CIVIC THEATRE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 105, 30 October 1942, Page 4

CIVIC THEATRE

WELLINGTON NEED

Efforts made by the Wellington Competitions Society to have a civic theatre built in Wellington were reviewed at the society's annual meeting last night, when further advocacy of the proposal was made. Wellington, it was stated, compared unfavourably with other towns because of its lack of facilities for the cultural arts.

'.'We want something larger than a little theatre," said Mr. W. J. Mason. "We need a 1200-seat theatre."

"Considerable public interest has been occasioned by the recent announcement by the City Council of the proposed plans for the erection of a new civic block," said the society's annual report. "For many years the facilities at the Town Hall and Concert Chamber have been a source of increasing concern to this and kindred societies, and it had been hoped that plans for the civic theatre would have included the provision of a Town Hall with facilities and accommodation of which the citizens might justly be proud and also the provision of a smaller hall with greater, capacity than the present Concert Chamber. "Such amenities would have been inestimable assistance to all societies and agencies interested in cultural education and' would have made a great contribution to the opportunities extended to our young people for selfexpression and appreciation of the arts. "Representations were made by this society that the i)ew . Civic Centre should include:—(l) A concert .hall with modern facilities and permanent seating of approximately 1200 capacity; (2) a little theatre above the Concert Hall with capacity 600-700; (3) the inclusion of studies for teachers of music, elocution, and dancing to make the building a real cultural centre.'