Introducing The Arts Centre’s 2025 Company-in-Residence

The remarkable Cubbin Theatre will be Company-in-Residence at Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre for 2025.

Cubbin Theatre is the only specialist theatre company for the very young in Aotearoa New Zealand, devising unique shows that are deeply informed by child development research.

The residency enables Cubbin Theatre to perform and rehearse at The Arts Centre and receive marketing and publicity support. Artistic Director Melanie Luckman says “This residency means a lot to us. It gives us a home for our performances that perfectly suits our young audiences, but also the support from The Arts Centre for theatre for the very young is immensely encouraging.”

Arts Centre Creative Director Chris Archer says internationally some of the most innovative theatre is produced for infants and toddlers, and Cubbin Theatre is at the vanguard of that in New Zealand. “The Arts Centre is delighted to support Cubbin Theatre Company by providing a venue that is a safe, welcoming space for littlies,” he says. “The company’s commitment to developing work in Christchurch is also a great fit for The Arts Centre.”

Melanie Luckman co-founded Cubbin with Hannah Wheeler (producer/performer) and Amy Straker (musician/performer). Cubbin has a distinctive approach to developing and performing shows that prioritises the needs of their very young audience. “We do not expect our audiences to sit still, be quiet, or be in the dark, because that is simply not how they operate," says Hannah Wheeler.

Their critically acclaimed show, Up and Away, for infants who cannot yet walk was developed in collaboration with a Speech Language Therapist and is performed to very small numbers inside a gently lit teepee, where the audience can crawl around safely.

“Growing an audience that loves theatre later in life is fine but quite far down our priority list. It’s about respect for the child and where they’re at now because they are worthy of a great theatre experience right now,” says Melanie Luckman.

Despite the name there is no live-in component to this residency since Cubbin Theatre’s performers all have homes (and children of their own) in Ōtautahi Christchurch. The Arts Centre is currently accepting expressions of interest from creatives who can ‘self-fund’ the operating costs of a residency.

Cubbin Theatre’s fundraiser for grown-ups

Amy Grace and Friends
Sunday 23 Feb, 3pm
Great Hall, The Arts Centre

Cubbin Theatre Company’s show for babies Up and Away has been selected to perform at the prestigious ASSITEJ International festival in Marseille, France in March 2025. Help them get there and to KLAP Festival in Denmark, the world’s largest festival for Theatre for Young Audiences, to experience 150 productions in one week.

Book now. 

Cubbin Theatre’s programme for 2025

View the programme.