The Turner Centre : A Place Created by the Community for the Community

For over 20 years, the Turner Centre has been the creative heart of Kerikeri and the wider Far North district. From world-class performances to grassroots community events, it has welcomed thousands of artists, audiences, volunteers and whānau through its doors. Every show, rehearsal, exhibition and gathering has added another layer to a story that belongs to the whole community.

From humble beginnings

Long before the Turner Centre existed, Kerikeri’s creative life revolved around the old Memorial Hall – a converted passionfruit packhouse with a leaky roof, rustic facilities and enormous heart. It was here that local theatre, music, dance and community events flourished, fuelled by volunteers who believed that arts and culture mattered, even when conditions were far from ideal.

Among those volunteers were Doug Turner and John Dalton, whose dedication to the arts – and to their community – would eventually change Kerikeri forever. Alongside many others, they recognised that the town’s growing population and thriving creative energy deserved a purpose-built space: a venue that could support local talent while welcoming national and international performers to the Far North. What began as a bold idea gradually became a shared vision.

A vision takes shape

Through years of planning, fundraising and advocacy, momentum grew. Local architect Martyn Evans translated the community’s aspirations into a striking design – a building that was unapologetically ambitious for a town of Kerikeri’s size. With its soaring roofline, fly tower and flexible performance spaces, the design promised professional capability without losing its sense of place.

In 1995, the Kerikeri Civic Trust was formed to bring this vision to life. Over the next decade, an extraordinary fundraising effort unfolded. Local businesses, charitable trusts, council, philanthropists and hundreds of individuals contributed – not just money, but time, skills and belief. Trustees even personally loaned funds to ensure the project could proceed.

When construction finally began in 2003, it became a true community build. Local contractors, tradespeople and apprentices worked side-by-side, creating a venue shaped as much by collective effort as by concrete and steel.

Opening night and beyond

On 5 August 2005, The Centre at Kerikeri was officially opened by Prime Minister Helen Clark, who described it as the “heart and soul” of a growing community. From the very first performances, it was clear that something special had been created.

Audiences experienced professional acoustics, lighting and staging previously unseen in the region. Performers – from local school groups to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Royal New Zealand Ballet and New Zealand Opera – praised the quality of the space. Kerikeri was suddenly on the national touring map.

In 2011, the Centre was renamed the Turner Centre, honouring Doug Turner’s lifelong commitment to the arts and to community service.

 

The heart and soul of arts & culture in the Far North

In 2024, the Turner Centre was named the Best Small Venue in New Zealand at the prestigious EVANZ awards. More than 45,000 people now visit the centre annually.

Since opening, the Turner Centre has hosted over 4000 performances, rehearsals, workshops, exhibitions and events. Its stages have supported opera, kapa haka, rock concerts, comedy, theatre, dance, festivals and community celebrations.

The Turner Centre is also a home for visual arts. Through the Permanent Art Collection and the much-loved Art in the Bar programme, local artists are celebrated and supported, giving audiences the chance to encounter art made by people they know – neighbours, friends and whānau.

Accessibility and inclusion sit at the heart of this work. Free and low-cost events, youth programmes, pay-what-you-can performances and school engagement ensure that creativity is not a privilege, but something everyone can experience.

Powered by people

If the Turner Centre has a secret ingredient, it is its people. Volunteers have always been its backbone- ushering, running the bar, cleaning, putting up posters, serving as trustees, and welcoming audiences with manaakitanga and pride. For some, volunteering has opened pathways into creative careers; for others, it has offered connection, purpose and belonging.

Behind the scenes, staff, trustees, artists, funders and supporters continue to paddle the waka together, guided by the belief that arts and culture strengthen communities.

Looking to the future

Like all living places, the Turner Centre continues to evolve. In 2024, ownership of the building transferred to the Far North District Council to secure its long-term sustainability, while management and programming remain firmly in community hands.

Guided by extensive community engagement, the Turner Centre is now focused on revitalisation – of both its programming and its physical spaces. A bold refurbishment vision aims to ensure the Centre reflects the people and cultures of this place, meets contemporary needs, and continues to serve future generations. The centre’s new vision is “Te Ranga Toi Waka – the waka that weaves all of the arts together – for our community.”

A shared legacy

The Turner Centre exists because a community dared to dream big – and then worked, volunteered, donated and believed until that dream became real. It honours the legacy of its founders, while remaining firmly focused on what comes next.

Above all, the Turner Centre is a place of connection: between people and ideas,

between culture and community, between past, present and future.

Its story is still being written – every time the lights go up, the doors open, and people come together.