THRIVE — Strand 2 Call 1: Project Awarded
THRIVE – the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme- supports locally developed plans that take an integrated strategic approach to the regeneration of our towns and locally selected projects that assist in creating town centres that function as viable, vibrant, and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit while also functioning as the business, service, social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community.
The first Strand 2 Call closed on 3rd May 2024 with one major project of 3.8m being awarded to the development of the Nuns’s Island Theatre in Galway City.
Galway City – Nun’s Island Theatre
Galway City Council have been awarded €3.8 million under the Town Centre First Heritage Revival (THRIVE) Scheme to renovate the existing Nun’s Island Theatre and completely refurbish the vacant Church House to the rear of site.
The two historic buildings located on the site, situated on the Western side of the Corrib River are the Nuns’ Island Theatre (built Circa 1835), is a former Presbyterian Church and the Church House, also known as ‘The Manse’, (constructed between 1855 & 1872) attached to the rear of the Theatre, originally served as a home for the church’s various Ministers.
The project, will link the two buildings creating a new multi-purpose creative (Hub) centre for the arts sector, named CreativeSpace on Nun’s Island Galway City.
Public Consultation on the role and functions of the Nuns Island site and its place within the creative and cultural landscape of the city was conducted by Urban Lab Galway on behalf of Galway City Council and the University of Galway in 2021 and 2022. Responses from the consultation identified that people wanted to see a multifunctional space that could be used for rehearsals, studios, meetings, events and administration.
Creative Space 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.
For more information on the THRIVE Scheme see THRIVE