Our Role

Theatre Archives NZ does not collect archives itself – it has no building or staff – but it:

  • Provides a manual Caring for your Theatre Archives which is available free from Playmarket's online bookshop here
  • Encourages the deposit of ‘at risk’ archives with repositories such as the Alexander Turnbull Library, Hocken Library, and the Auckland City Library 
  • Provides professional advice about archival care to those retaining their own archives
  • Maintains a nationwide database of New Zealand collections held by theatre people, companies, venues, libraries, archives, museums and historical societies. Look for this under the tag Database, and for our Theatre Archives New Zealand Survey
  • Records oral histories with significant New Zealand theatre practitioners. Details of these are found on our resources page under the heading Oral Archives

Nola Millar teaching a class at Massey Summer School 1956-7. Photo: Bill Sheat collection