By John

McCusker

With little over a month to go until the curtain goes up on the new Strule Arts Centre, anticipation is growing as to what the £10 million development holds in store for the town and district.

This week the spotlight fell on the centre's arts manager Jean Brennan and marketing officer Shauna McNeilly to shed some light on what local audiences can expect. Although slightly hesitant about revealing too many details of the planned programme of events over the coming weeks and months, Ms Brennan outlined a flavour of what can be expected come June.

As a 21st century substitute for the former Town Hall, it's appropriate that Omagh Players – who regarded the previous venue as 'home' – have been afforded the honour of staging the initial production. Things will wind down slightly during July and August but other forthcoming bookings post summer include the Hazel Wand Theatre Group and local tribute band Horslypse as well as forthcoming Ben Kiely Literary Weekend events.

"June does not see the formal opening," Ms Brennan points out. "These initial events will give us a chance to see how systems and procedures work. There will then be a reduced programme throughout July and August and the formal opening of the building will be in September."

The removal of scaffolding and other external distractions within recent months coupled with the positioning of the footbridge and ornamental 'tree' sculpture have gone a long way to finally exhibiting the jewel of the multi-million pound development. Set over three levels, the structure houses a 398-seater auditorium with seating that can be configured to accommodate varying styles of performances. There is also a lecture theatre with fixed seating that can accommodate audiences of up to 125 – ideal for singer/songwriters, conferences and hopefully the development in time of a film club.

The building also houses a dance studio with the same dimensions as those of the main auditorium stage which will double up as a rehersal stage. There's a print studio with screen print facilities – the only only one outside the greater Belfast area – and a recording studio with two rehearsal rooms. To top it off there is also a restaurant and cafe bar enjoying a riverside view.

"It's a building with a huge amount of arts resources over and above simply being a theatre," boasts Ms Brennan. "We have a growing population in this area. As a new venue we anticipate we will have a growing curve in terms of our audience and that is normal for any new venue over a two to three year period."

Initially plans are in place to offer two to three nights entertainment in the main theatre each week. It is also anticipated that the facility will be open seven days a week, offering weekend courses and workshops as the case arises.

The cost of hiring the venue was a major factor for local organisations and charities hoping to make use of the facilities. On this point Ms Brennan pointed out that a "trade off" was reached whereby the commercial rate for hiring the venue has been nudged slightly upwards, to allow for a reduced rate for community groups and charities wishing to run events in the auditorium.

Typical hire rates currently stand at £250 + VAT for a charity or community group wishing to book the auditorium while a commercial operator would be charged £525. Reheasal rates are £120 + VAT; conferences £80 + VAT for four hours; and the dance studio, with a floor space equal to the main stage, costing £55 + VAT for four hours.

"Concerns over cost were a big factor for the council in deciding the hire rates," Ms Brennan continued. "We have been looking at various ways to be able to work with local groups to make sure it is an affordable resource for them.

"What we have tried to do is come up with a range of rates that are extremely acceptable and as flexible as we can make them. The commercial rate for the main auditorium is slightly higher than comparable venues but our community rate is alightly lower and that is the trade off that the council made."

Jean Brennan has been employed as an arts development officer with Omagh District Council for 13 years. A drama graduate from Trinity College in Dublin, she was previously involved as a stage and production manager in Dublin and was a founder of the Garage Theatre in Monaghan. She took over the post of arts manager with the new Strule Arts Theatre at the end of last year.

Shauna McNeilly was involved with press and PR work at the Nerve Centre in Derry before taking on the role of arts marketing and education officer in Omagh. A native of Ballymena and a former journalist, she previously worked with the Foyle Film Festival and in the Olympia and Gate Theatres in Dublin.

To date, a technical manager has been appointed to the arts centre with a further post of technical assistant yet to be filled. These will be backed up with a casual bank of technical assistants, including sound and lighting specialists, drawn from the locality. Staff from the Tourist Information Centre will also be based in the new arts centre where their duties will include offering visitor service advice and running the box office. Former tourism development officer George Bradshaw has been appointed front of house manager.

The arts centre will be run by a management board that includes a total of seven elected councillors and six non-elected members. The councillors include Barry McElduff (chairman), Sean Begley, Ross Hussey, Clive McFarland, Johnny McLaughlin, Declan McAleer and Seamus Shields. Non-elected members are Peter McGlone, Patricia Waugh, Marie McGrath, Paul Maguire, Geraldine O'Reilly and Roy Wilkinson.

Urging locals to "take ownership" of the new facility, Shauna McNeilly said, "Ultimately we want as many people as possible to use the arts centre and we will be issuing a free programme of events three times a year. We would encourage as many people as possible to sign up to our mailing list. It will give these people the opportunity to get tickets before shows sell out and also give them the chance to get the best choice of seats."

Jean Brennan added, "It has been the legacy of performers from Omagh and the surrounding area that has encouraged Omagh Council to invest in an arts centre and we would like to think that the facility will encourage younger people to use it as a living legacy for the future."