The UC National Conservatorium of Music

Arts Centre connection

The University occupied the Arts Centre site for its first 100 years from 1873 to 1974, progressively building a campus in a gothic revival style. The site was provided for the University by the Canterbury Provincial Government. This was part of its commitment to fulfilling the central vision of the Canterbury Association for a cross section of Anglican society to be established in Christchurch with a cathedral and a University College at its centre in the style of Christ Church, Oxford.

A new site at Ilam was provided by the government in 1950 and, during the subsequent 24 years, a new campus was built on the site. The original town site was leased to the Arts Centre of Christchurch Society in 1976 and subsequently gifted by the University to the Arts Centre Trust  “to foster, promote, facilitate and encourage the interests of arts, culture, education and other related interests, in particular through the provision of accommodation for such activities”.

The relocation to Ilam in 1975 and physical separation from the musical life of the city was problematic for the University’s music programme. As part of the agreement with the Arts Centre the Great Hall was to remain available to the School (and wider University) for priority use without charge as its main recital space. This arrangement subsequently lapsed.

It was soon realised that the new music building at Ilam which was relatively small in size and without its own recital hall and soundproofing, was not sufficient for a School with an increasing focus on providing high quality performance tuition. It has been confirmed in independent reports that the facilities at Ilam are no longer fit-for-purpose and therefore have limited the School’s academic goals of excellence in teaching, research and creative work.

Nevertheless, by virtue of high quality staff and students, and adaptation of the available space, the School of Music has built an enviable reputation for music scholarship and education both in New Zealand and internationally.

Construction of a new building on the Ilam campus was contemplated, plans developed and a site identified and initial ground work undertaken in the 1990s before a financial downturn saw the project put on hold.

The dire needs of the School in terms of quality facilities has been long recognised and recent ad hoc refurbishment of poorly located domestic dwellings has done nothing to address the core issue of inadequate facilities for the School. It was intended that the Ilam campus site project would be revived when the University’s financial situation permitted but in 2007 the University became aware of the possibility of space on the Arts Centre site.