Schoolyard looks back on 21 years
CHARLEVILLE’S Schoolyard Theatre this year celebrates 21 years in existence, having been opened in November 1993.
Members of the Shoestring Theatre Company rented the former National School to open a 102-seat facility dedicated as a centre for the arts and dramatic presentations in the town.
Since then the venue has been utilised for the Shoestring’s own productions, as well as those of countless visiting groups ranging from Galway’s Druid Theatre and Waterford’s Red Kettle Theatre Company to the Lyric Theatre Company from Belfast and many of Ireland’s top names in show business have performed at the theatre since its foundation. RTE Radio has also used the Schoolyard to record popular programmes such as ’ Ceili House,’ ‘Both Sides Now’ and ‘Failte Isteach.’
It is also extensively used for community projects by local schools and community groups, by St. Joseph’s Foundation for the disabled, for concerts and book launches, for art and photographic exhibitions and for poetry readings and lectures, theatre workshops etc.
In the intervening years the Shoestring Theatre Company has built up a great audience for theatrical presentations from Charleville town and the wider North Cork and South Limerick areas through their memorable productions of works by popular playwrights. All this was done by means of loans, dedicated fund raising and personal support of the volunteer committee.
They got financial assistance from the Arts Council on two occasions over the 20 years, and now receive a programming grant from Cork County Council of €14,000 per annum.
“There were times over the past 21 years when we were in despair for lack of money and the leasees, Kevin O’Shea, Michael McGrath and Gerard Roche, thought they might be forced to close the venue,” said board member Michael Donegan. “Even now we are finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet as it costs €25,000 per annum for rent, rates, light, heat, telephone, maintenance outside of programming.
“Ideally we, the members of the Schoolyard who are all voluntary, estimate that they would need at least another €25,000 to make the theatre a vibrant centre,” added Michael.
“We want to continue to present the very best that is available to our patrons and to achieve this we need to have extra funding for programming. We look with envy to other theatres in the vicinity and have wondered why their programmes can be attractive and exciting and they are able to buy in shows that we cannot.
“We believe that with this extra funding we can attract more people into the theatre and bring it back to a situation where the facility is viable with many more interesting and challenging shows. We feel it most important that we continue this valuable work within the community as the arts and artists have a huge role to play in these most difficult times,” said Kevin O’Shea who is a member of the theatre’s board of directors.
The 21st anniversary of the opening of the theatre will be marked in an appropriate manner later on this year when it is hoped to have a review.