Opened in 1995, The Ark is Europe’s first custom-designed
cultural centre devoted exclusively to innovative arts programming for,
by, with, and about children. Located in an award winning building in
the heart of Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter, The Ark houses
an indoor theatre, an outdoor amphitheatre, gallery spaces and a workshop.
The Ark is housed on the site of the former Presbyterian Meeting House (1728) and incorporates the carefully restored front facade of the church. The Ark was designed by Group 91 Architects and is a 16,000 sq. foot (1,500 sq. metre) arts centre housing a theatre, a gallery and a workshop.
The development of The Ark was an initiative of Temple Bar Properties as part of its cultural policy and was financed by the European Regional Development Funds and by the Irish Government through the Department of the Environment.
Central to the vision of The Ark is the belief that children, as citizens, have cultural entitlements equal to that of any adult.
The Ark manifests this belief by presenting programmes across the arts of the highest quality, in association with leading professionals. From classical to popular and traditional to cutting edge, The Ark is both setting standards and exploring new dimensions in children’s arts provisioning.
The Ark’s social policy is to be as inclusive as possible while working within available financial resources. The Ark has organized a number of projects for children who are particularly disadvantaged socio-economically.
The Ark has also undertaken large outreach initiatives, where staff members work intimately with children from disadvantaged communities as well as children in a variety of health care environments.
The Ark is housed on the site of the former Presbyterian Meeting House (1728) and incorporates the carefully restored front facade of the church. The Ark was designed by Group 91 Architects and is a 16,000 sq. foot (1,500 sq. metre) arts centre housing a theatre, a gallery and a workshop.
The development of The Ark was an initiative of Temple Bar Properties as part of its cultural policy and was financed by the European Regional Development Funds and by the Irish Government through the Department of the Environment.
Central to the vision of The Ark is the belief that children, as citizens, have cultural entitlements equal to that of any adult.
The Ark manifests this belief by presenting programmes across the arts of the highest quality, in association with leading professionals. From classical to popular and traditional to cutting edge, The Ark is both setting standards and exploring new dimensions in children’s arts provisioning.
The Ark’s social policy is to be as inclusive as possible while working within available financial resources. The Ark has organized a number of projects for children who are particularly disadvantaged socio-economically.
The Ark has also undertaken large outreach initiatives, where staff members work intimately with children from disadvantaged communities as well as children in a variety of health care environments.
For more information on the architecture of The Ark please click here
