Since opening in 2007, Vector Arena has hosted big names such as Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding and John Mayer. Photo / Greg Bowker
Since opening in 2007, Vector Arena has hosted big names such as Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding and John Mayer. Photo / Greg Bowker
Auckland is well known for sport and its ability to draw stars of entertainment but our venues attract criticism and many believe we miss out on fielding some big names in music. As part of a series examining how we can transform Auckland, Corazon Miller looks at our potential to host top events.
Auckland consistently ranks highly in lists of the world's best cities, but is never number one. So what would it take to turn Auckland into a first-class city? This week, the Herald begins a 10-day series examining some of the biggest hurdles Auckland faces, from housing and transport to entertainmentand education. We look at what we are doing, what we need to do, and why Auckland's success matters to the rest of the country. In part five of the series we look at events.
Before Vector Arena it was the Supertop, a large tent at Mt Smart Stadium. It was a concert rite of passage for many. Big acts such as Pearl Jam, Oasis and UB40 were often accompanied by a cold breeze and a spot of rain leaking in the eaves.
Today, Auckland's concert and events sector has come a long way from roughing it in a tent. Music lovers can spread out in Vector Arena's 12,000 capacity indoor space, bordered by a growing entertainment and hospitality hub in the nearby Britomart and Waterfront precincts.
Theatregoers choose from a number of quality venues, including Aotea Centre, Q Theatre and the Town Hall.
Co-promoter of Laneway Festival, Mark Kneebone, says Vector has professionalised the music experience. "It's a good example of how opening a space can bring in more acts."
Since opening in 2007, Vector has hosted such big names as Ellie Goulding, John Mayer, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry. Madonna plays there next year.
Musical Theatre events promoter Sandra Roberts says Vector has "changed the touring landscape".
But despite the growth, Auckland's creative endeavours still pale when compared globally and even against Wellington, which has earned its reputation as the country's artistic capital.
For musical theatre, people turn to London's West End, Paris boasts the fashion capital title, Melbourne is known for its urban art scene and Edinburgh, a city comparable in size to Auckland, is the "Festival Capital of the World".
Otago University senior lecturer in marketing Andrea Insch says challenging this perception of Auckland as only a sporting city requires finding an artistic niche.
Auckland is not lacking in the creative department, with its central-city theatre precinct and art galleries and spaces, she says. But it needs a clear identity.
"What does Auckland want to be known for within this art scene?" says Insch.
Auckland Live director Robbie McCrae says the city does well, given its relatively small population. Auckland Live's last annual report showed 961,625 people went to more than 1,400 events and achieved a visitor satisfaction rating of 95 per cent.
"Obviously London is on a much bigger scale with its population and tourism, however Auckland has seen a large number of big shows that are on in London," says McCrae.
Recent shows include Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys and Wicked. For local performing arts groups, like the newly-established New Zealand Dance Company, smaller performance spaces like Q Theatre have been invaluable.
Artistic director Shona McCullagh says the infrastructure, including a new permanent base, has given them a "home" in some "world-class studios".
"It has always been tough, always challenging, but equally we are contributing enormously to Auckland's culture."
Pacific Entertainment owner Robyn Alexander, who organises events on a larger scale, says getting the right venue at the right time can still be difficult.
A new venue that could host up to 3,000 would be invaluable as many acts fall between being able to fill Vector but needing an audience of more than 2000 people to make a trip here viable.
Kneebone believes the problem lies in the bureaucratic red tape. He wants officials to be more innovative in planning events and to use public spaces to make Auckland a top performing arts destination.
"You'd be surprised at the ingenuity of people in the events sector but the road blocks were incredibly difficult."
The closure of bars at 3am limits the development of local and international talents because once the bars closed, acts that would have traditionally played through to that time of the morning had nowhere to go.
"Acts have to be developed. No one begins as a mega-star. They start at something like a bar or studio before going on the big stage."
He says public spaces offer great potential for large music events and festivals such as Laneways.
