The new Esker Arts Centre on High Street in Tullamore which is due to open this weekend. The exterior of the building features a ‘wave’ feature with each line of the wave representing a form of art. Pic by Ger Rogers Photography

Historic weekend as Tullamore’s arts centre opens

The long-awaited new community arts centre for Tullamore, Esker Arts, will open its doors to the public for the first time this weekend and kicks off an exciting new chapter with a packed programme of events in the coming months.

The curtain-raiser for the new 220-seat venue at High Street, Tullamore, is a gala concert tonight (Friday) at 8pm which has been organised by Tullamore Lions Club as a fundraiser for Esker Arts Centre.

Tickets for the inaugural concert sold out in less than 48 hours and the evening will feature a programme of choral entertainment by the Academy of Music Chamber Choir and TSS Ladies Choir, both of which are based in Tullamore, and visiting Dublin Male Welsh Voice Choir.

Friday night’s inaugural concert will be followed by an art exhibition called ‘Breaking Ground’ featuring a diverse range of works by over 40 artists from the Arts Council Collection. This unique exhibition, which is free to members of the public, will showcase the two gallery spaces in the new Esker Arts Centre will run until May 28.

Esker Arts Centre will be open from Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm and on Saturday from 10am to 3pm and among the many plans in the pipeline for the new venue over the coming months is the opening of a coffee shop.

Tullamore Musical Society will stage the premiere of their 2023 production ‘Michael Collins; A Musical Drama’ in the new arts facility from April 30 to May 6, and tickets are currently on sale at: www.gr8events.ie/tullamorems2023.

A programme of Bealtaine events specifically aimed towards older people is also planned for the opening season of Esker Arts, as well as a number of Music Generation events for local schools and a production by the Stage Stars Academy.

The Esker Film Club will feature many classics from the world of film, beginning with a screening of Aftersun on May 9 next, for which Paul Mescal received an Oscar nomination; concerts by the Mairtín O’Connor Band on Saturday, May 21 and by singer/songwriter, Andy Irvine, on Friday, May 29 and a performance of the highly-acclaimed play “King” by Pat Kinevane on Saturday, June 3 next.

Director of Esker Arts, Sean Walsh, says the new venue will be “a gathering place” for everybody with an interest in the arts, and that the opening season of events is “just the tip of the iceberg.”

In advance of this weekend’s ‘soft opening’ for Esker Arts Centre, a new ‘wave’ feature was painted on the front of the iconic building which was the former Kilroy’s Electrical premises on High Street.

The wave represents the esker/ridge, and also the ‘state of flow’ which occurs when artists become fully absorbed in their creative process. Each line of the wave, which is the work of FUDGE Creative Ltd., represents a form of art, including music, dance, sculpture and choreography, all co-existing in harmony with each other.