Regent’s plans not ambitious enough

The Regent on Broadway has been served a stern rebuke amid recommendations that Palmerston North’s cultural groups be more ambitious in their future plans.

The city council’s arts, culture and heritage committee has rejected the Regent Theatre Trust Board’s plan for the next three years as too timid.

And the recently-refurbished Globe Theatre only narrowly dodged the same criticism.

Only Te Manawa came through a review of its plans with a highlycommended review from Monday’s arts, culture and heritage committee meeting.

Committee chairman Rachel Bowen said she was disappointed neither Regent Theatre Trust Board chairman Maurice Rowe nor any other trustees came to the meeting, leaving manager Charles Forbes to front up on his own.

‘‘And I’m concerned by the tenor of the statement of intent.

‘‘It is not fitting for an organisation that we regard so highly.’’

Cr Tangi Utikere said the trust board’s goals showed ‘‘not much ambition’’ for increasing hireage.

There were no plans to increase the target of 160 nights’ use each year.

Forbes said there was no point in making the goals unrealistic.

He said the Regent depended on bookings coming to it, rather than going out to find them, and meeting the current goals was already a challenge.

Mayor Grant Smith said he was worried that the theatre did not seem to have a succession plan. ‘‘It’s just business as usual.’’ The committee has asked the trust board to rewrite its plan to better reflect its vision to be New Zealand’s leading and most vibrant provincial theatre.

The Globe Theatre Trust Board narrowly escaped the same fate.

Cr Vaughan Dennison said it was not planning for anything more than ‘‘modest growth’’.

He said aiming to have bookings in the Globe One theatre only 50 per cent of the time left plenty of potential to do more.

Councillors also wanted to see its cultural organisations working more collaboratively.

Globe trustee Phil Monk agreed there were opportunities being missed.

One was when some 46,000 people walked past to the Dinosaurs Encounters exhibition at Te Manawa, without the opportunity to have a cup of coffee from the theatre’s kitchen and cafe.

Caccia Birch manager Nicky Birch said the historic homestead had been left out of the loop when it could have provided a venue for a winery tour, or for the Topp Twins, who have chosen to perform at small venues in Dannevirke and Feilding when an exhibition in their honour is hosted at Te Manawa later this year.

Smith said he loved to see Te Manawa being ambitious.

He said the ‘‘museum without walls’’ was working on strong partnerships.

‘‘And there is latent potential here to do more, and some opportunities to work with the New Zealand Rugby Museum given the international clientele they bring.’’

Te Manawa chief executive Andy Lowe said planning was underway for the next ten years to attract more people from around New Zealand and the world.

It would also be coming up with a bold plan for a makeover of its buildings.

The need to carry out seismic strengthening provided an opportunity to create spaces that were modern, creative and fitted out with modern technology, lighting and environmental control.

‘‘Our facilities are a little bit out-dated, and do not live up to standards that some touring shows require.

‘‘And we have a 40-year-old dilapidated art gallery.’’

Lowe said two or three companies had built most of New Zealand’s gallery facilities, and they tended to be ‘‘dark, empty and dilapidated’’.

‘‘In a few months we will be bringing concepts that will blow you away.’’