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Wellington inner city properties are being reactivated through the Urban Dream Brokerage, a pilot project funded by the Wellington City Council to broker the use of vacant space by artists and the creative industries.

The People’s Cinema currently at 57 Manners St, Scales of the Serpent, a posterwall project in lower Tory Street, and Brides (old Bennetts’ bookshop, cnr Lambton Quay and Bowen St) an alternative bridal salon, are the most recent projects found temporary homes by the brokerage.

Five projects considered for their uniqueness and ability to give life to the City, have been found space in four months says Helen Kirlew Smith, coordinator of the Urban Dream Brokerage.

“Making cinema accessible to the people is at the core of The People’s Cinema in Manners St.  Brides is both a performance and installation about Gay Marriage,” says Kirlew Smith. “Both projects propose different sorts of use for urban retail space, reflecting the changing needs of the city. ”

Only days earlier Kirlew Smith had featured in the Dominion Post describing the need for space for the Brides project, and is “rapt” by its placement in one of Wellington’s most public retail spaces at the base of Bowen House.

“Thumbs up to Bowen Holdings Ltd who have found a home for the Brides project.  The timing and site are perfect for the project as legislation on same-sex marriage gets in final reading,” says Kirlew Smith.

The Wellington Company has provided the space for The People’s Cinema in Manners St, and Helen emphasises that supportive commercial partners are the backbone of the Brokerage.

“The Brokerage is about reinvigorating the city together,” says Helen. “It is about making closer connections between creative projects, council and property owners. Owners now recognise that our cities are fundamentally changing, and that we need to explore new alternatives for their vacant spaces.”

In summary:

Over the last four months, Urban Dream Brokerage has found sites for five projects that would otherwise have been unseen by the public. Many more are in the process of being placed. UDB provides space and insurance and the projects are funded privately. Putting projects in vacant commercial spaces increases the attention given to these spaces, helps grow new creative businesses and help keep them free of grafitti and vandalism. Urban Dream Brokerage is one of many such schemes operating in urban areas internationally and new schemes have recently also started in New Zealand in Lower Hutt and Christchurch.

Projects and Property Partners thus far:

• James R Ford’s Status Quo -120 Courtenay Place thanks to Wong Wang Property

• Daniel Webby’s Your message here at 86 Victoria Street in Partnership with Prime Property Ltd

• Tessa Laird’s Scales of the Serpent poster wall, lower Tory St (Now showing) in partnership with Reading Cinema and Care Park

• The People’s Cinema, 57 Manners St (now running) thanks to The Wellington Company

• Brides: a performance discussion on cnr (old Bennetts’ bookshop, cnr Lambton Quay and Bowen St) in partnership with Bowen Holdings Ltd

For further information or photo opportunities please contact

Broker: Helen Kirlew Smith 027 378 7432

Manager: Sophie Jerram 029 934 9749

Tags: Urban Dream Brokerage, urban space