Thursday August 16, 2018
Town Hall closer to cultural centre reality Wellington’s Town Hall is a step closer to being a centre for civic and cultural events in the city – after the signing of a binding agreement with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and Victoria University’s New Zealand School of Music Te Kōkῑ. The two organisations and Wellington City Council have formally agreed to redevelop the Town Hall as a centre for civic events and as the heart of a unique centre of musical and creative excellence, education, cultural connections and community engagement. The Town Hall has been closed since 2013 because it was earthquake-prone. Work started in May to reinforce the exterior brickwork
and a major strengthening and upgrade project is due to start later this year. Its completion is scheduled for 2021. Mayor Justin Lester says the Town Hall is an iconic Wellington heritage building with world-renowned acoustics. “The signing of this agreement, and the start of construction work on the Town Hall are exciting steps towards achieving that vision.” Victoria University of Wellington’s Vice-Chancellor Grant Guilford agrees. “This joint agreement to redevelop the Town Hall is another crucial moment in the journey towards establishing a national music centre in central Wellington.”
With the Town Hall at its heart and with our New Zealand School of Music and the NZSO in situ, the centre is intended to be a vibrant hub for artistic collaboration, talent development, interaction with the creative industries and public engagement. “Our fundraising campaign continues to progress positively and we are grateful for a number of significant leadership gifts, including the recent $4 million grant from the Lottery Grants Board,” NZSO’s Chief Executive Christopher Blake says. “All New Zealanders will benefit from their national orchestra being part of this world-class centre of musical and creative excellence in Wellington.”
Action against Viagogo welcomed Consumer NZ is welcoming the Commerce Commission’s announcement it’s taking ticket resale website Viagogo to the High Court, alleging it has breached the Fair Trading Act. “Consumers are being … pressured to buy by claims
tickets are in high demand and selling fast when that may be far from the case,” chief executive Sue Chetwin says. Consumers were also paying significant mark-ups, such as $445 for a ticket that had a face value of just $59.
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Marsden Karori Open Morning
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Girls Years 1–13, Co-ed Preschool Come and tour the beautiful Marsden Karori campus and see our students in action. We look forward to showing you around.
Victoria University of Wellington Pro Vice Chancellor Jennifer Windsor, Wellington City Council chief executive Kevin Lavery, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra chief executive Christopher Blake, Mayor Justin Lester and City Councillor Nicola Young – the City Council’s associate arts and culture portfolio leader. PHOTO: Supplied
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