Ballina Arts Centre

Ballina Arts Centre is based in Ballina Co. Mayo, Ireland. The town of Ballina has an urban population of up to 15,000 people, with an additional 30,000 in the hinterland. For a number of years, much work has been done to develop an arts centre for the town. Last year, a major step was taken towards that goal when the old Town Council building was opened up as an interim arts space, offering the potential for exhibitions, workshops and other events to take place: the temporary venue has been adapted to arts purposes. Already there are plans for a purpose-built building, which will form part of a bigger civic development, incorporating local authority offices. Late last year, the appointment of a full-time manager meant a fully fledged arts programme can now be delivered to the people of the area. Ballina has strong traditional heritage, encompassing music and dance. This is augmented by a thriving culture of young rock bands and sing-songwriters. The development of Ballina Arts Centre, offers support to visual artists by the provision of a visual arts space, and a growing programme of artists' workshop and master-classes.