Black Box
Theatre & Venues

Our recent addition to the spaces and places that make our city feel people-centred and connected

Black Box is a performance and function venue that provides a blank canvas for your creative or corporate event ideas. This venue has been designed to be adaptable – ideal for not only for day-time functions, but is also a great space for an evening’s entertainment.

Whats on

Check out these exciting events

Accommodation

If you have guests coming from out of town, why not tell them about Hotel Give. It is located adjacent to the venue, which makes it convenient. The hotel is owned and operated by The Kind Foundation, and profits go back into social enterprise, which is even better.

 

Dining

There are several options for dining.  Our onsite catering can design a menu for your group, or you can make use of Atawhai, our onsite cafe or the adjacent bistro – Number Six Bar & Bistro.

 

 

 

Parking

Limited onsite parking is available for guests, parking times range from 15 to 120 minutes.

We encourage your guests to use the Parkmate app, or utilise free street parking after 6pm.

Testimonials

On behalf of the Collaborative Aotearoa team, I just wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you for hosting us at Papa Hou for our 2026 conference last week. The venue was truly outstanding, modern, welcoming and beautifully designed. It created the perfect environment for connection, learning and kōrero. We received so many positive comments from attendees about the space and overall experience. What stood out most, though, was your team. You were all incredibly friendly, responsive and accommodating throughout the entire event. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and your support behind the scenes made everything run seamlessly. It gave us real confidence as hosts and allowed us to focus on delivering a meaningful experience for our delegates. We feel very grateful to have worked alongside such a professional and genuinely caring team. Thank you again for everything you did to support us – it made a real difference.
– Collaborative Aotearoa, March 2026
Thank you so much for your support for us during the lead up and season of Badjelly the Witch. Please pass on our huge thanks to the team. Our team and audiences loved the venue and the accessibility and having the cafe on site. Many people visited Papa Hou for the first time and thought it is a beautiful venue with a friendly team.
– Luminaires, October 2025
Thanks so much for your help with the rehearsal space, it was mentioned specifically by participants of our rehearsals over the weekend that they loved your space and how well it worked for us!
– New Zealand Opera, August 2025
We held our Symposium at this venue in January 2025, and it was exceptionally well-equipped to meet our needs. The location was ideal, and the staff provided outstanding service throughout. Special thanks to Damon, whose support and accommodation were invaluable in ensuring the event ran smoothly, making it one of our most successful to date. We look forward to returning for future events.
– Eden Thomson, March 2025
Event attendees all commented on what a great venue Papa Hou is and the standard of the facilities. The combination of well-appointed dance studio, cafe, hotel and restaurant in a central location meant we could run a focused weekend that kept everyone together and enabled our schedule to flow. I would wholeheartedly recommend Papa Hou for any movement-based practice and look forward to hosting other events there in future.
– Stephen Judd, July 2024
The facilities at Papa Hou, right in the centre of Christchurch City, are excellent and versatile. The use of the theatre and foyer for workshops and discussions worked well. The use of your Green Room as a venue for our percussion workshops, and our AGM proved to be an excellent, sunny choice. Extending the Saturday morning dance workshops into the Rangimarie Dance Studio with it’s new bluetooth music connection was another winner for tutors and students alike. We employed the services of a photographer during the show rehearsals, who found a number of excellent backdrops to use, including your delightful mural in the theatre foyer. The theatre show and rehearsals went well, and our audience and performers were delighted at the end result. Your association with Hotel Give, right next door to Papa Hou is an additional asset that cannot be overlooked. One further mention to your excellent team in the Atawhai cafe, and the ladies looking after our guests at the show. It was a busy weekend, and the service and food was a credit to your training. We congratulate you on providing an all round excellent service, and should we have the opportunity to use your facilities again, we will not hesitate to choose the Black Box Theatre and Venues at Papa Hou.
– Angela Mott, MEDANZ, April 2024

Enquiries

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For general enquiries or to make a booking for one of our venues, please complete the enquiry form above and we will get back to you.

 

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