The festival's future is uncertain after the council said Auckland Domain would not be available next year. Taking it to Wellington or Christchurch has not been ruled out.
"Events like Christmas in the Park prove events can be done well in the public space but we need more."
He cites Sydney's use of its Opera House forecourt for big acts such as Jamiroquai, Crowded House and Sting as an example of how other cities take advantage of their public spaces.
Give us a sporting chance
People often look to Melbourne, which hosts events such as the Melbourne Cup Carnival, as an example of what the "Ultimate Sporting City" should be. Photo / Getty Images
Sport unites us. Composed citizens become roaring fans as they get behind their team, be it the rugby greats, our netballers, the Silver Ferns, or our embattled Emirates Team New Zealand.
Our sporting facilities, however, divide us. Those in charge of driving Auckland's sporting sector, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed) and Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA), hold a glowing opinion of the city's sporting prowess. But others are less convinced.
Auckland has made great strides in the past 10 years with its sporting facilities and surrounding precincts, providing fans with a more encompassing experience beyond the grandstand.
Its ability to host large-scale sporting events has earned it third place in the latest SportBusiness Ultimate Sports Cities Awards, behind London and Melbourne. It took out the top spot as the best medium-sized sporting city.
Chief executive of sport event management company Lagardere Unlimited Oceania, Dave Beeche, says people often look to Melbourne as an example of what the "Ultimate Sporting City" should be.
Events such as the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the memorable Liverpool versus Melbourne football match in 2013, which drew a crowd of 95,000 and united them in song, stand out as some of the city's successes.
Auckland boasts four stadiums which can host 25,000-50,000. Photo / Michael Craig
Beeche says Auckland doesn't have the population to support a stadium for 95,000 but other lessons can be learned from Melbourne. "Being innovative is something, but they also drew on an iconic brand in a well-structured event that was well-marketed," he says, of the Liverpool versus Melbourne match.
Beeche says Auckland is performing well, but there is room for improvement. "Our challenge is to stay on this trajectory to keep the big events coming."
Ateed chief executive Brett O'Riley is convinced Auckland has what it needs to take out top spot at the next business sporting awards. "What we demonstrate is a diversity of events and a balance of homegrown events versus the ability to successfully host international events."
However, others are not convinced. Warriors boss Jim Doyle describes the city's facilities as "pretty poor". They are too spread out and are in areas that have little going on.
"My vision is that in a city like Auckland we should have a waterfront stadium. This would attract more people to events and afterwards we would see more people go into restaurants in the area."
Auckland boasts four stadiums which can host 25,000-50,000 — Eden Park, Western Springs, Mt Smart and North Harbour. It also has the smaller Trusts Arena in Henderson, which can accommodate up to 7,000, and the ASB Stadium in Kohimarama with room for 2,200.
Doyle says a new showpiece stadium would bring in international visitors and "casual fans" to the games and reap huge economic benefits for the city's entertainment district.
The Fifa Under-20 World Cup was a highlight event this year. Photo / Dean Purcell
Plans for a showpiece waterfront stadium in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup collapsed amid differences of opinion and infighting between the council and Government.
Beeche has a more upbeat view but agrees with the vision of a waterfront stadium. "We missed an opportunity to build a central stadium during the Rugby World Cup.
"I'd like to see that back on the table, something in the 25,000-30,000 capacity would add a lot to the city and attract many people into the city centre."
Today, neither Ateed nor RFA has its eye on a central waterfront stadium. RFA's director of external relations, Paul Brewer, says it is better to focus on intensifying what the city has, rather than creating something new.
"A new stadium would be a 15-20-year vision and would not be part of RFA's medium-term plans."
Albany councillor John Watson agrees.
"In an era of astronomical cost, cities that build whole new complexes are no longer financially viable. All the more reason to make the most of what we have."
O'Riley says the city needs to innovate locally, to collectively generate GDP and to increase its international profile. He says this is happening already.
