Support for our fundraising activities and ongoing donations to the Building Fund for the final 2% required for a new building for the arts for West Cork are vital. See Fund the building for more details.
West Cork Arts Centre (WCAC) is developing a new building for the arts in West Cork at the site of Wolfe’s Bakery, off Townshend Street, Skibbereen.
Currently renting the ground floor of the VEC’s Sutherland Building in Skibbereen, on the periphery of the town and with a significant and growing demand for its arts, education and community programmes and services, it is vital that the Centre expands into a purpose-built facility. This expansion will open up an abundance of opportunities, and will have a very positive impact on the aesthetic, cultural, social, economic and educational fabric of the region.
The new arts space will provide a quality arts facility and a new social space for the community, enhanced workshop, dance, performance and film club facilities and improved exhibition space and studio spaces for artists. It will continue to focus on the visual arts and provide a centre for excellence in the visual arts at local, national and international levels.
WCAC has been successful in securing €1.5 million from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism’s ACCESS II Programme, €1.4 million from Cork County Council and €375,000 from the Bollinger family. WCAC has put together a team of professionals to support the work and has completed an Architectural Design Competition with the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) which was won by Donaghy + Dimond Architects, Dublin. The contracts with the Design Team have been signed and full planning has been achieved. Work has commenced on the tender process and tenders will be invited by November.
Throughout the fundraising process, WCAC has received huge support for this project from the local community; the business community; education and community-based groups and organisations; town, county and national public representatives; other arts and cultural organisations in the region and of course, from artists and practitioners.
A further €80,000 has yet to be raised.
Details of fundraising activities throughout the region are announced through the local press. See Fund the Building and our Latest News section for updates on our fundraising campaign.
