Clarence Street Theatre Trust

Clarence St Theatre is operated by Clarence Street Theatre Trust a registered charity. The Trust is governed by five volunteer professionals that are passionate about providing a space for the performing arts in the Waikato. Clarence St Theatre was originally built by Hamilton Operatic Society in the 1980's and then operated by Hamilton City Council for many years.

Clarence Street Theatre Trust took over the theatre in July 2015 and since then has grown audiences and users to make it the premier performing arts centre in the Waikato. When it took over the theatre Clarence St Theatre had 13% occupancy. In 2019 Clarence St Theatre enjoyed 65% occupancy and over 50,000 users and attendees. It generated over a million dollars for the community in ticket sales, wages, businesses and contractors.

Clarence Street Theatre Trust is incredibly grateful for the Hamilton City Council and the community funders (WEL Energy Trust, Trust Waikato and Lion Foundation) who support Clarence Street Theatre Trust. However, community funding only makes up a small portion of the funds required to operate the theatre.

Arts and culture are integral to the lives of all New Zealanders and are an asset to our nation. Participation in the arts has been shown to lead to increased academic achievement; it helps young people develop attributes and skills such as practice and perseverance, team-work and creative problem-solving that they’ll use in their personal and professional lives throughout their lifetimes. These are all qualities and skills that are required to meet the challenges of our increasingly complex and changing world.

The arts are inclusive and help create and maintain social cohesion, even as they explore some of the more complex aspects of the human condition. By examining the challenges our society and communities face from different perspectives, the arts contribute to social change. Individually and collectively, artists can lead change for the common good.

"Creativity is contagious" - Albert Einstein

"Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics.” – Victor Pinchuk