Welcome to Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre.
Dating back to 1877, The Arts Centre is a thriving community asset with a rich history.
Located in Ōtautahi Christchurch, The Arts Centre is home to over 70 entities and the largest collection of heritage buildings in the country. It is run by an independent charitable trust. Christchurch City Council proposes to zero fund the centre from 1 July 2024. This decision will put the trust on a path to insolvency. Read more here
Great Hall Lunchtime Concert Series 2024
Your annual line-up of renowned local, national, and international musicians playing a curated selection of lunchtime concerts in the picturesque Great Hall.
Find out moreSchool Holiday Fun
Saturday 13 - Sunday 28 April Arts Centre wide
This school holidays, Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre will be bursting with creative activities to inspire, enthuse and spark the imagination of pre-schoolers right through to teens.
Sculpture Festival 2024 - Call for Exhibiting Artists
We're seeking artists to be involved in Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre's fifth annual Sculpture Festival.
Caterpillars
Friday 29 & Saturday 30 March 2024 The Gym
Follow two caterpillars into a magical world of flitting butterflies, jumping eggs, and giant swaying flowers.
Natalia & Yuri
7 April 2024 Great Hall
Enjoy internationally acclaimed violinists Natalia Lomeiko and Yuri Zhislin in this exclusive concert.
Easter Magic Magnets
Saturday 30 & Sunday 31 March Great Hall
Join Paint & Sip to paint a mini flower pot 'basket' for your Easter eggs, along with some Easter-themed fridge magnets
Easter Egg Artwork Hunt
Easter Saturday & Sunday 2024 Rutherford’s Den
Spot all our Easter artworks and go into the draw for a fantastic prize pack!
Free
Heritage Stargazing from the Observatory Tower 2024
Every Friday night during Winter, 12 April - 27 September 2024 Observatory, Biology and Physics
Experience stargazing through the Townsend Teece Telescope in the Observatory Tower (1896) with astronomers from the University of Canterbury.
Guided Walking Tours
Wednesdays - Sundays Clock Tower
Enjoy a 90-minute guided walking tour of The Arts Centre and discover the rich history of this heritage site.
Cloisters Toilet Entrance Design | Megan Brady
Friday 5 April 2024 Engineering Laneway
Join Megan Brady for an ebbing and flowing conversation about her newly commissioned mural as part of her 2023 creative residency.
Free
What's Here
New Zealand-made homewares and gifts.
Frances Nation is a store specialising in Aotearoa New Zealand-made homewares and gifts of quality craftsmanship, authenticity and longevity.