RUA RED CELEBRATES 1ST BIRTHDAY!

RUA RED, South Dublin Arts Centre officially reaches its first Birthday on Friday 5th February. Born into a country in the grip of recession, and without a penny to programme, the arts centre has still managed to thrive receiving local and national praise for its superb galleries. At the weekend the centre stole the show with wins in three categories at the Zurich LAMA Awards including;

• Best Arts Building
• Best Public Building
• Grand Prix

Karen Phillips, Director said: “We are delighted to be celebrating our first birthday, especially after such humbling recognition over the weekend. It has, of course, been a challenging year but we are very proud of what we have achieved in this short time and we believe that we are a growing asset to the local community and national arts scene.”

RUA RED is rooting itself as a dynamic, vibrant and accessible home for the arts and culture in South Dublin County. It boasts 2 exceptional gallery spaces, music rooms, a dance studio, performance space, multimedia labs and artist studios, all open to or available to rent by the public.

The centre has ambitious plans for the next few years including international exhibitions, a substantial education programme, exciting partnerships with other regional and national centres and the nurturing of local talent.

Karen said: “I think that we have shown what can be achieved by having resourceful and focussed staff with a great passion for the arts and culture. The connections and partnerships we are developing are key to our future work and we pride ourselves on being honest, open…and incredibly ambitious!”

RUA RED is looking to the next few years with great optimism. This year will see the return of the ‘Summer Show’ – an annual selection that will be announced in the next few months. The centre is also hosting solo exhibitions with ‘K&M Evans Painting Prize Winner’, Claire Halpin and ‘RDS Taylor Art Award Winner’, Peter Murray.

Karen added: “Participating in arts and culture is a right, not a privilege. We will continue to make the centre exciting, accessible and interesting to everyone who visits us – whether for a conference, a coffee or for a creative experience.”