Hiring fees for Wellington's performance venues are set to come down, after a report labelled the costs prohibitive for many groups.
The Opera House, St James Theatre and the Michael Fowler Centre are among the city-owned venues that local organisations can now access at a lower price, to help make staging art in the capital more affordable.
The move follows a 2017 report, commissioned by Wellington City Council, that found expensive venues and the commercial lure of Auckland was threatening Wellington's reputation as the 'capital of culture'.
Hire prices for the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (Wreda) facilities were the highest in New Zealand, and the cost in Wellington was prohibitive for many organisations and limiting for others, the report said.
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It's understood current prices fluctuate depending on the organisation and demand.
Wreda venues general manager David Perks said the initiative would see the likes of the Opera House hired out at a 75 per cent reduction on a day it was not booked, but declined to go into detail on what the new fees would be.
"This does not mean we will give the TSB Arena away for peanuts to a global touring artist."
The report, which was based on interviews and surveys of people connected with venues and performing arts organisations, found it was harder for individuals to become established in the performing arts in Wellington.
Hire prices for the Wreda facilities were the highest in New Zealand, and the cost in Wellington was prohibitive for many organisations and limiting for others, the report said.
Perks, said the agency, which runs the council venues, now aimed to make Wellington's civic venues more accessible.
Creativity was Wellington's lifeblood and helped to fuel its economy and the performing arts community played a huge role.
Many New Zealand acts touring the country also skipped Wellington because the city did not offer mid-range, 400-500-seater venues while the Town Hall was out of action.
"We are the events and creative capital and here we are missing out," Perks said.
The savings would help fledging arts organisations take their events to the city's bigger venues and help give local artists the opportunity to build bigger audiences, he said.
To qualify for the scheme, organisations had to meet strict criteria – such as calling the Wellington region home and providing evidence they employed local talent, he said.
The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand arts market producer Celia Walmsley welcomed the venue scheme.
"It's fantastic because it will give access to Wellington venues that have been restricted. Wellington has been missing out on shows travelling throughout the country. This will mean Wellingtonians will get to see more local and New Zealand work.
Wellington Mayor Justin Lester, who leads the arts portfolio, said the initiative was going to be great for Wellington and coincided with the start of the council's $127m investment in a "decade of culture".
The new scheme was moving back to how venues used to operate before they became a commercial model, he said.
"The unintended consequence of that [change] impacted on local talent."
The council had listened and was responding, he said.
The venues pricing restructure also follows the launch of Celebrate Wellington last week, which aimed to make arts more accessible to a wider audience.
Wreda will provide arts, cultural and sporting organisations with small grants to be used for free transport, enabling better access to audio commentary and sign interpreters for the hearing impaired.
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