Athy Arts Centre and performers need bums on seats

JUST over 16 years ago John MacKenna, having earlier founded the theatrical group, ‘Mend and Makedo’, sought to establish a small theatre in Athy.

He was joined in that mission by Brid Brophy and myself and approaches were first made to Athy Urban District Council with regard to the possible use of the then vacant dispensary premises in Meeting Lane.

First built as a Quaker meeting house in 1780, it was surprisingly vacated by the second decade of the next century and subsequently taken over for use by the local Methodist community. They remained in possession until the opening of the Methodist church at Woodstock Street in 1870. Subsequently used as a medical dispensary I am uncertain what changes, if any, were made to the original Quaker meeting house structure to give us the building we know today.

Before approaching the town council, Vivian Cummins, architect, generously offered his professional services in preparing drawings of work which we intended to carry out to the building for use as a theatre.

Regrettably, the council did not accept our proposals and so our search continued. It was then that a fellow Athy Lions Club member, Trevor Shaw, approached me regarding the possibility of using the Methodist Church as a town theatre.

Following discussions agreement was reached. This was facilitated by the then town director Joe Boland who served to be a dynamic supporter of Athy’s cultural development.

He sourced funding to enable a stage to be built in the church and to have some essential repairs carried out to the church building. Under the arrangement between the Methodist church body, Kildare County Council and the management committee which was established, the council took a five-year lease of the building subject to a nominal rent and they then licensed the voluntary management committee to operate the newly named ‘Athy Community Arts Centre’.

That original committee involved John, Brid and myself and over the years we have been joined by several other volunteers who have given freely of their time and expertise to provide a theatre for the town.

Athy had a strong theatrical history stretching back as far as the 1930s and perhaps earlier. Who can recall the Athy Musical Societies of the 1930s and the 1940s, the Social Club Players of the 1940s and the 1950s and the Athy Drama Group, of whom there was two?

The earlier groups had use of the former Comrades Hall in St John’s Lane and the Town Hall as theatres. Fifteen years ago none of those venues were available, hence the importance of developing a facility now available in the Community Arts Centre.

 I read on Facebook a heartfelt plea from Carmel Day, urging greater support for events in the Community Arts Centre. I was deeply moved by her call which follows:

‘Let me tell you what’s on my mind. We have a town full of creative minds ….. exceptional musicians, singers and song writers, especially our youth ….. but where are their supports? I mean no disrespect to anyone but it is easy to be a keyboard supporter and yes ….. and all that is good ….. but what would be great and more beneficial to these wonderfully talented artists would be to see bums on seats, a round of applause, a standing ovation, a physical face to face “well done”, a sense of pride for those young artists and a feeling that their hard work and passion for what they are doing is paying off, enough to inspire them to keep going.

‘They are exceptional at what they do. Yes it is sometimes hard, we are all living busy lives, etc., but think about it folks ….. get up, throw the phones and laptops down and get out and physically support your own.

‘It will be too late if and when we have one or more successful artist once again emerge from the unbelievably talented town ….. because they will remember when you weren’t there. You can’t take pride in someone or something that you didn’t support. Now is the time they need it more.’

Carmel was appointed some months ago under the CE Scheme to work 29 hours a week for the Community Arts Centre. She arranges many events, including the superb ‘Waiting Room Sessions’ for young musicians.

It is disappointing to read of the need to remind anyone of how such an important cultural facility as the Community Arts Centre should be supported more fully than it is presently. My responsibility as a committee member is to arrange the Autumn and Spring Lecture series which first started two years ago.

They have proved reasonably successful with attendance figures which ranged from almost full house to disappointing small attendances. I realise it takes time to build a sustainable audience, but one would have expected that after 16 years that substantial audiences would attend events in the town’s Arts Centre. I would be interested in hearing your views as to why audience figures are not as large as one might expect.

The AGM of Athy’s Historical Society will take place on 24 September at 8pm.