Te Whaea

{{Short description|New Zealand National Dance and Drama Centre, in Wellington}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

Te Whaea in Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand, is the New Zealand National Dance and Drama Centre, the home to the New Zealand School of Dance and Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School.

File:Te Whaea.tif

The name 'Te Whaea' means 'the mother' in the Māori language.{{Cite web |last=Chumko |first=Andre |date=2023-03-02 |title=How a dilapidated Wellington building transformed into a national performing arts centre |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/131340811/how-a-dilapidated-wellington-building-transformed-into-a-national-performing-arts-centre |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Stuff |language=en}} Te Whaea was opened in 1998 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-28 |title=Te Whaea celebrating 25 years |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018879796/te-whaea-celebrating-25-years |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}

The building was constructed by the Wellington Show Association in 1928 and was originally known as the Winter Show Building. It was used for the annual Winter Show, fairs and exhibitions.{{Cite web |last=O'Neil |first=Andrea |date=2015-07-02 |title=150 Years of News: Wellington's winter show a wonderland in Newtown |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/69904433/150-years-of-news-wellingtons-winter-show-a-wonderland-in-newtown |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Stuff |language=en}} The last Winter Show was in 1993; by 1997 the building was in a state of disrepair. In 1997, Wellington City Council leased the deteriorating building to the national drama school Toi Whakaari and the New Zealand School of Dance, which had both been looking for new space. The council also guaranteed a loan of $1 million to the dance and drama schools to renovate the building.{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Rebecca |date=21 February 1997 |title=Council agrees to guarantee $1m arts loan |work=Evening Post |id={{ProQuest|314487454}}}}

The two schools came together at the renovated Winter Show Building as a national performing arts centre, named Te Whaea, which opened for classes after a dawn ceremony on 28 April 1998. An official opening ceremony was held on 26 June 1998.{{cite news |date=29 April 1998|title= Sleeping beauty |work=Dominion |id={{ProQuest|315010636}}}} Refurbishment of the building included nine large and four small studios, a 200-seat theatre, a library, and areas for set construction, sound, lighting and costume.{{cite news |last1=Houlahan |first1=Mike |date=27 April 1998 |title=Artists will be flying high in purpose-built facility |work=Evening Post |id={{ProQuest|314525789}}}}

Te Whaea is used by many cultural groups in the city. It is the venue for a number of reoccurring events including national dance training for all ages{{Cite web|title=Upcoming Events – New Zealand School of Dance|url=https://nzschoolofdance.ac.nz/venue/te-whaea-national-dance-drama-centre/|access-date=2021-10-01|language=en-US}} and the ETNZ conference every two years.{{Cite web|title=ETNZ Conference|url=https://www.johnherber.co.nz/etnz-conference/|access-date=2021-10-01|website=John Herber Theatre and Cinema Drapes|language=en-NZ}}