The Performing Arts Precinct is the city's outlet for creative performance, offering first-rate facilities for music, drama, dance and other performing arts.
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Performing Arts Precinct map
One of the anchor projects in the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan, the Performing Arts Precinct is being built in the block bounded by Armagh, Gloucester, Colombo and New Regent streets.
Construction began in May 2023. Read more on Newsline.(external link)
The Performing Arts Precinct currently includes the Isaac Theatre Royal and The Piano: Centre for Music and the Arts.
The Council is working in partnership with The Court Theatre to build the theatre’s new central city home in the precinct.
It's expected the new Court Theatre will open in 2025.
Designs
The concept design(external link) for the new Court Theatre was released in November 2020 (see images below).
Approach from Cathedral Square at daytime
Approach from Cathedral Square at night
Foyer
Gloucester Street side and lane
Cross-section view
Studio theatre
The preliminary design for the new Court Theatre was released in May 2021 (see images below).
The Court Theatre at daytime - preliminary design
Court Theatre studio theatre - preliminary design
Court Theatre main theatre - preliminary design
A collective vision
The Council and the former Central Christchurch Development Unit jointly managed the development of the Performing Arts Precinct site before the disestablishment of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.
They worked with a stakeholder group to develop a shared vision of what the Performing Arts Precinct could be.
Rebuilding the Central City with the Performing Arts: The vision for the Performing Arts Precinct [PDF, 2.1 MB] describes the shared vision and aims to provide a picture in people's minds as to what the Precinct could be.
It picks up on themes from the Share an Idea campaign around activation, vibrancy, diversity, mixed uses, collaboration, and access for all.