Highlights last year included the Ironman Auckland Asia-Pacific Championship, Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines, Fast 5 Netball World Series, Volvo Ocean Race Auckland Stopover, the Cricket World Cup and this year's Fifa Under-20 World Cup.
The Ultimate Waterman is an upcoming event. Photo / Rusty Russell
Ateed plans to build on those events and has a target of three major annual sporting events each year, says O'Riley. "I'm hopeful we will move up the rankings. I think we have a good chance in 2017."
Other upcoming events include the Ultimate Waterman, the World Masters Games and the British and Irish Lions Series.
Watson says development of an overall package for those going to such events is crucial.
"It's not about the size [of the facility] but about the overall picture of ease of access, the atmosphere and a vibe that would want to get people off their sofas and into the stadium."
On a smaller level, he says it is about maintaining interest in sport by developing and maintaining open spaces for Aucklanders to be active.
"Otherwise you end up with people who are just sport followers. This is our challenge [in this generation of urban intensification] to keep open spaces for our general population."
London hosted the Paralypic Games in 2012. Photo / Getty Images
Melbourne
The city of more than 4 million was named Ultimate Sports City runner-up at the international SportBusiness awards. Notable events include the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Australian Open tennis and hosting some Cricket World Cup matches. Key to its success has been its marketing of events to a wide audience.
Stadiums include the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with a 100,000 capacity, and AAMI Park, which can host 30,050 and was labelled the "World's Most Iconic and Culturally Significant Stadium" at the 2012 Stadium World Congress.
London
England's capital has won the Ultimate Sports City title for the past two years. It hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 and this year will host the Rugby World Cup. Upcoming events include the World Athletics Championships in 2017. Key to its success has been its quality venues, good public transport and effective marketing strategies. Sports venues include Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which has an Aquatics Centre and a 60,000 capacity stadium, and the home of English football, Wembley Stadium, which can host up to 90,000.
In conversation with: Shona McCullagh
One of New Zealand's cross platform artists and the co-founder of The New Zealand Dance Company, Shona McCullagh (MNZM, NZ Arts Laureate) is an innovative choreographer for dance, theatre and film and also a director, dance filmmaker, teacher and interactive installation artist.
As a choreographer over the last 26 years she has created works ranging from short pieces to full length works, often working with NZ composers for companies such as Limbs, Footnote, Douglas Wright Dance Company, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Southern Lights, tertiary institutes and her own company The Human Garden, which was established in 1992 and continued until 2007.
As part of our World Class Auckland Series, Corazon Miller talks to Shona about her impressions of the city's artistic scene.
Q: How have you seen Auckland's artistic scene evolve in the last few years.
Auckland has made a lot of progress over the last decade, with recent initiatives in the city, such as the Q Theatre and the Waterfront. There is extraordinairy work being done.
I'm of the era, when living in Wellington it was seen as a cultural centre. But Auckland has an enormous population - so purely on numbers the potential for participation is huge.
Q: How does Auckland stack up in terms of development of local and young talent, given our national dance and drama schools are Wellington based.
Yes that's true, but Auckland does have some high-calibre schools that provided a niche market. Graduates from Toi Whakaari [New Zealand's National Drama School] did tend to move to Auckland, there was a natural migration with the many connections to the drama industry here.
Dance graduates still tend to go overseas...we are still trying to change this aspect with our company, we are trying to encourage them to stay.
Q: So how have you managed to establish the success of the company in a relatively small time frame?
The New Zealand Dance Company launched publically in 2012 and had a permanent space set up in 2014 with some world class studios. The company's success has been enabled not just by its ability to create works but an infrastructure. We managed to secure strong partnerships because of this long-term vision.
We've also managed to have a successful Australian tour which was something that's not been done before. Creative New Zealand has been instrumental in making this happen.
It's always been tough, always challenging, but equally we are contributing enourmously to Auckland's culture.
Q: What would ensure your long-term survival on the artistic scene? We need three legs of funding to survey, local government, central government and trustee support. Any arts company can only exist with these three legs of funding.
