Venue Theatre lands €50k funding boost
Funding of €49,024 has been announced for The Venue, Ratoath by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD as part of an almost €540,000 funding announcement for 25 arts and culture organisations around the country to upgrade and develop their facilities.
The news has been welcomed by Oliver’s Community Centre CLG, the community organisation that includes The Venue Theatre amongst its diverse activities. This grant will assist in enabling The Venue Theatre to join the Access Cinema Network through the purchase of new projection and screening equipment. It is also intended to start a new Ratoath Cinema Club as well as have other community groups and the local nursing home take advantage of this added capability.
The grant will also assist in enabling theatre management to complete a refurbishment of the theatre given it is now some 16 years in operation as well as enable the purchase of new more energy efficient lighting equipment
Welcoming the grant award, Leo Cummins, Chief Executive of St Oliver's Community Centre, said it comes as a great boost for the theatre and that he was particularly pleased that the Minister had included a number of smaller arts and cultural centres such as The Venue in this round of approvals.
"The Venue Theatre has increased its number of annual productions from a base of 50 in its initial years to over 120 productions in 2019 and this grant, originally applied for in January 2020 before Covid hit, will quickly enable the Venue to add another 60 productions annually.
In addition, the new investments will generate some energy savings and assist in reducing the organisation’s overall carbon footprint," he said.
Mark Wiley, Theatre & Community Operations Manager of The Venue, said he looked forward to the more intensive use of the theatre that this new investment will enable, as well as the fact that it will further enhance the facilities within the theatre to improve both the artistic and audience experience.
"An extensive range of new community activities and groups for the community of Ratoath was currently well underway and there was no doubt that this grant and investment would further extend these community activities to additional community groups in Ratoath.
“The range and quality of artistes seeking to perform in The Venue keeps growing and improving and artists who have previously performed always seek to return such has been the positive audience reaction they receive in The Venue."
Local amateur groups will also benefit, and Mark said he was "delighted the Ratoath Musical Society, and The Venue Players were resuming their productions following COVID and undoubtedly their productions would benefit from the new investment and grants".
Cllr Nick Killian welcomed the announcement. "This is very much welcomed, particularly now as the theatre programme is kicking off again after Covid. This funding is very welcome for refurbishment of various parts of the theatre."
This funding is provided under Stream A of the Cultural Capital Scheme 2019-2022, which offers grants of up to €50,000. It is part of an overall €4.7m capital investment scheme in artistic and cultural institutions around the country. The funding is being made available under the National Development Plan, Project Ireland 2040.
Minister Catherine Martin said: "I am delighted to be in a position to award this funding to these organisations for the necessary upgrading of their facilities. This capital scheme prioritises projects that reduce an organisation's carbon footprint.
“This is in line with the Government's action on climate change, and it is encouraging to know that the funding for some of these projects will make a real and positive impact on the environment.