CONSTRUCTION teams will move in at the end of this month to begin converting a former church, one of the most elegant buildings in New Ross, Co Wexford, into a venue which aims to become a vibrant centre for the arts in the south-east.
It is a hugely ambitious project, but it has a head-start in being centred on an existing listed building which clearly has enormous potential for housing multi-cultural events. And it will draw on a theatrical and musical tradition in New Ross which goes back several centuries.
St Michael's Theatre, in South Street, is the former St Michael's parish church which functioned as a church throughout most of the 19th century. After a new, and more spacious, parish church was built nearby in 1902, the fine old church was transformed into a theatre and became known as the town hall.
In its new guise, it enabled drama and music to thrive in New Ross up to the present. All of the local community groups have used the theatre, and this week it is hosting the local final of the Tops of the Towns competition.
But, while the structure and exterior of the building are intact and as gracious a piece of ecclesiastical architecture as can be found anywhere in the State, the interior was run down and badly needed modernisation.
Now, a recently established company, Feachtas Ealaoin, which runs St Michael's Theatre, has taken on the task of upgrading it to its full potential.
The manager, Helen Lewis, says: "The total cost of this phase of the project will be £350,000. We've got £250,000 from the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, and we are raising matching funding of £100,000.
"Rather than just being a community theatre for New Ross, we re looking to develop theatre for the south-east of Ireland. We will have raked seating for 350 people and as up-to-date facilities as may be found anywhere."
The aim is to have a working theatre venue for drama, music, dance and the visual arts, with a strong emphasis on education. The company intends to liaise with schools throughout the south-east in order to develop a programme for art and education.
To permit the refurbishment, the theatre is closing in May for six months. Just before this, it will house a fund-raising May festival and the task of raising the matching funding will continue while the renovations are under way.
At present, 15 people are employed on a FAST scheme by the company engaged in activities ranging from set design and maintenance to scriptwriting. The refurbishment will involve lowering the existing stage in order to have fly-tower facilities; dressing rooms and work rooms will be added, and the renovated theatre will also have an orchestra pit as well as modern lighting and sound facilities.
The spacious gallery above the auditorium will be turned into a lounge which can act as a venue for smaller events, accommodating an audience of 80 to 100. The work is being aided by corporate sponsorship, including regional county councils and the urban district council.
When the theatre reopens in November, New Ross will have a splendid arts venue in a distinguished and classical setting - a combination which should quickly become noted far afield. "We want to link into tourism," says Ms Lewis. "There is a huge boom in tourism in the southeast."
The company will also reach out to young people throughout the region. Schools in the south-east are being circulated with an invitation for their students to participate in a poster design competition on the theme "The Old and the New" in relation to St Michael's.
The emphasis on youth participation will be continued, says Karmel Daly, marketing and promotions co-ordinator. "At present, children have to go to Dublin to see plays such as King Lear. We hope to get workshops going and to encourage writing. We will provide a venue for the community and for all the performing arts."
Feachtas Ealaion was formed when groups using the theatre decided in 1993 to come together and pool their efforts. They had public meetings and formed a controlling board.
The stage tradition in New Ross is centuries old. The library of Trinity College, Dublin, has a set of eight playbills for performances in the town, the earliest dated 1789. One of these advertises Sheridan's The School for Scandal, then only 10 years old.
The plays were presented on three days of the week at "New Theatre, Court-House, Ross" and the ticket prices were 2s 2d for the pit and 1s Id for the gallery - dear enough for the time and effectively excluding the ordinary townspeople.
St Michael's has a considerable stage tradition in this century. The Abbey Players have performed in the theatre. Helen Lewis says: "It has a lot of history and is greatly loved by professionals. Many of them have expressed an interest in coming back." The company is actively seeking further sponsorship, and is inviting views and ideas from the community on creating a vibrant artistic venue which will branch out to the entire south-east.
The New Ross Musical Society, and the town's brass and silver and pipe bands will play a big part in the relaunch of the theatre. Future plans could include the construction of a 100-seat theatre underneath the former church.
And while the immediate focus is on the gala fundraising concert on May 1st, which will start booking next week, the longer-term aim is to put New Ross firmly on the theatrical map. "We need a big festival here," Helen Lewis declares. "New Ross needs its own festival."