It's pleasing to see council announce a new funding model, but it needs to make sure it also funds infrastructure not just the works. We try to do it on our own - but we still need support.
Q: Where are your dancers from?
We try to offer support for both trained and non-trained artists. Some of our best dancers started when they were just 19. The company is reflective of Auckland's growing cultural diversity, one of the newest to join the company comes from Beijing and was UNITEC trained. We have eight dancers in total as well as a couple of secondments.
Q: How can we challenge this perception that Wellington is where the best dance and drama schools are?
We have some good schools here. A dance programme should not just be about the dancing, but about how you think. UNITEC does this. They are becoming known for their development of creative artists who produce and create works. It's become known for producing a steady stream of grassroots artists, future production managers and choreographers.
Q: On the whole how well do you think Auckland's facilities stack up? The current facilities are doing well. Auckland is becoming one of the most exciting cities to live in in the world, with its range of free activities on offer and the growing cultural and artistic endeavours.
The New Zealand Dance Company is a relatively new addition to the stage. It holds the vision of creating a "permanent, high-calibre, national contemporary dance company" based in Auckland.
Lumina is The New Zealand Dance Company's third season of new works, spearheaded by three dynamic artistic teams. Lumina, includes a co-production with the prestigious Holland Dance Festival. Be at the intersection of contemporary light, sound and movement.
The New Zealand Dance Company warm up.
A peek of The New Zealand Dance Company's production Rotunda which toured New Zealand and Australia, March-May 2015.
Aucklanders, we must accept the challenge
As Aucklanders we have a great deal to be proud of; we have a tenacious, playful character: an inner strength and self-belief; and an innovative and creative heart.
Worldwide and throughout history, the finest cities have emerged as centres of artistic and intellectual endeavour and trading power. Athens, Rome, Florence, Paris, London, Berlin and New York are all cities that have achieved this trinity at some point in their history. And, they have all recognised the role that arts and culture play in shaping their citizens, creating healthy communities and making those cities desirable, attractive and vibrant places in which to live and work.
These are the cities that people think of first when asked to name the world's great cities. Their fame ensures people remember them for all time. To be the greatest city on earth, Auckland's challenge is to be mentioned in the same breath.
Our cultural diversity inspires a richness of character and a unique perspective on the world. The vitality, breadth and depth of culture and arts in Auckland are powerful drivers which can enable the city to make this claim to fame.
In the last 50 years Auckland has been transformed from a colonial outpost that cringed at its culture to a city that is increasingly proud of its own artistic output. In the last 20 years the city has embraced its diversity and position as a leading city in the pacific with an unique identity and stories to tell.
Recent research undertaken by Creative New Zealand that directly compares the city's levels of engagement in the arts reveals Auckland leads the world in participation and consumption of cultural activities; Aucklanders love creative pursuits and they have a future in it too.
Auckland is an arts accelerator city. In theatre, independent companies can much more easily get a show staged in a small venue and be spotted than other larger cities.
With that exposure exciting emerging artists can find themselves supported to get to international festivals very quickly. It's this energy and pace to market that is leading our artists to believe that if they can make it here, they can make it anywhere.
As regard for the cultural sector has increased so too has its viability. Our arts sector now enjoys a presence internationally which belies our size. Our live performance scene, our film industry, our artists, our musicians all manage to find their rightful place on the world stage, working at the forefront of their industries.
To be the greatest city on earth, Auckland needs to capitalise on this growing visibility to build its reputation as a centre of culture. And it is.
High quality performing arts facilities are one of the factors that the world's most liveable cities have in common. Sydney, Melbourne, Vancouver and London have invested in performing arts facilities on their waterfronts to showcase their cities as creative centres.
In 2016 Auckland Theatre Company will open the ASB Waterfront Theatre in Wynyard Quarter.
The city's performing arts will be put on display at the centre of one of the city's most exciting new tourist destinations. The first impression many visitors to the city will have is that Auckland is a city where the arts are front and centre.
