Ambitious plans are being formed at County Sligo Youth Theatre which will stage its latest production, The Woman in White, at the Factory performance space next week.
Bernadette Meehan, who was appointed artistic director to the youth theatre last September, said a new building had now been acquired and hoped it would soon be in use as a dedicated youth theatre space.
The warehouse building was procured for them by the well-established Blue Raincoat Theatre Company located close to their Factory theatre on Lower Quay Street in Sligo.
Ms Meehan, who formerly worked in youth theatre in Northern Ireland, has plans to increase links with groups north of the Border. She has also made contact with youth theatres in Galway and Mayo and hopes to see the establishment of a federation of youth theatres. Groups could then pool resources for training and jointly host a festival of youth theatre, she said.
More than 20 young people from Co Sligo are involved in the latest production, which will run from January 23rd-26th, nightly at 8 p.m.
"It is a wonderful adventure for them," she said. Many of them would not go on to work in theatre full-time but the experience had many benefits, she said.
"They say things like it helps them get over shyness and that after taking part they can express themselves better," she said.
Ms Meehan hopes to introduce more training, in technical areas as well as in acting. She said there is no shortage of young people keen to get involved.
County Sligo Youth Theatre started in 1998 as a pilot project funded by the Arts Council and Sligo County Council. Until Ms Meehan's appointment, it was run by the county's arts office.