High Street coming back to life as MAINZ students return

16 July 2012

High Street coming back to life as MAINZ students return

Christchurch’s High Street is to regain some of its old energy as music and audio students return to MAINZ’s High Street campus.

Forty students from Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand (MAINZ) will resume their studies in the campus at 191 High Street on Monday 16 July.

Although MAINZ’s High Street campus remained structurally sound after the February earthquake its location near the Grand Chancellor Hotel meant it was in the “no go zone”. Students have spent the last 18 months studying in five different locations in Sydenham, Papanui and Sockburn.

MAINZ’s Campus Administrator Gretchen McKinley not only worked at the High Street campus, she also lived on High Street. She says it will be great to be back working in the central city.

“There’s nothing left of what we used to know of High Street, except for the Post Office building where art house DVD store Alice in Videoland operates from and we are very thankful this building and business survived. We see it as a challenge to liven the area up again. Ultimately it is about the people and having students around will start breathing life back into High Street,” she says.

As well as Alice in Videoland another High Street icon, café C1, will be operating from the same building soon.

“The nearest place to get coffee is blocks away so we’re looking forward to C1 being back up and running next door,” says Gretchen.

Josh Burt who is studying for a Certificate in Audio Engineering and Music Production is looking forward to studying in the purpose built facility.

“It will be a little bit strange, but good to see High Street come back to life. It’s been a difficult time, with ups and downs, but the staff at MAINZ have been amazing in the way they have kept everything going since February,” he says. The High Street campus houses recording studios, computer labs, musical instruments, classrooms and a library.

MAINZ’s Live Sound campus in Armagh Street, commonly known as the Media Club, was badly damaged so Live Sound and Event Production students will continue studying at Zebedees venue in Sockburn until a new venue in the city can be found.

Media is invited to attend the Mihi whakatau for students at 9am on Monday 16 July. MAINZ Dean Harry Lyon will also be attending and available for interviews.

ENDS

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