Vision and EOI for the Christchurch Arts Centre Cinema
Client: Arts Centre Christchurch
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Year: 2018
Getting lost in the silver screen
Brief
The Arts Centre in the heart of Christchurch fosters, promotes and facilitates interest and involvement in art, culture, creativity, the creative industries and education. As part of the post-earthquake rebuild and renewal of the Arts Centre, a boutique cinema and bar was earmarked as a critical part of the creative ecosystem. Leadership needed to understand the optimal governance and operational model that would be most viable to get the cinema open and running effectively.
Approach
Continuing a long-standing relationship with the Arts Centre, Left Bank Co. was engaged to build a vision for a boutique cinema and bar located within one of the Arts Centre's historic buildings. Drawing on the expertise of our Senior Strategist Hahna Busch - who once managed as art house cinema venue in Sydney - this project examined possible operational and business models available to the Arts Centre in shaping a business case for establishing and running the cinema and bar. The vision for the venue emerged as a centre for the celebration of cinema, moving image and digital arts, both classical and contemporary, with the determination that a leased model was going to deliver the best outcome to the Arts Centre.
The vision was translated into a market-facing EOI document and distributed to the sector via the Arts Centre’s leasing team. A local operator was appointed in mid 2019, and the cinema opened months later.
Impact
By exploring the business model and governance up front, the Arts Centre made a determination that would be in the best interest of sustaining this important cultural institution, while being able to selectively choose an ideal operator to align with the vision and ambitions for the site.