Playhouse Receives early Christmas Present from Arts Council

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland today awarded £1 million through its Lottery Fund towards the restoration and refurbishment of The Playhouse in Derry City.

The Playhouse, which achieved national prominence by reaching the finals of the BBC’s Restoration programme in August of this year, is a thriving arts centre located in a Grade B1 listed building on Artillery Street inside Derry’s historic city walls.

The programme of local, international and cross-community arts provided by The Playhouse to the people of Derry makes this venue an invaluable part of the arts infrastructure in Northern Ireland. If the centre is to realise its full ambitions, the building itself will require substantial refurbishment.

Roisin McDonough , Chief Executive of the Arts Council, commented on the £1million award: “The Playhouse is a vital asset to arts and culture in the North West. However, the poor state of repair of the venue makes major building refurbishment critical to the maintenance of its facilities. The Arts Council’s award of £1 million through our Lottery Fund towards the refurbishment and extension of the building will make a major and lasting contribution to the development and delivery of the arts in the area and to the exceptional cross-community arts programmes for which The Playhouse is justifiably applauded.”

Pauline Ross, Founder and Artistic Director of The Playhouse stated: “We are delighted with the news from the Arts Council. It’s a great Christmas present and a huge investment not only in The Playhouse but also in Community Arts across Northern Ireland, as well as an economic boost for the city centre. We have £2.8 million to raise altogether, and one of the biggest hurdles is often getting the first funder to commit and come on board. Since The Playhouse opened its doors over a decade ago, the Arts Council has been a great supporter of our work and regional community service. We have a number of other funding applications in the pipeline, and we should have the full funding in place before the end of next year. Detailed architectural plans for the building have already been produced, and will have their official public launch by The Mayor of Derry City early in the New Year. We would like to thank the Arts Council for their continued support, and look forward to a newly refurbished building in the not too distant future, meeting the needs of our many users.”

• The Playhouse is one of the most forward-thinking and progressive community arts centres in Northern Ireland and reaches out to all the communities. It offers a neutral environment where the people of Derry City are learning to build trust, tolerance and respect through drama, dance, literature and the visual arts. More than 70,000 adults and children participate in its programmes every year.

• The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland and the main support for artists and arts organisations throughout the region through its Treasury and Lottery funds.

• Since the inception of the National Lottery in 1994, the Arts Council has injected £27.5 million of its Lottery funds into the building and refurbishment of top-of-the-range arts facilities throughout Northern Ireland, and is responsible for buildings as notable as the Marketplace Theatre in Armagh City, the Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre in Cookstown, the Millennium Forum and the Verbal Arts Centre in Derry City, the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn, the Millennium Court Arts Centre in Portadown, and the Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart.

• Construction work is scheduled to begin on The Playhouse in early 2006 and to be completed in early 2007.

• Andrzej Blonski Architects won the restoration contract for the Playhouse following competitive interview by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA). Blonski Architects have much relevant experience, having been responsible for the refurbishment of various UK theatres such as the Bristol Old Vic, the Theatre Royal in Plymouth and the Theatre and Art Gallery in Milton Keynes. Their design for The Playhouse offers a strong modern architectural solution that is entirely appropriate and remains sympathetic to the conservation and environmental issues of the area.