Cork Arts Theatre Information

Established in 1976 as a club by and for the arts community in Cork, the fondly named "CAT Club" quickly became a landmark, serving not only as a venue for amateur and professional companies alike, but also as the preferred meeting place and socialising hub for all arts enthusiasts. From its humble beginnings The Cork Arts Theatre has grown from strength to strength under the direction of its dedicated members and the leadership of its artistic director and board of management. In 2004, thanks in no small part to the tireless passion of long-time artistic director, Dolores Mannion and the then chairman of the board, Rodney Bolingbroke, the theatre was finally granted funding for a long-needed refurbishment. The new theatre reopened its brand new doors in November 2006 with a premiere performance of Patrick Galvin's 'The Cage'. Since then The Cork Arts Theatre has been pioneering many initiatives, including outreach programmes, writer's competitions, schools competitions and community drama festivals to make theatre more accessible to the whole community. Over 30 years on since its inception, the Cork Arts Theatre continues to provide a vibrant programme of events and looks forward with great confidence to the next thirty years.