Silo Theatre

What Silo Theatre does

Silo Theatre is a non-profit producing theatre company headquartered at 3 East Street, Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), New Zealand, operating as Silo Theatre Trust, a registered New Zealand charity (CC: 24374). Founded in 1995 as part of Auckland's independent theatre scene, the company commissions, curates, and stages contemporary local and international works — currently delivering five productions per annual season (2026 season: Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, Playfight, Constellations, JOB, Marathon) across a venue mix that includes its own Silo Hall plus Q Theatre (Rangatira and Loft) and the Herald Theatre at Aotea Centre. The organisation is led co-jointly by Artistic Director Sophie Henderson (appointed July 2025) and Executive Director Tim Blake.

Silo generates revenue across five streams: ticket sales (ranging from $30 concession to $80 Best in House), tiered patron donations ($250 Silo Friend to $5,000+ Generator Patron), Silo Hall venue hire for workshops and community events, branded merchandise (tote bags, t-shirts, gift vouchers), and a schools programme ($15-$20/student matinee and in-school touring rates). Distribution runs through iticket.co.nz (Super Pass and single tickets), a direct box office, an online merchandise shop, and dedicated schools booking workflows. The core patronage mix is general theatre audiences in Tāmaki Makaurau, secondary schools, individual donors, and corporate sustaining partners (Milford Asset Management as Principal Partner since 2014, alongside Creative New Zealand, Foundation North, and Auckland Council).

Silo has no proprietary technology platform; its assets are 30+ years of brand reputation in Aotearoa contemporary theatre, a production archive since 2005, a recurring patron programme, and sustained critical and industry recognition (Guardian reviews, MIFF People's Choice for Fantail, Tribeca Nora Ephron Prize for The Justice of Bunny King — both works by current Artistic Director Sophie Henderson). Supporting infrastructure includes iTicket for ticketing, PatronBase for donation processing, and marketing partnerships with Omni Graphics and Shout Media. The organisation maintains a relatively flat operating structure with 1-10 employees including the Artistic Director, Executive Director, Marketing & Partnerships Manager, and Programme Manager.

Name

Silo Theatre

Legal name

Silo Theatre Trust

Website

https://silotheatre.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Silo Theatre is a non-profit Auckland-based producing theatre company (Silo Theatre Trust, est. 1995) that commissions, curates, and stages five contemporary productions per season across venues in Tāmaki Makaurau, serving general audiences, secondary schools, individual patrons, and institutional arts funding partners in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Contemporary Theatre Production

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Contemporary theatre production
• Live performance arts
• Season subscription tickets
• Performing arts education
• Theatre venue hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales for mainstage productions, school matinees, and touring shows. Super Pass season memberships provide bundled access to all five shows in the season.
2. Patron Donations: Individual giving programme with tiered annual donation levels: Silo Friend ($250+), Silo Best Friend ($500+), Foundation Patron ($1000+), Patron Plus ($2500+), Generator Patron ($5000+). One-off donations also accepted. Silo Theatre Trust is a Registered NZ Charity (CC: 24374).
3. Silo Hall Venue Hire: Silo Hall at 3 East Street (off Karangahape Road) is available for hire for workshops, playreadings, community events, and private hire, generating venue rental income.
4. Merchandise & Gift Vouchers: Sale of Silo Theatre merchandise including tote bags ($35), t-shirts ($30), and gift vouchers ($50, $100).
5. Schools Programme: Revenue from school bookings at $20/student for matinees and $15/student for in-school touring productions, with one free teacher per 15 students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Silo Theatre commissions, curates, and stages contemporary theatre productions across venues in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, presenting five shows per annual season. Its core offering is live theatrical performance complemented by the Super Pass season subscription, schools matinee and touring programme, branded merchandise and gift vouchers, Silo Hall venue hire, and tiered patron donation programmes.

