Strule Arts Centre facts for kids

Strule Arts Centre, January 2010

Strule Arts Centre (Irish: Ionad Ealaíne na Sruthaile; Ulster-Scots: Strule Hoose o Airts) is a multi-purpose arts venue in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It features a 400-seat theatre, a 125-seat lecture theatre, a visual arts gallery, dance studio and cafe. It has featured international musical acts, drama, film and dance in its events calendar and also is a venue for artistic and musical classes for adults and children. The Omagh tourist information office is located on the ground floor. The centre is owned and run by Omagh District Council.

Strule Arts Centre, January 2010

History

In 2003 Omagh's Town Hall was demolished to make way for the new Strule Arts Centre Arts. It cost £10.5 million and opened on 8 June 2007, overlooking the River Strule which flows through the town centre. It is part of a wider regeneration project for the High Street, George Street and Riverside area of Omagh. It was designed by architects Kennedy Fitzgerald and Associates and features a footbridge linking the waterfront site to a new college, existing bus station and riverside walk. The centre was officially opened in January 2008 by Edwin Poots, then Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, and Margaret Ritchie, Minister for Social Development. The Centre had been partially funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (£4m) and by the Department for Social Development (£3.1m).

Events

Artists appearing at the centre in late 2009 include: Dominic Kirwan, Juliet Turner, Brian Kennedy and the Ulster Orchestra.