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Bill Sheat

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For the New Zealand Member of Parliament, see William Sheat.

Bill Sheat
CNZM OBE
Head and shoulders of Bill Sheat smiling and dressed in a dark suit
Sheat in 2018
Born
William Newton Sheat

(1930-05-01)1 May 1930[1]
Hāwera, New Zealand
Died20 January 2021(2021-01-20) (aged 90)
Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Alma materVictoria University College
OccupationLawyer
Known forArts advocacy
RelativesWilliam Sheat (father)

William Newton Sheat CNZM OBE (1 May 1930 – 20 January 2021) was a New Zealand lawyer and arts advocate whose input was instrumental in many arts organisations including as a founding member of the New Zealand Film Commission, Creative New Zealand (formerly The Queen Elizabeth ll Arts Council) and Downstage Theatre.

Early life

Sheat was born in 1930 in Hāwera, Taranaki. His mother was Ella Marjorie Sheat (née Newton) and his father William Sheat, who was a member of parliament. Both Sheat and his father are William Sheat and both are known as Bill. He grew up on a dairy farm and received his primary education in Pihama.[1] He went to boarding school at New Plymouth Boys' High School.[2] He went to Victoria University College in 1948 and studied arts and law. He got involved with drama club at university, acting and writing on the annual capping review (a skit show); this involvement expanded to producing and writing, and continued for many years after he graduated in 1953.[3][4]

Career

Over his career Sheat practised as a lawyer and at the same time was involved in theatre and performing arts. He was on many boards of arts organisations in various roles including chair, he continued acting and directing on occasions and he was part of many significant initiatives in theatre as the professional scene emerged in the 1960s in New Zealand. This ranged from Downstage, New Zealand's first professional theatre, to a government funding body the Queen Elizabeth ll Arts Council, to Playmarket, New Zealand agent for playwrights and setting up the national drama school Toi Whakaari. Sheat also encouraged investment in a New Zealand film industry for New Zealand films with the founding of the New Zealand Film Commission.[2]

Law

In his legal profession Sheat was admitted as a solicitor in 1953 and as a barrister in 1954. He continued to hold his practising certificate until 2013.[3] He joined the law firm Rothwell Gibson Page & Marshall in 1957 which then became Gibson, Page, Marshall and Sheat.[5][6] The company changed to the current name of Gibson and Sheat in 1966.[6] Sheat became a specialist in transport law and was the legal adviser for 30 years to the New Zealand Road Transport Forum. Sheat also specialised in entertainment law including intellectual property and was part of setting up many charitable trusts for arts organisations.[3]

Arts

Theatre was a love of Sheat's since he got involved with the drama club at university. At the drama club he acted in plays including as 'chief rustic' of Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare produced by Maria Dronke in 1955 and wrote sketches and directed shows such as Guided Mistletoe (Christmas revue, 1962).[7][8] He went on to be involved with the Wellington Repertory Theatre company, directing many plays as well as acting in them. Plays he directed include The Seven Year Itch, by George Axelrod at the Grand Opera House, Wellington in 1959,[9] and She'll be Right, at the Concert Chamber in the Town Hall in 1960. She'll be Right was devised and directed with his colleague Terry Browne.[10]

In 1963, Sheat was appointed to the drama panel of the newly formed Queen Elizabeth ll Arts Council, later he became the Chair and remained until 1972.[2] The Queen Elizabeth ll Arts Council was set up by the government to provide support for professionalism in the arts and wider access to the public for arts in New Zealand, it is now Creative New Zealand.[11] During the inception of Downstage Theatre, Sheat was invited to be part of the early conversations with Tim Eliott, Martyn Sanderson, Peter Bland and Harry Seresin because of his practical nature. The discussion group also included academics John Roberts, Don McKenzie, James Ritchie and playwright Bruce Mason.[12]

From 1973 to 1975, Sheat was the president of The New Zealand Theatre Federation that represents community theatre and was made a life member.[13]

Alongside John O'Shea, Sheat championed a local film body modelled on the Australian film commissions and was the founding Chair of the New Zealand Film Commission in 1978, prior to that he had chaired a working party to create a local film body.[2][14] He stayed as chair until 1985. Other chairperson roles include the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand Trust.[15] Toi Whakaari: The New Zealand Drama School started in 1970 with Nola Millar the first director, Sheat was the inaugural Chair of the Board.[16] Sheat was also founding chair of the NZ Film Festival Trust, and an executive member of Playmarket.[17][18]

