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INTRODUCTION TO

WELLINGTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Founded in Newtown, in1987, Wellington Performing Arts Centre, which last year celebrated twenty years of offering performing arts tuition to the people of Wellington, is a multi-faceted organisation with separate, but integrated activities in tertiary vocational tuition, community classes, provision of studio rental and internal and external theatre productions. It is believed to be the largest provider of performing arts education at a community level in New Zealand. The Centre’s premises comprising 15,000 sq.ft. are located in the Wellington Theatre District at 36 Vivian St, Te Aro, Wellington. Each Academic Year, the Centre enrols between 40 and 50 full-time students and thousands of community class students.

The Centre employs twelve full-time and part-time academic management and administrative staff and engages over 100 tutors for its tertiary and community classes, from amongst the best of Wellington’s performing arts community. The Centre enjoys nationwide recognition, attracting over 40% of its tertiary students from all over New Zealand to the Wellington region. Its tertiary courses are partially funded by the Tertiary Education Commission under the Student Component Funding scheme and through student course fees.

Currently the Centre offers up to 65 Community Classes each week with over 1000 people attending over six days of any given week. Many of these classes are offered by independent teachers, who rent the premises from the Centre. During the holidays there are holiday programmes and children’s theatre performances on offer.
Formed initially as a partnership, the Centre was incorporated as a company in 1994, in order to obtain NZQA registration under the Education Act 1989. From 1995, the Centre built and offered a portfolio of full time certificate and diploma courses in dance (including commercial dance, contemporary dance and classical ballet), acting and musical theatre.

In 2002 NZQA approved new Diploma Courses in the Performing Arts, in Acting, Dance and Singing at Level 6 on the National Qualifications Framework.

In 2004, NZQA approved the first of the Centre’s third year courses, the Diploma in Performance: The Singing Actor, at Level 7. In 2006 the third year Diploma in Advanced Acting was also approved by NZQA at Level 7 and was offered for the first time in 2007.

The Wellington Performing Arts Centre has over the last few years been operating under a Charter, approved by the Associate Minster of Education (Tertiary) and a Profile approved by the Tertiary Education Commission. However, in 2008, the Centre intends implementing the new Investment Plan, as prescribed by the Tertiary Education Commission.

From 2008, the Centre will also be running professional part-time training courses through the Community Class programme. This will enable students to work and train concurrently at a professional level.

Since 2005, two scholarships for Maori and Pacific Island male dancers have been awarded by the Performing Arts Foundation of New Zealand each year to Centre students, enabling the recipients to study full-time.