Fortune sees arts hub as its future

Closure: Building not to blame

THE dilapidated state of Dunedin’s Fortune Theatre is not to blame for the collapse of the theatre company, the board’s chairwoman says.

But the company now sees its future as the ‘‘theatre in residence’’ at a refurbished community performing arts hub in the former Sammy’s venue.

The comments by Fortune board of trustees chairwoman Haley van Leeuwen came as a previously private submission from the theatre company to the Dunedin City Council was made public yesterday.

The theatre company, which confirmed on Tuesday it was closing, had been given the unusual opportunity to submit to councillors behind closed doors at last week’s council 10year plan hearing.

A copy of the written submission detailed the poor state of the councilowned building, including ‘‘potential health hazards’’, and the ailing state of the company’s finances.

The building was an inflexible space and ‘‘no longer fit for purpose’’, in part because of restricted access for the elderly or disabled, and even a costly upgrade would not help, it said.

‘‘It would be unrealistic to expect the DCC to invest in a refurbishment of this historic venue that, even if completed to a very high level of specification and cost, would still fall short of the flexible performance space required.’’

However, Ms van Leeuwen said yesterday it was the theatre company’s unsustainable business model, not the state of the building, that prompted the closure.

There was no doubt the building needed work, as the steepness of its stairs and mould in basement levels were health and safety hazards, the roof and windows leaked and airconditioning and heating ‘‘weren’t quite right’’, she said.

❛ [Sponsors’ money was] better spent on building a future than propping up the past

But she ‘‘couldn’t fault’’ the council support over the years, and had not asked for a bailout from ratepayers because she did not see the point of using their money ‘‘to plug a hole that’s never going to be fixed.’’

Council figures, released yesterday, showed it had contributed $1.559 million in grants and rates relief for the Fortune Theatre since 2003.

That included more than $120,000 in grants annually over the past five years, an additional $70,000 grant in November last year, and $135,000 on building maintenance since 2008, a council spokesman said.

Creative New Zealand gave $500,000 a year, and the Otago Community Trust contributed between $60,000 and $80,000 a year over the last decade.

Ms van Leeuwen said the theatre company’s future now centred on Sammy’s conversion into a performing arts hub.

The Fortune submission envisaged hosting shows across all arts genres, offering flexible performance spaces and seating configurations, teaching and corporate function spaces and a licensed cafe.

The Fortune Theatre could be the ‘‘professional theatre in residence’’ under a new brand, but other performance groups would also be encouraged to use the space.

The ‘‘highprofile’’ location would lend itself to marketing, and having an ‘‘innovative and contemporary performance site’’ would attract acts that might otherwise avoid the city, helping ensure yearround use.

Sponsors’ money was ‘‘better spent on building a future than propping up the past’’, it concluded.

The council has earmarked $5 million in its draft 10year plan for Sammy’s, and is expected to debate the building’s future later this month.

MANY of Dunedin’s theatres are climbing over each other to offer their stages as alternative venues, in the wake of the Fortune Theatre’s closure.

Two upcoming shows at the theatre — Dust Pilgrim (May 7 and 8) and Seven Deadly Stunts (May 1619) — have been relocated to the Logan Park High School auditorium and the New Athenaeum Theatre, respectively.

Plans are still being made for future shows that were expected to be performed at the Fortune.

Dust Pilgrim and Aucklandbased Red Leap Theatre producer Angela Hicks was saddened by the news and felt for the Fortune Theatre’s staff.

‘‘But at the same time, we were thinking what do we need to do to keep our show going.’’

She said it would have been easy to just cancel, but the whole situation was made easier by other Dunedin theatres offering to host her show.

‘‘We instantly got offers from a couple of other places. The first one that we got was from Logan Park High School, and so we jumped on that straight away.

‘‘But almost straight after I put the phone down, I got another call from the New Athenaeum Theatre offering sup

port, and then the Mayfair Theatre called.

‘‘They were all on to it really, really quickly, just asking if there was anything they could do to help us.’’

She said it showed there were plenty of theatres in Dunedin that could fill the void, but believed the Fortune would be greatly missed because it had a close and longstanding relationship with many theatre companies around the country.

‘‘What the Fortune does really, really well is offer a good price and lots of support like door staff, backstage crew, lighting and sound.

‘‘We’re a small company that doesn’t have a lot of money, so anyone who can give us support outside the regular hire cost, is really appreciated.

‘‘That’s what brings companies like ours to the Fortune Theatre.

‘‘Without it, it’s going to be a really big change on the landscape in terms of touring in the South Island.’’

New Athenaeum Theatre manager Ellie Swann said it was important to reach out to the affected touring production companies and offer any assistance they needed.

She said Rollicking Entertainment had accepted her offer to hold Seven Deadly Stunts at the New Athenaeum, and Red Leap Theatre had accepted her offer to provide technical equipment for its show at Logan Park High School auditorium which did not have a lot of the sound and lighting needed for the show.

‘‘We’ve just pitched in and rolled our sleeves up to get it done.

‘‘We’re trying to be as helpful as possible. If we can lend anything useful, then we’ll do that, absolutely.

‘‘It’s a pretty unusual and traumatising situation for the staff involved at the Fortune. We all know each other and if we can help our friends . . .

‘‘We also want to see artists being able to create their theatre and make it happen.’’

Dunedin City Councillor Aaron Hawkins said it was important, in the short term, to continue to support profes sional theatre being presented in Dunedin, at existing venues.

‘‘At the 10year plan meeting, I’ll ask council to consider ringfencing the funding we’ve given the Fortune, to support this aim.

‘‘We’re working with other major funders to get that same commitment.’’

He said council was also investigating arts infrastructure across the city, so it could build what was needed to support both ‘‘access and excellence across all art forms’’ in the longer term.

‘‘This conversation has to include our creative community, and in particular, theatre practitioners.’’

University of Otago theatre studies students have organised a public meeting on Tuesday, at noon, in Allen Hall, for people keen to save the Fortune Theatre.