A brief history of Tim Bray Theatre Company
Tim Bray Theatre Company was Aotearoa’s longest-running professional children’s theatre company, dedicated to inspiring audiences through the power of imagination by making theatre for children aged three to ten, and their families and teachers.
For 33 years, from 1991 to 2024, Tim Bray Theatre Company created original stage shows mostly based on acclaimed local and international children’s books. With a history of innovation and excellence, the company was acknowledged by Arts Access Aotearoa for its contribution to creating accessible theatre for all in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
The magic happening on the stage was reflected behind the scenes by the ambition of Tim Bray Theatre Company to make theatre accessible to all by making it a priority, budgeting for it and securing funding to support its goal.
2004: introducing NZSL interpreted performances
 Photo David Rowland (3) sm.jpg "Kelly Hodgins signing during a NZSL interpreted performance of Greedy Cat")
The company’s journey to make theatre accessible to all started in 2004 when it became the first theatre company in New Zealand to introduce New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreted performances.
It invited Deaf and hard of hearing audiences, including Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education (then known as Kelston School for the Deaf), to attend its show, “Mahy Magic”, with Kelly Hodgins as interpreter (now Director, Platform Interpreting NZ).
The company, in partnership with performance interpreting specialist Platform Interpreting NZ, went on to provide hundreds of NZSL interpreted performances at multiple theatres across Tāmaki Makaurau.
2015: introducing audio described performances
In 2015, the company secured funding to provide its first audio described performance and touch tour of its show “Grandma McGarvey” with “Grandpa’s Slippers”. Blind and low vision children and their caregivers were invited to attend the show with funded tickets.
Tim Bray, Artistic Director, said in 2015:
“Auckland Council’s Creative Communities funding has allowed us to present this Audio Described Performance for blind or sight impaired children. It comes with the necessary equipment and the facilitators, so these children are able to experience the joy and fun of our new show. This a new step towards our goal of introducing as many children as possible to the rich world of live theatre. This is our ultimate dream. This is why Tim Bray Productions [now Tim Bray Theatre Company] exists.”
2019: introducing sensory relaxed performances
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In 2019, to further its goal of making live theatre accessible to all, Tim Bray Theatre Company started sensory relaxed performances and welcomed neurodivergent audiences to its shows by offering a less formal, supportive atmosphere in the theatre, a pre-show introduction, and supplementary resources to allow children and whānau to enjoy a comfortable and inclusive theatre experience.
It contracted a designer to create a sensory relaxed symbol it could use alongside the NZSL interpreted and audio described symbols, supporting the marketing of this performance format.
From 2014: reducing cost barriers
Integral to the success of hosting accessible performances was removing the barrier of cost to audiences. At first, Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education was given free tickets. In 2014, the company launched its charitable outreach programme. Charity Seats, later called Gift a Seat®, allowing donors to select their preferred charity (Make-A-Wish New Zealand, Kelston Deaf Education Centre, or low-decile schools).
To further remove cost barriers, it introduced discounted price companion tickets in 2017, which were available to patrons attending the show as a companion or support person to a Deaf or disabled audience member. Then in 2021, the company added reduced-price Access Tickets available to disabled, blind, Deaf and neurodivergent audiences.
2019: Launching Extraordinarily Creative Youth theatre classes
Tim Bray Theatre Company’s accessibility mission extended to its Youth Theatre offerings with the launch of its Extraordinarily Creative youth theatre drama classes for autistic and neurodivergent children and teenagers in 2019. Classes were run in two locations, the North Shore and Glen Innes.
However, lack of funding support meant the classes finished at the end of term 2 (July) 2024. The impact these classes had on students was profound, with one parent providing this feedback:
“This initiative provides a hugely needed creative group that is safe, knowledgeable, accepting and understanding of the differences these children have and how to help bring out the best in them. In six months, they have taught our anxious and reclusive boy that he has a voice worth hearing, can have friends and most of all he has value in this world which we have struggled to achieve in the previous 11 years."
In 2021, Tim Bray Youth Theatre in collaboration with Ko Taku Reo, secured funding from the Ministry of Education’s Creatives in Schools programme to provide performance workshops to encourage Deaf students to work collaboratively with their peers, build a strong sense of identity and belonging and enable students to confidently express and celebrate their unique Deaf culture.
The workshops were designed to provide students with meaningful experiences and opportunities to learn high-quality performances from a culturally Deaf perspective, in contrast to their exposure to the arts in the New Zealand curriculum, which is delivered from a hearing world perspective.
The final 11-week workshops were run from March to June 2024 with planned workshops for terms 3 and 4 unable to proceed because the government decided to discontinue funding for the Creatives in Schools programme from 1 July 2024.
Removing barriers for performers and technicians
As well as making theatre accessible for audiences and youth theatre students, the company fostered a culture of accessibility. It removed barriers for performers and technicians to audition and work with the company by putting structures in place to support it long-term.
In 2020, in response to COVID-19, it cast alternates specifically to support COVID- positive cast and crew to isolate as mandated by the government but continued the practice on an ongoing basis to better support its team in any time of need.
Recognition for Tim Bray Theatre Company
In 2020, Tim Bray Theatre Company was presented the Arts Access Creative New Zealand Arts For All Award at the Te Putanga Toi Arts Access Awards 2020. The judges described Tim Bray Theatre Company as a pioneer in accessibility:
“We applaud its long-term commitment to accessibility, the care and attention to detail in its work, its generosity in sharing its knowledge with others and, importantly, the fact it has an accessibility policy to drive its outstanding, pioneering work in making theatre more accessible to Deaf and disabled children and their families.”
In 2022, Tim Bray Theatre Company was presented with the NZSL in Arts Award by Deaf Aotearoa at the Auckland Deaf Society, acknowledging its commitment to providing NZSL interpreted shows and programmes for Deaf children since 2004.
Other acknowledgments include it being a finalist in two categories at the FINZ Awards for Excellence in 2020 for its crisis appeal campaign. And in 2016, Tim was awarded a Scroll of Honour Award by the Variety Artists Club of NZ in recognition of the theatre company’s 25-year anniversary.
Founder and Artistic Director Tim Bray QSM was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in 2017 for services to children and theatre. He died on 5 July 2025 aged 61, leaving a huge legacy and touched the lives of thousands of young people and their families. Read more about Tim Bray's legacy
