Artists breathe life into Wellington’s new arts centre

News | 18 June 2026 - Tō Tātou Pōneke Our Wellington (Wellington City Council)

The first users of Toi Aro, Wellington City Council’s new arts centre, are moving into the site and bringing the space to life with rehearsals and creative development.

Toi Aro located on the corner of Cable Street and Market Lane. [Photo supplied]

Toi Aro continues the legacy of Toi Pōneke Arts Centre, which supported artists across film, visual arts, literature, theatre, dance and music for more than 20 years. As the first artists step inside, Toi Aro is already beginning to feel like what it was built to be – a home for the city’s makers, creators, and storytellers.

The building hums with early footsteps, lively rehearsals, and the first sparks of new work, signalling the start of the creativity and collaboration blossoming in the new hub. Toi Aro stands proudly on the corner of Cable Street and Market Lane, and provides rentable artist studios and arts office spaces, and hireable creative spaces. There is plenty more ahead: artist residencies, exhibitions, cultural exchanges, workshops, classes, wānanga, and partnerships with mana whenua and arts organisations.

One of three hireable dance studio configurations in Toi Aro. [Photo suppplied]

For Toi Aro Manager Grace Hoete, seeing the building come alive is the realisation of a long‑held vision.

“The vision was always simple: to create a place where artists could belong,” she says.

Toi Aro was designed as a creative home for Wellington’s artists, arts organisations, creative workers and communities – a place where people can make work, share ideas, learn from one another and feel supported. Watching artists walk through the doors and immediately imagine what they can create here has been, she says, “incredibly special… that is when you know the space has begun to do its job.”

Grace says the building reflects the Council’s long‑term commitment to the arts.

“This is a significant investment in the future of the sector. Artists need more than goodwill – they need spaces, infrastructure, support and opportunities to grow.”

Māori theatre company Te Rākau Hua o Te Wao Tapu prepare for their play Waenga at Toi Aro arts centre. [Photo supplied]

Te Rākau Hua o Te Wao Tapu, in partnership with Hurō Productions, is among the first to shape the building’s early life. Their ensemble work Waenga begins its season on 19 June, bringing a powerful story drawn from the lived experiences of rangatahi.

Director Jim Moriarty says they chose Waenga to “warm the whare”, offering a story that welcomes people in. The move into Toi Aro carries deep cultural and emotional significance.

“We love everything it is about in terms of a creative space for Wellingtonians, whoever they are, to gather and be given the room and the time to breathe.”

Being the first theatre practitioners in the building – and a mana whenua theatre company – feels, he says, like “a real privilege”.

Forest Kapo will undertake a residency this year's Pōneke Festival of Contemporary Dance. [Photo credit: Footnote]

Footnote NZ Dance is also bringing momentum into the whare, with its Pōneke Festival of Contemporary Dance residencies beginning 29 June. Artistic Director Anita Hunziker says the impact of a purpose‑built space is immediate.

“I felt really relieved for the dancers of Wellington that there was a beautiful, clean, new, warm space that they can practice their art in,” she says.

“Dance has really specific needs and dance studios are hard to come across… it is such a great resource for the dancers.”

She adds that having a proper sprung floor is “a huge benefit for the dance community”, giving dancers a safe, professional environment to work in.

The Mutunga ki Te Aro hireable space at Toi Aro is designed for pōwhiri, performances, workshops, and wānanga. [Photo supplied]

A diverse mix of residents is now settling in – from arts organisations and accessibility‑focused groups to independent visual artists, digital creators, gaming practitioners and community‑driven collectives. Grace says the potential of these intersections is immense.

“The energy that comes from creative people being around one another is hard to describe, but you can already feel it in the building.”

The centre’s Te Ara Toi Gallery also hosts its inaugural exhibition from 10 July to 15 October, featuring works by mana whenua artists, including Erenora Puketapu-Hetet, Ariki Brightwell, Hinemoana Baker, Elena Rei and Kauia Moriarty. A key upcoming event is Tātou Tātou e on 22 July – a networking and open discussion forum for the creative sector.

For more information and what is on, head to the Toi Aro website.

https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2026/06/first-artists-in-toi-aro