In the first of an ongoing series, UNO chats to people who are choosing to build their lives and careers in the Bay of Plenty. Our first subject has been rapt to find a welcoming creative community ready to step right into.

WORDS HAYLEY BARNETT

Maxwell Hutton had perfectly practical reasons for leaving Auckland. His partner had a job offer and he had family already settled in Pāpāmoa. The 25-year old choreographer wasn’t chasing a scene, but Tauranga had one waiting for him anyway.

“I didn’t move down for choreography per se,” he explains. “The discovery that there was a huge creative community here was a surprising bonus.”

When Maxwell's partner Matt Cornere secured a role as a dance teacher at Mount Maunganui College, the decision to move became a no-brainer.

“We already had roots here, so it made it an easy choice.”

What the couple found was a creative scene that exceeded their expectations. Having taken up a full-time position as an office assistant at a Tauranga law firm, Maxwell’s been immersing himself in the local theatre world, choreographing, performing and building relationships.

“The theatre community here is so generous and friendly,” he says. “It’s something I can always rely on wherever I go, and here, it feels especially strong.”

Coming from Auckland, where the theatre network can feel fragmented across the sprawling city, Maxwell was struck by how connected the Bay’s theatre scene is.

“Only once I was part of it did I realise how big and engaged it is,” he says, recalling a recent 80th celebration event that drew well over 100 attendees. “There’s a real sense that people care and want to be involved.”

Perhaps, he muses, it’s not the size of the community that counts, but the quality.

“Things are happening here that even Auckland could learn from,” says Maxwell. “In terms of community involvement, Tauranga’s doing really well.”

Maxwell recently appeared in Tauranga Musical Theatre’s April–May production of Come From Away at Baycourt, before stepping in to choreograph the Dolly Parton-fuelled 9 to 5 The Musical, which opens on July 25 and runs until August 1. It was a quick turnaround that speaks to both his experience and the opportunities on offer.

Having choreographed around 10 shows in recent years, he’d arrived hopeful but realistic about how long it might take to find his feet. Instead, doors opened quickly.

He acknowledges the challenges, with young creatives heading overseas among them, but sees momentum building.

“It’s about attracting new people in,” he says.

For Maxwell and Matthew, any question marks over the move have dissolved.

“We did say, worst case, we could move back,” he admits. “But now we can definitely see ourselves here long-term.”

Turns out the worst case never came close. As our region changes from being known for retirees and summer holidaymakers, stories like Maxwell’s prove something is changing. Creativity, opportunity and a sense of community are taking up a lot more space.

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