95bFM The St James is returning to the stage: Government pledges to restore iconic theatre
27 July, 2023
Interview by Caedan Tipler, Adapted by Ashley-Rose Redstone
After campaigning for St James Theatre to be restored, Auckland MP Chlöe Swarbrick is hopeful that new funding to repair the venue will help make Tāmaki Makaurau a “thriving arts and cultural hub.” Photo: Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Last week, the government announced they will match the Auckland Council’s $15 million pledge towards restoring the St James Theatre.
The heritage site was opened in 1928. But the venue has not been operational since 2007, after a fire destroyed the iconic venue, and in 2015, the theatre lost funding for restoration.
Auckland MP Chlöe Swarbrick, who campaigned to restore the theatre, told 95bFM’s The Wire that the St James is a key venue within Tāmaki Makaurau’s arts and culture scene.
“Anyone who's been to Queen Street over the past few years will have seen just the state that things are in.”
“That lack of certainty about the future of the St James is one of the things that's been holding back the potential of the city centre.”
Swarbrick highlighted that the theatre is conveniently near other popular venues, including the Auckland Art Gallery, the Auckland Town Hall, and the Civic Theatre.
“We've got this incredible, supposedly new venue on the horizon to carve out a unique international identity as a thriving arts and cultural hub.”
The venue has a capacity of 2400, with 1500 being seated, which Swarbrick said provides more opportunities for medium-sized artists.
“It offers huge potential for artists who are branching out from the likes of the Powerstation and getting audiences a little larger, but don't quite have the commercial radio play to be able to reach the audience numbers necessary, for example, Spark arena.”
“[The venue] also offers more of a boutique kind of offering to international artists who are looking to play to smaller and more intimate audiences as well.”
Swarbrick added that the restoration of the theatre could help the arts and culture sector recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
She said the pandemic proved the significance of the sector, as people turned to books, music, and films.
“We have always just needed local and central government to recognise and to resource these things.”
“Several years deep in it [politics]... arts and culture is seen and patched as a ‘nice to have’.”
Swarbrick believes Tāmaki Makaurau has “all of the ingredients” to celebrate local and international art, and that St James is critical in living up to our status as a UNESCO City of Music.
“You only have to go to a gig on a weekend, At Whammy or Wine Cellar, and you'll see it all in front of us.”
“We've got limitless talent, immense passion, and creativity.”
The venue has recently celebrated its 95th birthday. Swarbrick hopes this new funding will mean the theatre will finally reopen by its 100th birthday.
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