Product overview

Silo Theatre is a leading producer of contemporary theatre in Aotearoa New Zealand, operating as a producing company that commissions, curates, and stages local and international works across venues in Tāmaki Makaurau. The company's core product is its live theatre productions presented in annual seasons, complemented by the Super Pass season subscription for flexible access to all shows. Additional offerings include merchandise (tote bags, t-shirts, gift vouchers), venue hire through Silo Hall, an educational Schools Programme with student matinees and touring productions, and select touring productions available to other venues. The 2026 season features five productions: Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, Playfight, Constellations, JOB, and Marathon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Theatre Productions (2026 Season) A core set of five live contemporary theatre works commissioned, curated, and staged by Silo across inner-city Auckland venues each season for general adult audiences.
• Silo Super Pass (Season Subscription) A seasonal subscription pass granting access to all five annual productions at any seat, show, or date for one bundled price, with savings exceeding 25% on individual tickets and no transaction fees.
• Schools Programme An educational offering providing subsidised student matinees at $20/head, in-school touring productions at $15/head, and curriculum-aligned study guides linking productions to senior secondary English and Drama classrooms.
• Silo Hall Venue Hire Hourly/daily hire of Silo Theatre's own venue at 3 East Street, Auckland, suitable for workshops, playreadings, community events, and private hire, with shared kitchen access and a flat-rate cleaning fee.
• Merchandise and Gift Vouchers Branded merchandise including tote bags ($35), t-shirts ($30), and gift vouchers ($50 or $100) sold through the Silo online shop.
• Touring Productions Select Silo productions (including Peter and the Wolf, Every Brilliant Thing, Live Live Cinema: Night of the Living Dead, and Mauri Tau) available for touring to other venues.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Q TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQ Theatre is Silo's key presenting partner, hosting multiple productions in its Rangatira and Loft venues. Silo works with Q Theatre on venue access and co-presenting arrangements for mainstage productions including Constellations, JOB, A View from the Bridge, Marathon, and D.R.A.G.
• Auckland LivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuckland Live is a presenting partner, co-presenting productions including Taniwha at the Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre. Auckland Live provides venue access and programming partnership for family and community-oriented productions.
• Omni GraphicsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOmni Graphics is a media partner providing graphic design and marketing support for Silo's communications.
• Shout MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShout Media is a media partner supporting Silo's marketing and communications reach.
• AllpressminorOthersAllpress is an industry partner, providing espresso services for Silo's operations and events.
• BluestarminorOthersBluestar is an industry partner providing print services for Silo Theatre.
• Lissy & Rudi Robinson-ColecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLissy & Rudi Robinson-Cole (Wharenui Harikoa) are visual artists who collaborated on Taniwha's design, creating vibrant set pieces and puppets in a unique Aotearoa adventure production featuring live music, puppetry, and videography.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based theatre company internationally renowned for developing new plays and nurturing playwrights. Comparable as a producing theatre with a strong new-work development remit and repertory season model, though at significantly larger scale and with broader commercial reach.
• Melbourne Theatre Company: Australia's largest professional theatre company, based in Melbourne, producing a season of contemporary and classic works at its own venues. Comparable as a major regional repertory theatre with subscription model and government funding, but operates at substantially larger scale than Silo.

Direct peers

• Soho Theatre: London theatre company renowned for championing new writing and contemporary work, with a similar mix of own venue, education/community programmes, and emerging-writer development. Comparable as a contemporary-focused producing theatre with new-work commissions and a strong brand around bold programming.
• Court Theatre: Major New Zealand regional repertory theatre company based in Christchurch, producing a season of contemporary and classic works. Directly comparable as a NZ regional theatre company with a multi-show season model, government and philanthropic funding, and schools/education programming.
• Auckland Theatre Company: Auckland's largest professional theatre company producing a season of contemporary and classic plays at the ASB Waterfront Theatre. Directly comparable as a regional repertory theatre serving the same Auckland market with similar contemporary programming and NZ government funding model.
• Basement Theatre: Independent Auckland theatre company that emerged from the same Lower Greys Avenue grain silo space Silo occupied until 2007. Directly comparable as a small, contemporary-focused Auckland producing company with similar lean team, indie aesthetic, and emerging-talent focus.
• Circa Theatre: Wellington-based professional theatre company producing contemporary New Zealand and international plays in two owned venues. Directly comparable as a NZ regional repertory theatre with own-venue operations, season subscription model, and similar contemporary programming remit.

Regional players

• Queensland Theatre: Brisbane-based state theatre company producing a season of contemporary and classic Australian works. Comparable as a publicly-funded regional repertory theatre with similar season structure and education programmes, but operates in the Australian market rather than NZ.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/silotheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/silotheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/silo-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Silo Theatre