Newry Theatre Drama Set to Run and Run!

As one year draws to a close and another is just two weeks away, the saga of the building of Newry's new theatre and conference centre it appears will run and run, unlike the potential shows in the proposed theatre.

Since the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre was closed at the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020, Newry has been lost for an Arts facility that most towns and cities take fore granted.

Yes the Town Hall is there and is a brilliant location for shows but with the uncertainty of when the site is closing to build the new facility, quite a few event organisers have found it difficult to gain certainty for dates in the future and have went elsewhere.

Planning permission has been granted for the building of the new theatre with a link to the town hall but it seems Newry, Mourne and Down District Council don't know when work is actually going to start, with the claim that they don't yet know what implications an ongoing Judicial Review of the Civic Hub will have on £8m of Belfast Region City Deal funding already granted for the Newry City Centre Regeneration Project which includes the theatre and civic hub and Newry City park.

Something else council claim they don't know is the amount of money that the Shared Island funding is awarding the Theatre project, despite Newry City Councillor Aidan Mathers publicly announcing in November that it's €4.6 million! Assessment continues it seems. In a reply to a media query by Newry.ie a council spokesperson said “Newry, Mourne and Down District Council can advise that the assessment process for the proposed Shared Island funding contribution remains ongoing, and therefore a specific funding award has yet to be confirmed."

The spokesperson stated that the Shared Island money is a capital funding contribution towards the construction of the Theatre and Conference Centre project.

They added: "The Council continues to work with its Belfast Region City Deal partners to determine what implications the application for Judicial Review of the Civic and Regional Hub planning decision has on the overall NCCR programme. The Council welcomes the support of Shared Island initiative and will continue to work with all partners as required in the assessment process."

Meanwhile arts organisations in Newry remain in limbo and can only hope that the plot in this ongoing theatre drama becomes clear before everyone loses interest.