Te Pūrongo ā-Tau
Experience Wellington Annual Report 2021/22
Working together with and for Wellington to create remarkable experiences that generate vitality, strengthening the city we love.
Showcasing the Hidden Works of Hilma af Klint
In November 2021, City Gallery Wellington welcomed one of the most significant art exhibitions ever staged in Aotearoa. Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings showcased the Swedish artist whose mysterious works —which were kept hidden for decades — have captivated audiences and broken gallery attendance records worldwide. The exhibition was a major coup for City Gallery Wellington and the culmination of many years, working alongside the show’s Melbourne-based curator Sue Cramer.
We would like to extend a massive thank you for the support from our partners Wellington City Council, City Gallery Wellington Foundation, New Zealand Government, Glueware, Kowtow Clothing, QT Wellington, The Dominion Post and Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
Ngā Tohunga
Whakatere —The Navigators
Ngā Tohunga Whakatere – The Navigators, is Space Place’s newest fully immersive planetarium show, which tells the story of early navigation to Aotearoa through the eyes of budding navigator, Moko.
Ngā Tohunga Whakatere – The Navigators is a celebration of both Pasifika and European navigation and the science they engaged to sail here. The cultural aspect of telling the story was at the heart of this project. The production has been carefully crafted with tikanga, cultural and navigational expertise including Pacific Master Navigator Jack Thatcher (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Awa) and Specialist Naval Navigator Commander David Hedgley, along with Pou Tikanga Joe Harawira (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tuhourangi) and Tahitian advisor Ena Manuireva.
Ngā Taniwha
o Mua
Tamariki can creatively explore the journey of the taniwha of Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington Harbour) through the new
play activation, Ngā Taniwha o Mua. This free immersive installation at Capital E’s PlayHQ represents the local legend of Ngake and Whātaitai.
Halo Collins, Public Programmes Specialist, who developed the concept and creation of the play activation says the installation explores an important local legend in a way that supports tamariki to learn and have fun through creativity and play.
The space features interactive and symbolic elements for tamariki to get immersed in, including stepping-stones, costumes, a large interactive magnet mural, textures and sounds to enhance sensory activities. It also includes an interactive floor projection for tamariki to feel like they are splashing through the water with the sealife of Te Whanganui-a-Tara at their feet.
Our Contribution to the City we Love
We are proud of our achievements throughout this last year and the ongoing scale and growth of programmes and audiences reached.
297,511 Visitors through our Doors
15,262
Learning Experiences for Tamariki
404,024
Virtual Visitors
85,130
Social Media Followers
277
Private venue hire bookings at our sites, including birthday parties, multi-day conferences, meetings, private functions and even a wedding ceremony! Venue bookings alone brought in 8,645 guests into our spaces.
80+
New public programmes, community workshops & public events
19
New exhibitions across our sites
2
Touring theatre shows engaging with over 60 schools
Revenue
We have not yet returned to pre-COVID-19 visitation levels. However, in spite of the operational challenges, we were thrilled to exceed our financial targets for operating costs, and to increase our revenue from the previous year in paid admissions and retail sales.
Total Revenue
Non-Council Revenue
Strengthening our Future with Wellington City Council
We continue to work alongside our primary stakeholder, Wellington City Council, on key strategic projects.
