A recently-formed company is set to transform the arts in Ennis, Co Clare. It aims to establish an arts centre which artists and performers in the town have craved for many years.
As the town looks forward to the Ennis Arts Festival in June, performers will seek to rely once more on the goodwill of the community to provide venues to display their talents. As yet there is no proper theatre or single dedicated, professional gallery space in the town.
For a long time the town's arts community has cast envious glances at the positive impact arts centres have made in Galway, Sligo and Limerick. However, the establishment of the Ennis Arts Centre Company Ltd will seek to change all this.
One of the directors of the new company, Ms Mary Cashin, explains the need: "I honestly believe there is a crisis in the arts in Ennis because of the lack of a proper arts centre. In 1987 we ran the first arts festival in Ennis.
"For last year's festival we had as little space 10 years later as we had in 1987. Visiting groups will not come to Ennis because there are no proper facilities."
Ms Cashin, who also chairs the Ennis Arts Festival, says the arts in Co Clare are currently thriving. She cites the recent official opening of the Courthouse Studios in Ennistymon, and the drama and writers' groups in each town and village in the county.
The projected arts centre would aim to be a focal point for all this activity, and to provide gallery space for local artists as well as performance space for visiting drama and dance companies.
Ms Cashin is in no doubt of the local support for the proposed centre. "There is tremendous goodwill out there, which is again highlighted this year by people making venues freely available to the Arts Festival."
Currently, the Ennis Arts Centre Company is seeking to identify a venue in the town. The Arts Council and Ennis UDC will then be approached to help finance the project.
Although it is too early to commit funding, an Arts Council representative welcomed the local initiative at the weekend, while the Ennis Town Clerk, Mr Tomas Ryan, said the urban council was looking forward to discussions with the directors of the new Arts Centre Company on their plans.
Ms Cashin says: "We would propose that this be a Millennium project. What better project for the year 2000 than an arts centre in Ennis?"
