The Executive Office invested £2.3 million into the new centre which includes a new performance and multi-use space, art and tuition rooms, a dance studio, offices and café.
As part of The Executive Office's Urban Villages Initiative this project is aimed at improving good relation outcomes and develop thriving places where there has been a history of deprivation and community tension. The project is the culmination of the development of the Urban Villages Strategic Framework for L'Derry in 2016 and the preparation of the Fountain Area Strategic Overview in 2018.
Joan O'Hara, Director, The Executive Office’s Urban Villages programme said: "This is a fantastic regeneration project for the Fountain area of the city and across the region to provide a shared cultural space right in the heart of the local community. The centre will invigorate the area and encourage the community to come together to celebrate their culture and backgrounds in a space that will use the arts to create new experiences and friendships. We look forward to enjoying this collaborative voice and its potential in the years to come."
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Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Patricia Logue stated: "The New Gate Arts and Culture Centre plays a hugely positive role in the local community through the provision of services and activities as well as improving the physical environment of the Fountain area. I am delighted that this investment has been completed successfully and that the residents of the Fountain and the wider area can now enjoy this new state of the art performance and cultural facility on their doorstep."
Kyle Thompson from the North West Cultural Partnership will be managing the day to day running of the centre, he said: "We are hugely excited to see the Centre completed and the doors open to the public. This investment is a huge boost to the local community and allows us to continue with the positive work we are doing to promote the work that is going on in our community and reaching out to others to share and enjoy our unique cultures and traditions. This new state of the art building allows us to expand our ability to facilitate more activities and events and invite communities from across the city and region to participate and visit this unique shared space."
