Free Theatre to extend lease at Christchurch Arts Centre’s The Gym

Influential avant-garde theatre company The Free Theatre Christchurch is to have its lease extended at The Gym (formerly the Academy Cinema) in the Christchurch Arts Centre.

When the company took up a two-year lease with partners the Arts Circus in September 2014, its became the first arts-practice tenancy to return to the Arts Centre and the first professional theatre company to return to the central city after the February 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.

With the support of Christchurch City Council, Creative New Zealand, The Rata Foundation and a range of sponsors and in-kind supporters, a fit-out for The Gym was undertaken in 2014 with an onus on creating immersive, interactive environments.

Since opening its doors, The Gym has presented a diversity of interdisciplinary events, including new contemporary performances such as Free Theatre’s popular Ubu Nights, Kafka’s Amerika, Footprints/Tapuwae, The Mauricio Kagel Project and most recently Frankenstein. The company has also developed a contemporary performance Education Programme with a recent Kidsfest week that worked in and around the striking Antarctic-inspired set of Frankenstein.

Around the central Free Theatre New Works and Education Programme, The Gym hosts festivals such as the Christchurch Arts Festival and the Cavell Leitch New Zealand Jazz and Blues Festival, and a diversity of special events and collaborations with local, national and international artists, organisations and community groups.

Commenting on the company’s lease extension, Free Theatre Actor and Manager George Parker stated “we’re very excited to be continuing in The Gym.

“It’s wonderful news and we’re very grateful to the Arts Centre for showing faith in what we are doing. We have worked with the Arts Centre to provide Christchurch with a genuine contemporary performance project.

“We are hugely committed to supporting the Arts Centre’s aims for the site to be a hub of contemporary artistic excellence for the 21 st Century.”

Arts Centre Chief Executive André Lovatt added “the Arts Centre recognises Free Theatre as having a significant impact within the performing arts in Christchurch, and to us it’s a great example of the power that can be generated by creative people.

“We’re really pleased that we are playing a role in unleashing Free Theatre on the people of Christchurch. Their presence provides a marker for us as we reclaim the Arts Centre as the home of creative entrepreneurs in Christchurch.”

Free Theatre is in the process of developing its programme of new contemporary works. This includes ongoing plans for its regular Ubu Nights; a China-New Zealand cultural exchange with The Mauricio Kagel Project, which features collaborators Chinese composer Gao Ping and New Zealand conductor Hamish McKeich; a multi-site production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that follows on from the company’s renowned productions The Earthquake in Chile and Canterbury Tales; a New Zealand premiere of the Tom Waits, William S. Burroughs, Robert Wilson collaboration, The Black Rider; and a new event, ‘Jump Starts’ that fosters and encourages new interdisciplinary collaborations between emerging and established artists.

Alongside collaborations with local contemporary art projects, the company is also developing links with Wellington, Dunedin and Auckland based companies regarding the development of a touring circuit for experimental performance arts.

Funding is still a challenge for the project, but the company is hopeful that a combination of revenue from events, external hires, and grants will help it continue. The company is also seeking sponsors to support the project.

Parker concludes “we’re looking for support from like-minded organisations that promote innovation and excellence in the new Christchurch.”

For more information go to www.freetheatre.org.nz and www.thegym.org.nz

Images courtesy of the Christchurch Arts Centre/Free Theatre Christchurch. Lower image shows the  Free Theatre New Works and Education Programme

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