€3.8 million has been secured to renovate the Nuns Island Theatre and Church House, to its rear - a move which will represent a further 1,800 square feet of cultural space in the city and a significant boost to the arts community. The funding was secured under THRIVE, the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme, awarded under Ireland’s two European Regional Development Fund (ERDF ) Regional Programmes.
Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr Peter Keane welcomed the award of €3.8 million to renovate Nun’s Island Theatre and to completely refurbish the vacant Church House to the rear of the site, under the EU Town Centre First Heritage Revival (THRIVE ) scheme. The project will link the two buildings, creating a new multi-purpose creative centre for the arts sector, named ‘CreativeSpace’. THRIVE is funded under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF ) for the Northern and Western Region.
Mayor Keane welcomed the award, saying he was delighted to welcome this funding for Nun’s Island Theatre, which will bring a much-loved but underused city centre site into more active use as a creative centre for the people of Galway.
“Public consultation by Galway City Council in partnership with the UrbanLab in the University of Galway identified that people wanted to see a multi-functional space, that could be used for rehearsals, studios, meetings, events and administration. I’m delighted to see their feedback will come to life with this funding through the Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA ),” he said.
CreativeSpace will offer Galway’s artistic community rehearsal and performance space and will promote the venue as the space for innovative and experimental work by emerging companies, individuals and minority communities in Galway.
Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive of Galway City Council said that the long-term aim of the CreativeSpace concept is to consolidate Galway Arts Centre’s position as a key resource for artists.
“This will be achieved by promoting Nuns’ Island theatre as Galway’s ‘go to’ venue for emerging theatre and performing companies; by providing space at affordable rates to enable Galway’s artists to bring their projects to stage; and by nurturing amateur artists through our comprehensive youth led programme. I’d like to thank the NWRA and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for their work to secure this funding for Galway City,” he added.
Nun’s Island Theatre was built circa 1835 and is a former Presbyterian Church. Attached to the rear of the Theatre is the Church House, also known as ‘The Manse’. Church House was constructed between 1855 and 1872 and originally served as a home for the church’s various ministers.
In more recent years, the site has been used as a space for the arts in Galway, hosting the Galway International Arts Festival, Babaró International Arts Festival for Children, and Galway Arts Centre.
The CreativeSpace project will promote the values and working principles of the New European Bauhaus – an initiative of the European Union – ensuring the project sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, inclusive and accessible.
THRIVE is co-funded by the Government of Ireland (40% ) and the European Union (60% ) under the Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027. Further information is available on the Northern and Western Regional Assembly website www.nwra.ie Minister Hildegarde Naughton welcomed the allocation, saying that in recent years there is no doubt that the Nun’s Island Theatre was in need of a revamp and this funding is therefore very much welcome.
“Additionally, the hidden gem, which is Church House, to the rear of the Theatre, will now provide a multi-purpose creative hub for the City – named “Creative Space” - which will offer Galway’s artistic community much needed additional rehearsal and performance space.
While Galway is recognised as the arts capital of Ireland, our cultural infrastructure does not always live up to that standard and this development will help address that deficit. This new creative space will have a significant impact. We must always ensure we have the infrastructure to match our artistic talent and creativity,” the Minister said.
The Nuns Island Theatre, which is home to Galway Youth Theatre, and which more recently has become a rehearsal space for Galway musicians, is run by the Galway Arts Centre on behalf of the Galway City Council.
“I had recently secured funding, totalling €179,893, from Government to ensure that Church House did not become derelict, and I am very pleased to now be in a position to announce significant further funding for both buildings,” Minister Naughton noted.
“Having previously visited the site at the invitation of the Galway Arts Centre, I know that substantial works were required to bring the buildings up to standard and today’s announcement will allow that to happen. Galway City Council and the Galway Arts Centre have worked for the betterment of the arts in Galway for more than 30 years and I have no doubt this renovation and new creative space will have a significant impact. We must always ensure we have the infrastructure to match our artistic talent and creativity.”
