Rotorua Museum granted $4.1million funding support from Bay of Plenty Regional Council towards exhibition development
Monday, 28 June 2021
Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa is to receive a $4.1million grant from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council towards the creation of exhibitions for the strengthened and redeveloped facility.
The news came as the Regional Council announced $1.86billion investment in the region over the next 10 years as part of the Long Term Plan approved last week.
The grant, to be made through the Rotorua Museum Centennial Trust, is a huge boost for the exhibition component of the wider redevelopment project.
Rotorua Museum Director Lizzie Marvelly said this was fantastic news, and meant planning work for the exhibitions within the Museum was full steam ahead.
“We are hugely grateful for the support of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and we’re excited to be getting on with this mahi.
“We have developed a comprehensive community engagement plan and will be talking to a wide range of people throughout the rohe. We have held a handful of initial hui with some Ngāti Whakaue and Te Arawa entities, and an extensive iwi engagement programme will soon be rolled out around the Te Arawa region. We will also be talking with various community groups, youth, and our general public.”
During this community engagement programme, which is expected to take 12 months, the Museum team will be gathering information from our community about the stories and taonga that are important to them, and themes they would like to see reflected in the redeveloped Museum.
From there a master exhibition plan will be developed, along with initial concepts for what the exhibitions might include. These concepts will then be brought back out to the community for further discussion before proceeding into more detailed designs.
Construction, to strengthen and redevelop the Category 1 Bath House building in which the Museum is housed, is due to get underway next year and is expected to take two years. The completed Museum is scheduled to open in 2025.
ENDS
For further information:
Joanna Doherty, Business Development Manager Arts & Culture
Rotorua Lakes Council
P: 07 351 7831 C: 027 272 5768 E: joanna.doherty@rotorualc.nz
Image credits:
Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa. Adrian Hodge Photography
Acrylic carved waka, Ngā Pūmanawa o Te Arawa, Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa, 2011. David Hamilton Photography
Ngā Pūmanawa o Te Arawa, Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa, 2011. David Hamilton Photography
