Creating Space

Glen: The Pallet Pavilion is one of 25 projects that Gapfiller has created in Christchurch since the earthquakes but, as they’re busy creating more, they didn’t have the resources to manage this venue and to put on events. They approached my daughter Amy about it and, because I’ve organised events in Queenstown over the past few years, she asked if I would help out.

Initially, I didn’t want to because I could see it was a massive task. But, I thought about it and, as Christchurch has been good to my son and my daughter, I wanted to do something to give back. I knew this venue could give the arts and culture and, well, the people really, a place to breathe.

Gapfiller told me whatever events I wanted to put on, I could. So, we’ve done things like a paper, scissors, rock tournament, a Scrabble tournament, we’re thinking of having a Sumo wrestling tournament. It’s a fun thing. But it’s long hours. The first couple of months, Amy and I were doing 120 hours a week – 17-hour days.... It was tough, but always good fun.

Since mid-December last year we’ve put on over 60 events — a lot of musical events, but also children’s parties, film nights, even wedding receptions.

If it’s a community group or a charity, we don’t charge and, if a group says they can’t pay very much, that’s fine also. We just schedule them in. Donations help us defray a little of the costs of power, cleaning and security. Because the pavilion is made out of wooden pallets, it’s obviously a fire risk, so we employ a security company for protection overnight and that is very expensive.

When it’s not being used for an event, then the pavilion’s open and people can just come in and relax. There’s free Wifi, so people check their emails and watch movies; we have power outlets freely available and we’ve also got a café open now.

Would you believe it’s really busy at 2am-3am in the morning? People come here between drinks or if they’re on their way back from the clubs. They just come in and hang out.

I’ve done some quite interesting stuff in my life but this, this takes the biscuit. It really does.