Six Letterkenny-based performance groups have joined forces to campaign for a dedicated creative centre within the Old Letterkenny Courthouse.
The historic building is set to be transformed into a tourist attraction, but local groups are seeking a share of the space to host rehearsals for plays and performing arts.
Dank warehouses, school study halls or disused office spaces are the only options for some groups to meet and practice before bringing their productions to the theatre stage. The demand for entertainment has been seen everywhere since the pandemic, with local shows regularly selling out.
“We have to take care of the talent that lies here within the North-West. It has to be nurtured and to be given an adequate and safe facility where it can grow and be the best it can be” – that’s according to a letter penned to Donegal County Council’s Regeneration and Development Team by Workhouse Theatre Company, Triumph Dance and Performing Arts, Letterkenny Music and Drama Group, Rainbow Theatre Group, Letterkenny Musical Society and Letterkenny Pantomime Society. The groups are asking for the Old Courthouse to accommodate a hybrid building, containing a purpose-built area for local groups and societies alongside the proposed tourist attractions.
“The current situation is terrible – with no building that is dedicated to the performing arts that can facilitate the large number of groups and societies who are in such great need of it. Which is usually in the evenings post 6pm, and at weekends,” the letter said.
“We have a wonderful, rich cultural community here in the North-West, who strive hard to put on shows and performances – and yet have been neglected when it has come to the allocation of a functional creative space.”
Letterkenny Music and Drama Group rehearsals for ‘All Shook Up’
The groups say that Donegal has its fair share of excellent sports grounds and halls, but a serious lack of facilities to nurture creative talent.
“What is sorely being missed is a creative centre, especially for children who have not got such a keen interest in sport – a creative space where adults and children can develop both personally and artistically.
“It would be hard to expect a football team to train on a tennis court and to then expect good results.”
Workhouse Theatre Company Summer YouthLab had to go outdoors due to a lack of functional space
The ‘Give Us Space’ campaign was launched in 2019 by groups united in their call for something they say Donegal has never had before – a safe and suitable centre to create good productions and to give audiences the best possible experience.
The Old Courthouse revival has been identified as the ideal opportunity to answer that call. A public drop-in event attracted 40 attendees in January, where proposals for tourist attractions were displayed.
The Letterkenny groups who signed the letter stress that they don’t want the whole building to be a purpose built rehearsal space.
“We want the building design to be hybrid. That would accommodate another of the proposals. i.e. an active tourist centre,” a spokesperson said.
“Culture is who we are. It is a huge part of our identity. It is something that brings colour to all our lives, and we should never dismiss its importance.”