Colgan charm opens the gates to building

The Colgan charm has worked again for Dublin's Gate Theatre.

The Colgan charm has worked again for Dublin's Gate Theatre.

At a time when arts sponsorship is suffering because of the economic downturn, comes news that the American Ireland Fund is to contribute almost €299,000 to the theatre's building development project. The chairwoman of the Fund is Loretta Brennan Glucksman, recently appointed to the board of the National Theatre.

Following that little contretemps with the Arts Council over its grant last year, the Gate theatre triumphed by announcing that the then Minister for the Arts, Síle de Valera, had provided major support by granting €2.2 million toward the €3.2 million cost of this work. The Minister at the time nailed her colours to the mast when, with the funding feud going on in the background, she made a pointed reference to the theatre being a "beacon of excellence".

That particular tranche of State funding came from the €45 million ACCESS money then available for cultural infrastructure - oh happy days.

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New rehearsal space, improved back-stage facilities, and potential space for a new booking office form part of the plan which will involve demolition of the Pillar Room foyer and the adjacent ESB substation. Planning permission has been granted, with work due to start in the New Year and be completed in 18 months.

With A Christmas Carol currently on stage in the Gate, it is perhaps appropriate of the deputy director Marie Rooney to describe its infrastructure as being "Dickensian".