B40 Whānau Day rounds off Baycourt’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations

(All photos courtesy Katie Cox Photography. Lead Image: Tauira (students) of Te Wharekura o Mauao performing a haka from theatrical production He Toi Kupu – Uhi Tai.)

Tauranga’s Baycourt Community and Art’s Centre’s 40^th anniversary week kicked off with a flourish on April 21 with the B40: Gala Concert, a variety concert curated and directed by Tauranga born creative Jason Te Mete (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngai Te Rangi) celebrating four decades of community creativity including music, kapa haka, drama, comedy and more. The celebration culminated with B40: Whānau Day, an open day that saw hundreds of visitors enjoy a walk through the history of the theatre, a light and special effects show, a peak behind the scenes, and a glimpse into the future. Outside face painters, balloon sculptors, roaming performers and food carts braved stormy conditions to add to the festival atmosphere.

Tauranga’s Baycourt Community and Art’s Centre’s 40^th anniversary week kicked off with a flourish on April 21 with the B40: Gala Concert, a variety concert curated and directed by Tauranga born creative Jason Te Mete (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngai Te Rangi) celebrating four decades of community creativity including music, kapa haka, drama, comedy and more. The celebration culminated with B40: Whānau Day, an open day that saw hundreds of visitors enjoy a walk through the history of the theatre, a light and special effects show, a peak behind the scenes, and a glimpse into the future. Outside face painters, balloon sculptors, roaming performers and food carts braved stormy conditions to add to the festival atmosphere.

Alongside the tour were an X-hibition of archives from the past and a Digital Experience all free of charge to the public. Reena Snook, Manager of Baycourt comments on the anniversary celebrations, “It was important to us that the 40^th anniversary programme was not only a celebration of the amazing local talent and creatives we have in Tauranga, but also an opportunity to thank the community for their support over the past four decades. Providing free and low-cost event options were an important part of that strategy.”

The tour began with a live recital on the theatre’s Mighty Wurli (2/10 Wurlitzer Model H Opus 1482) – only one of four Wurlitzer’s in New Zealand – before members of the Baycourt team began an oft times humorous look back through the facility’s history. The theatre’s serendipitous journey was perhaps most symbolically illustrated by the guest of honour at the opening ceremony. It was 26th April 1983 that the then Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, opened Baycourt with new wife Princess Diana. Now, forty years later as King and husband of Camilla, he sent a letter to congratulate the theatre on its anniversary. Things move on.

As did we, with our tour guide transitioning us from early performances by Nana Mouskouri and Kiri te Kanawa into the present with an inspiring light and special effects show designed by Jordan Bailey, Technical Production Coordinator, showcasing the theatre’s production capabilities today.

We were then invited onto the stage and back stage for an entirely different perspective of the theatre, surrounded by the set, props, cast and costumes of that night’s show, He Toi Kupu – Uhi Ta. A Tauranga Moana theatre production with an all-Māori cast boldly sharing the stories, issues and experiences that they engage with in today’s world, and recounting and reimagining some from the past, it tied in perfectly with the theme for Baycourt’s 40th anniversary, ‘ki mua, ki muri”, a whakataukī’ a proverb about the value of looking to the past to inform the future.

Our journey through time continued, past the renovated green room to a space that once housed the place to be in Tauranga, a café and function space that overlooked the then modern chic civic space consisting of the library and council houses. Now the expanse of glass offers views of a large demolition site, a symbol of the hiatus in the development of downtown Tauranga as gridlocked councils came and went and were ultimately replaced by a special commission appointed by national government.

The tour culminated here with a video showcasing Te Manawataki O Te Papa, Tauranga’s new master planned civic precinct, a $303.4 million project, delivering new facilities including a civic whare, library, museum, and exhibition and events centre, at the heart of which will be Baycourt.

Visitors left the room with a sense of anticipation about the future of Tauranga’s CBD and the local arts, culture and heritage community that has been sadly lacking over recent years. The words of the curator of the ‘B40: Digital Experience’ Ellie Smith, Project Manager and Researcher at Supercut Projects bring Baycourt’s journey full circle and perhaps illustrate how much there is to learn from the past, “It’s been fascinating learning how much lobbying and fundraising by the then-Tauranga Regional Arts Council put into making Baycourt happen, and how much push-back they received from councillors and other members of the community who thought the idea of a theatre and community centre was ‘frivolous’. It seems such a strange position given Baycourt has been an integral part of Tauranga’s identity for forty years now. But it is heartening knowing many people wanted the idea to succeed and worked hard to get the venue across the line. Baycourt’s longevity in Tauranga goes a long way to showing the value and importance of the arts in a community.”

Reena reflects on the week-long celebrations, “Baycourt has a tradition of marking its anniversary every ten years, so it was only fitting that we designed a series of events and activities for the 40^th that continued that special legacy. We really felt the public enthusiasm for the festivities, from the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received about our anniversary brand and logo through to the sold-out Gala Concert. We couldn’t have asked for a better response. The community, both audiences and local arts organisations/performers, have always been, and continue to be, a strong focus at Baycourt and we’re proud that the ‘B40’ project was able to highlight that kaupapa across the nine days. A big thank you to everyone that joined with us to recognise the past, celebrate the present and dream about the future.”

For those that are interested in learning more about Baycourt’s colourful past, the Digital Experience remains accessible online at https://baycourt.stqry.app/.