OUR COMMUNITY IMPACT
Transforming Lives Through the Power of Theatre
Tim Bray Theatre Company ignites the hearts and minds of young people across Tāmaki Makaurau.
We are committed to embracing the vibrant tapestry of diversity, and champion 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 hope to leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of all those who join our artistic journey.
As the figures show, our impact is truly life changing.
THE NUMBERS SAY IT ALL
OUR IMPACT SO FAR IN 2024:
24,960 children
and their teachers, parents, grandparents and caregivers
attended 172 performances
in 3 venues across Tāmaki Makaurau.
906
Young people enrolled in our Youth Theatre programmes.
5,947
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.
12
Students took part in a collaborative project with Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education and Creatives in Schools to empower Deaf students to perform.
27
Different accessible performances were offered to cater for impaired, disabled and neuro-diverse audiences.
555
Children and adults accessed NZ Sign Language, Audio Described and Sensory Relaxed performances.
2024 – THE YEAR TO DATE
Ensuring Inclusivity and Embracing Diversity: Our Unwavering Commitment
This year so far has been an exhilarating journey filled with remarkable achievements.
FOUR SPECTACULAR PRODUCTIONS
In 2024 we are thrilled to have presented three 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.
We will be performing the 20th Anniversary Production of The Santa Claus Show ‘24 in December.
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 consists of weekly drama classes, holiday programmes and bespoke drama programmes. Here’s a snapshot of what we have been up to:
Weekly Drama Classes
Our mission is to continue to make youth theatre workshops accessible and equitable for all. We continue to run 16 Youth Theatre classes in three venues for four age groups. We support Youth Theatre students whose families are 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, the show enabled students to take charge of their own creativity, build confidence, develop leadership skills, celebrate their own culture, and learn to express themselves. Our performance in early June 2024 was well received by the whole audience.
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 do, we’re committed to providing equitable access to disabled audiences and welcome disabled performers as part of our company of actors. We’ve also worked on optimising our website and social media platforms to work with screen readers and other accessibility tools.