faces – see it on You Tube.
THUMBS UP: Movie star John Rhys-Davies and Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate at the Share the Stage campaign launch at Embassy Park, 2 May 2022. Photo: Peter Drury.
This was coupled with the Waikato Times announcing that it was marking its 150th Anniversary with a gift to the community in the form of a donation to the Theatre fundraising effort.
Share the Stage events were then rolled out over the following months, including promotional functions with business groups such as the Waikato Chambers of Commerce and the Hamilton Central Business Association, and a well-attended Quiz Night for the performing arts community at The Meteor.
‘Take a Seat’, the Share the Stage appeal to everyday individuals and families, kicked off in mid-2022. Fans of the Theatre are being offered the opportunity to tangibly show their support by having their names displayed on seats in the auditorium in return for a donation of $1500. To donate or just find out more visit sharethestage.co.nz/takeaseat.
Meanwhile work was underway to set up the Theatre’s operating company, with the critical first step being the call out for two directors, who together with trustees of the Waikato Regional Property Trust, would make up its inaugural board.
In July, Deborah Nudds and Chris Williams were appointed to those director roles.
Deborah, who has managed The Meteor theatre in Hamilton since 2014, said she is passionate about local stories and creative voices building wellbeing for the whole community. Her previous successes include founding Hamilton’s iconic Metropolis Café.
Chris, who has led advertising and marketing agency King St since 1999 and has been the Chair of the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival since 2012, is an active composer and musician with two stage musicals performed to date around New Zealand.
READY: The Waikato Regional Theatre site in October 2022. Photo: Cameron Neilson, Foster Group Ltd.
As the financial year ended in June 2022, the site preparations were well advanced, with the excavations getting underway and the final stages of the demolition of the back of the Hamilton Hotel. Work has continued apace since, on track to open the new Theatre in late 2024.