About Us
To understand the power, the importance, of children’s theatre watch children at a Tim Bray Theatre Company show. On the edge of their seats, children are immersed: transported, joyful, fearful, anticipating, calling out, cheering. Precisely as intended, they are playing their part in the performance and engaging their imaginations.
Established in 1991, Tim Bray Theatre Company is Aotearoa’s longest running professional children’s theatre company. Dedicated to inspiring audiences through the power of imagination, by making theatre for children aged 3 to 10 years and their families.
For 32 years, Tim Bray Theatre Company has created original stage shows based on acclaimed local and international children’s books. With a history of innovation and excellence, in 2020 they have been acknowledged by Arts Access Aotearoa for their contribution to creating accessible theatre for all, an indispensable asset to Auckland.
Tim Bray Theatre Company has delivered 100 original productions, toured New Zealand and to Edinburgh, performed to the The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall To celebrate The Queen’s Jubilee in 2012 and reached hundreds of thousands of children. We now have adults who attended our shows when they were children, bringing their own children to our shows.
Alongside Tim Bray Theatre Company’s theatre productions is the company’s deep commitment to creative learning and social outreach through their Youth Theatre programme, delivering drama classes for children and young people aged 5 – 19 across Auckland.
As a registered charitable trust, we rely on donations from individuals and funding from organisations to ensure we can continue to deliver our programmes. By making a donation you will help support the vision of our theatre company.
Imagination powers progress. Nothing changes until someone imagines a better way and governments, business leaders and social agencies all agree that creativity and innovation are what the world needs most from future generations. At Tim Bray Theatre Company we fire young imaginations and ignite the creative minds of tomorrow, deepening and expanding their cultural awareness as we do so.
Every year, over 20,000 attend our shows and participate in our workshops and classes. Every year, Tim Bray Theatre Company inspires children and young people of all backgrounds and abilities to be confident and creative through New Zealand theatre. It’s our contribution to their success in school, life and future work.
Our ambition is to make theatre accessible to all and since 2004 we have been producing accessible performances for our audience. In 2021, we expand our accessible programme to our Youth Theatre as we launch Extraordinarily Creative drama classes. As always our mission remains for total inclusion and empowerment through imagination.
Imagine. The power of children’s theatre.
In 2022 it was a huge honour to be presented with the NZSL in Arts Award at the Auckland Deaf Society . This award from Deaf Aotearoa acknowledges our commitment to providing NZSL interpreted shows and programmes for Deaf children since 2004.
Tim Bray Theatre Company was awarded the prestigious Arts Access Creative New Zealand Arts For All Award at the Te Putanga Toi Arts Access Awards 2020. The judges described Tim Bray Theatre Company as a pioneer in accessibility, providing NZSL interpreted theatre performances to children since 2004: “We applaud its long-term commitment to accessibility, the care and attention to detail in its work, its generosity in sharing its knowledge with others and, importantly, the fact it has an accessibility policy to drive its outstanding, pioneering work in making theatre more accessible to Deaf and disabled children and their families.”
Finalists in two categories at the FINZ Awards for Excellence in 2020 for the crisis appeal campaign.
Founder and Artistic Director Tim Bray, QSM was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in 2017 for services to children and theatre.
In 2016 Tim was awarded a Scroll of Honour Award by the Variety Artists Club of NZ in recognition of the theatre company’s 25 year anniversary.
Funders
The Tim Bray Theatre Company is extremely grateful for the support of our Funders.
Behind the scenes
The Tim Bray Theatre Company has an active Board of Trustees and a passionate team who work in various roles across the stage, operations, marketing and fundraising.