The director of Letterkenny's new 350-seat civic theatre has said she is confident the project will be economically viable in its first year even without Arts Council funding.
Ms Patricia McBride said however that she hoped the Arts Council would reconsider its policy of not providing revenue funding for new theatres. "It does seem unfair, because when a theatre is launching itself, it needs most support. I'm still hopeful that the Arts Council will come in as a partner next year."
The opening of An Grianan theatre in October will make an enormous difference to the arts scene in Donegal. For the first time the county will be able to host large touring productions. Up to now ,there has been no purpose-built theatre in the whole county.
An Grianan will also be a significant addition to Donegal's tourist attractions. Located on Letterkenny's main street, the new building is a u£3 million state-of-the-art facility with one of the largest stages of any theatre in Ireland. In addition to the 350-seat auditorium, there is also a rehearsal hall and workshop space. The foyer will feature work by Donegal-based artist Ian Joyce.
Ms McBride aims to attract an audience from a population of about 60,000 who live within an hour's drive, including those in Derry and Tyrone. The theatre aims "to celebrate the distinctive culture of the region" and will feature work by local, national and international artists.
The first season at An Grianan will start with a dance festival. "We wanted to do something different, something that people wouldn't have been able to see in Donegal before. This will be the first ever major dance festival in the county," she said. Those taking part include Dance Theatre of Ireland with its new show Soul Survivor, Ballet Gwent with Twelfth Night, and Cois Ceim Dance Company.
The opening festival, which runs for 10 days from October 16th, will also include a recital by the National Chamber Choir, a performance of Romeo and Juliet by Belfast-based Kabosh Productions and Brendan O'Carroll's Mrs Brown's Last Wedding. Letterkenny Music and Drama Society will also stage a show.
An Grianan also plans to stage its own productions at least twice a year and the first of these opens in November. A production of Brian Friel's Translations will feature some of Donegal's best actors and will be directed by Frank Laverty. This show will then tour to Sligo, Galway and Tallaght.
Other highlights of An Grianan's first season include a gala opening night featuring artists from the Donegal Gaeltacht such as Altan, and a visit by the Royal National Theatre with a production of Widowers' Houses by George Bernard Shaw.
Ms McBride said that while she is taking risks with some of the shows, the emphasis was on a quality programme. "This is the only chance we will have to make a first impression and we want people to associate An Grianan with quality."
She wants the international section of the programme to include artists from further afield than Britain and will be visiting the Edinburgh Festival to look for candidates.
Ms McBride has come to the job from the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, but she has also worked as an arts administrator in England and as general manager with Charabanc Theatre Company in the North.
An Grianan is undoubtedly an ambitious project and is being strongly supported by Donegal County Council. Half of the u £3 million cost of building the theatre came from the EU through the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, while Donegal County Council provided u £1.4 million. Another u £250,000 is being raised locally.
In its first year the theatre will have to rely on grants of u £27,500 each from Letterkenny Urban District Council and Donegal County Council, and a small grant from the British Council. It is also hoped to get project funding from the Arts Council.
Ms McBride said she believed the theatre would be a success because of very strong community support. She aims to foster strong links with community groups and schools, and workshops and classes will be run in the building.
A coffee shop will mean the theatre is open to the public all day. From next year, it is hoped to run two courses in conjunction with Letterkenny Institute of Technology, in drama studies and cultural tourism studies.
"If even half the enthusiasm and pledges of support are followed through on, it will be a roaring success," said Ms McBride.