OUR COMMUNITY IMPACT
Transforming Lives Through the Power of Theatre
Tim Bray Theatre Company ignited the hearts and minds of young people across Tāmaki Makaurau.
We were committed to embracing the vibrant tapestry of diversity, and championed inclusivity through live performances for all audiences and a range of youth theatre programmes tailored to all tamariki and rangatahi with different needs.
Together with the generous support of both our donors and funders, we hoped to leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of all those who join our artistic journey.
As the figures show, our impact was truly life changing.
THE NUMBERS SAY IT ALL
OUR IMPACT IN 2024
31,374 children
and their teachers, parents, grandparents and caregivers
attended 172 performances
in 3 venues across Tāmaki Makaurau.
973
Young people enrolled in our Youth Theatre programmes.
6,985
Children enjoyed a life-enriching experience at our productions, thanks to Gift a Seat®.
63
Autistic and neuro-divergent children and teenagers enrolled in our Extraordinarily Creative drama classes.
21
Mary Amoore Gift a Seat® Youth Theatre scholarships were provided for children and teenagers.
17
Students took part in a collaborative project with Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education and Creatives in Schools to empower Deaf students to perform.
34
Different accessible performances were offered to cater for impaired, disabled and neuro-diverse audiences.
1,147
Children and adults accessed NZ Sign Language, Audio Described and Sensory Relaxed performances.
2024
Ensuring Inclusivity and Embracing Diversity: Our Unwavering Commitment
This year was an exhilarating journey filled with remarkable achievements.
FOUR SPECTACULAR PRODUCTIONS
In 2024 we were thrilled to have presented four spectacular productions in Tāmaki Makaurau designed to spark joy and wonder for audiences of all ages – from the young to the young at heart.
We started the year with The Great Piratical Rumbustification by Margaret Mahy and attracted nearly 9,000 people across three venues in Takapuna, Manukau and Māngere.
The world premiere of our second show Five Go on an Adventure, based on the famous adventure stories by Enid Blyton, was a great success and was seen by over 5,500 people at The PumpHouse Theatre in Takapuna.
The various characters from Joy Cowley’s Mrs Wishy-Washy proved to be a hit amongst the 10,349 children and adults who attended the show at The PumpHouse Theatre in Takapuna and at Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau.
The 20th Anniversary Production of The Santa Claus Show ‘24 was our final show in December and proved to be a hit among our audience.
GIFT A SEAT®
Our Gift a Seat® programme enabled students from BLENNZ (Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ), Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education and Wilson School to attend our accessible performances. In addition, Make-A-Wish families, and schools that require support from across Tāmaki Makaurau also attended our shows.
In May 2024, Tim Bray, QSM and students from Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education were interviewed on Kea Kids News at one of our NZSL performances of our live show The Great Piratical Rumbustification.
YOUTH THEATRE
Our Youth Theatre programme consisted of weekly drama classes, holiday programmes and bespoke customised drama workshops for schools.
Weekly Drama Classes and Holiday Programmes
Our mission was to spark imaginations and creativity while making drama activities accessible and equitable for all. We ran 20 Youth Theatre classes in three venues for four age groups. 295 students attended 4 Tim Bray Theatre Company dress rehearsal viewings, 344 students performed their own scripts on stage, and six performed roles in the The Santa Claus Show ’24.
We supported Youth Theatre students whose families were going through a challenging time with Mary Amoore Gift a Seat® Scholarships.
Getting very creative in schools
Thanks to Creatives in Schools, we collaborated with Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education for the third year in a row to create a performance where students were inspired entirely by deaf culture. Funded by Creatives in Schools, students took charge of their own creativity, built confidence, developed leadership skills, celebrated their own culture, and learnt to express themselves. Their performances in early June 2024 were seen by over 300 people from the Deaf community and wider public, and the show was well received by audiences.
Working with secondary and tertiary students
We joined forces with some very talented third-year acting students from Unitec for Five Go on an Adventure. Six Unitec students were part of this dynamic cast, and their involvement in this show contributed towards completing their Bachelor of Performing Screen Arts degree.
Inspiring through inclusivity
Across everything we did, we were committed to providing equitable access to disabled audiences and welcomed disabled performers as part of our company of actors. We continuously strived to improve our resources, including our website and social media platforms to work with screen readers and other accessibility tools.