Three Wellington performing arts venues that owe a lot to Sheat are the Hannah Playhouse, the Opera House and the Embassy Theatre. Sheat was part of Downstage Theatre during the commissioning and building of the Hannah Playhouse. In the 1970s the Opera House was earmarked for destruction, and Sheat was part of a group that saved it. Likewise years later the Embassy Theatre was also at risk of demolition. Sheat was Chair of Embassy Theatre Trust from 1990 to 2007 when it was saved and renovated.[3][12][15]

  • The Hannah Playhouse
    The Hannah Playhouse
  • The Opera House
    The Opera House
  • Embassy Theatre
    Embassy Theatre

Honours and awards

In the 1973 New Year Honours, Sheat was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the arts.[19] In the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, also for services to the arts.[20]

Sheat received the Mayor's Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre at the 2009 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards.[21] In recognition of outstanding contribution Victoria University of Wellington awarded Sheat a Hunter Fellowship in 2010, and in 2019, Sheat was named as a Wellington Icon at the Wellington Gold Awards.[15][22]

Personal life and death

Sheat married Genevieve Mary Leicester (1932–2008) in 1956. She was the daughter of Wilfred Erne Leicester and Mary Mercer Leicester. They had two sons and one daughter.[1] His wife supported theatre and also worked in the legal sector including being a legal executive.[3][23]

After a short illness Sheat died in Lower Hutt on 20 January 2021.[24][25]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lambert, Max (1991). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1991 (12th ed.). Auckland: Octopus. pp. 572f. ISBN 9780790001302.
  2. ^ a b c d "Bill Sheat". NZ On Screen. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Bill Sheat looks back". New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  4. ^ "2019 ICON: Bill Sheat". Gold Awards. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Legal Advice | Business, Litigation & Personal Lawyers | Gibson Sheat". www.gibsonsheat.com. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Gibson Sheat Lawyers Wellington Long History and Origins". www.gibsonsheat.com. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  7. ^ "THE SPIKE [: OR, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE REVIEW 1957]". New Zealand Electronic Text Collection Victoria University of Wellington Library. 1957. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Victoria University of Wellington Drama Club :[Programmes. 1960–1969]". National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1960. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Wellington Repertory Theatre: [Theatre programmes for drama productions in 1959]". National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1959. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Wellington Repertory Theatre :Wellington Repertory Theatre presents "She'll be right". Devised and directed by Terry Browne and Bill Sheat. Concert Chamber, July 12th–20th, 1960. Programme. Universal Printers Ltd., 22–26 Blair Street, Wellington [1960]". National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1960. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  11. ^ Durrant, Martin (22 October 2014). "Arts funding and support". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  12. ^ a b Harcourt, Peter (1978). A Dramatic Appearance. Wellington, New Zealand: Methuen.
  13. ^ "Theatre New Zealand - Home". Theatre New Zealand. Archived from the original on 10 August 2002. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  14. ^ Reid, John (2020). "O'Shea, John Dempsey – Biography". Te Ara. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  15. ^ a b c "Congratulations to Bill Sheat OBE, CNZM, Wellington Icon — RNZB". Royal New Zealand Ballet. Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  16. ^ "Resources". Theatre Archives New Zealand. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Whānau Mārama: Celebrating 40 in Wellington". New Zealand International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  18. ^ Atkinson, Laurie; O'Donnell, David (2013). Playmarket 40 : 40 years of playwriting in New Zealand. [Wellington] New Zealand. ISBN 978-0-908607-45-7. OCLC 864712401.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  19. ^ "No. 45861". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 1 January 1973. p. 34.
  20. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2011". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  21. ^ "Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards: Winners announced". Scoop News. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  22. ^ "Honorary graduates and Hunter fellowships". Victoria University of Wellington. 5 March 2020. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  23. ^ "Sheat, William Newton, 1930–". National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1930. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  24. ^ Boyack, Nicholas (20 January 2021). "Bill Sheat: The man who saved Wellington's Opera House". Stuff. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  25. ^ "Bill Sheat death notice". Taranaki Daily News. 23 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
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