Booking a Tour in Ireland
One of the best places to start if you want to book a tour in Northern Ireland is with the five venues of the ART NI (Association of Regional Theatres NI) Consortium. This is a producing consortium but the Theatres are far enough apart that they also collaborate on receiving product and regularly meet to discuss incoming show ideas. Contact any one of the venues to ask them about touring to all five. The links are all below.
News: The new Arts Centre in Omagh has come on line, with Jean Brennan as the Arts Officer for the district. Also now open is the Alley Theatre in Strabane, under John Kerr.
Also helpful are the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn, and Clotworthy Arts Centre, both just outside Belfast. In Belfast if your product is smaller and more cutting edge, try the Old Museum Arts Centre, know as OMAC. A new Belfast venue is the Blackbox but it is quite "cabaret style", and the Grand Opera House has a new 115-seater studio, the Baby Grand for something a bit more mainstream or "high culture". If the Millennium Forum is not what you need then try the Derry Playhouse, currently using a wonderful old parish hall while their new theatre is being built. Just over the border in Donegal, part of the Republic of Ireland, about an hour's drive from the city of Derry is the An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, which makes another good touring partner. Again the links are all below - just click on the name of the venue.
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The Five ART NI Theatres
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booked by Eamonn Bradley, 00 44 28 66 32 32 33 Really knows his audience. Warm. Good links to the republic. Books very early.
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booked by Jill Holmes 00 44 28 3752 1826 or Vincent McCann 00 44 28 3752 1823. Very dynamic duo with deep understanding of theatre, influential, very supportive of product they love.
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booked by Tony McCance 0044 28 8676 7994. Friendly venue, good at driving product he believes in. Lynch pin for the group
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My former venue, booked by Jeremy Lewis 00 44 28 7032 4459. Give them my regards.
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booked by David McLaughlin 0044 28 7127 2771. Only number 1 touring venue in ART NI, books weeks, books further in advance than most. Experienced and positive, gets things done for ART group.
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Other Receiving Venues NI
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booked by Aine McVerry - aine@oldmuseumartscentre.org or 0044 28 9023 5053
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for hire, but also booked by Sean Kelly, AD of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival so maybe start with him on 0044 28 9023 2403
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Booked by Christina Hurson – christina.hurson@iac.lisburn.gov.uk, tel 028 92 509 509 A well funded venue.
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booked by Aine Dolan, for John Botteley, Theatre Director, Grand Opera House 0044 28 9024 0411. Email is adolan@goh.co.uk. Paul Coleman, who markets the studio really goes the extra mile.
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Booked by Jim Lecky - email him at thederryplayhouse@hotmail.com. Very active in their local community. Currently getting their building completely rebuilt.
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Run by Gary Shaw 0044 28 9448 1338. Or contact Cathy McNally - cathy.mcnally@antrim.gov.uk. Very together on marketing front. Soon to close for refurbishment.
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Run by the incomparable Jean Brennan on 028 224 5321. Very together. Brilliant.
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A lovely airy building and a great stage. Run by John Kerr on 028 7188 4760.
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Venues in the Republic of Ireland
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booked by Patricia McBride 00 353 7491 23288. She runs a brilliant festival out her venue in the summer.
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Now run by Joanne – Joanne@belltable.ie - Closed for refurbishment until mid to late 2009.
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