Project Arts Centre

Project Arts Centre, located in Temple Bar, Dublin, is a diverse arts hub that showcases a wide array of artistic disciplines, including visual arts, theatre, dance, music, and performance. Co-founded by Jim FitzGerald and Colm O’Briain in 1967, the center’s inception followed a successful three-week festival at the Gate Theatre in 1966. Notably, Project Arts Centre became Ireland’s pioneering arts center, setting a precedent for similar establishments. Over the years, the center had several locations before finally finding a permanent home in a converted factory on East Essex Street in 1975, despite facing various funding challenges. Unfortunately, this building was demolished in 1998. However, a new purpose-built venue emerged on the same site in 2000, featuring two auditoriums, a gallery, and a bar. This addition came as part of the second phase of the regeneration of Temple Bar, bolstering its cultural significance. The presence of Project Arts Centre, in conjunction with other esteemed cultural institutions like the Irish Film Institute, Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, Black Church Print Studios, the Gallery of Photography, and the Temple Bar Music Centre (now known as the Button Factory), played a crucial role in transforming the entire area into a vibrant and thriving cultural quarter.