It may be closed for redevelopment, but the Nelson School of Music is back in business for 2016 at a new temporary base on Collingwood St.
Bright yellow musical notes on the footpath lead the way to the new premises tucked in behind the former Relationships Services building, which is just a stone’s throw away from the school.
School of Music campaign manager Bob Bickerton says the base will see them through to the end of the school year until the $6.4 million redevelopment of the Nile St premises is complete.
The former office building which, Bob says, came up after several suggested locations, boasts three studio rooms, a percussion room and an office.
“We just looked around and when this came up we thought it would be perfect because it’s so close to the school,” he says.
“Now we’re all moved in and the students are back. It’s worked out really well for us.”
Bob says it’s been a “real community effort” to keep things going while the school has been closed, with many teachers teaching from their homes, and locals opening up their homes to some of the teachers, too.
“It’s good to have the support – there’s a lot of community interest in what the school is doing and, in fact, student numbers climbed to 332 last year, which is pretty amazing. So, we’re definitely not idle.
“We just want to let people know that we’re operational. One of the frustrations is that, because construction hasn’t started yet, people have been saying ‘what’s happening’? – but, there’s a lot happening – it’s just behind the scenes at this stage.”
Bob says they are hoping that the project will go to tender in the next few weeks, and once the main contract is awarded the construction period will start. They are hoping to be back in the main building before the start of the next school year.
Fundraising for the project is still going strong, and just before Christmas the school received a grant from the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board which boosted the fundraising appeal to
$1.2 million. The school is launching a ‘sponsor a seat campaign’ at this weekend’s Opera in the Park.
You can find the new School of Music offices at 142a Collingwood St; just follow the musical notes from the footpath. The office is open 1–5pm weekdays.
