Meeting on Trinity Church soon

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33774, 21 February 1975, Page 14

Meeting on Trinity Church soon

The State Insurance Company do not yet know who will use Trinity Pacific Church when it is converted into an intimate theatre even though the architect has already begun work on designing the alterations and hopes work will begin in two or three months.

i church Historic Trust and the I owners of the church, was given unanimous approval by! I the City Council. With no I explanation this proposal was I shelved and replaced by a' vague idea to use the church [for intimate theatre. Does i the City Council support this ! new scheme?” This part of the letter was replied to by the associate session clerk of St Paul’s Trinity Pacific Church (Mr R. B. Keey). Mr Keey said: “The proposal adopted by a steering committee of the City Coun- , cil for the preservation of Trinity Church was always considered less than ideal, and required a considerable contribution from the Government. “The Government has decided to purchase the building through the State Insurance Office, and it will now be available after minimums alterations for a variety of I worthwhile cultural pur-: poses, including an intimate: theatre. Since Trinity Church is both a civic and national amenity, normal economic criteria do not apply.” l

Mr B. R. Cameron, man-, ager of the State Insurance Office in Christchurch, said yesterday a meeting would be called in the next month for all interested groups to discuss the use of the theatre.■ He said he hoped groups [ associated with drama, ballet, music, and operatics I would attend. The architect, Mr J. K. Collins, of Collins, Hunt, [ and Loveridge, confirmed yesterday that work was going ahead with the planning for alterations. Mr Cameron gave his comments in reply to a correspondent vvho wrote to “Thei Press” asking which specific theatre groups wanted to use' the church. The correspondent, M. P. Owen, asked how another theatre in Christchurch could be a viable proposition considering the i existing theatre facilities and those proposed for the community arts centre. The correspondent asked what exactly was happening to the Trinity Pacific Church. “Some months ago a detailed preservation proposal, supported by the Christ-