Galway Arts Centre’s Living Archive Project

Allen Ginsberg photographs Bono at Galway Arts Centre | Nuns Island Theatre in 1995.

Photograph © Joe O’Shaughnessy

At the end of July 2026, we will close the doors of our beautiful and historic theatre at Nuns Island for a little while, as we begin major renovations to transform and renew this special space.

As we prepare for this next chapter, we’re inviting you –  our artists, audiences, neighbours, and friends –  to help us gather the stories, memories, and moments that have shaped our arts centre.

For nearly five decades, Galway Arts Centre at Nuns Island has been more than just a building,  it has been a home. A place of bold ideas, shared experiences, and creative risk. A space where generations of artists in Galway have made, experimented, gathered, and grown.

This is a moment to reflect, and to hold onto the many memories of what has been created here and that have shaped this space together.

These works will allow us to preserve the theatre’s rich heritage while reimagining it for the future, creating an even more welcoming, vibrant, and inspiring home for artists and audiences alike.

We look forward to reopening our doors and welcoming you back to experience the next chapter of this remarkable venue.

• Did you perform, create, or collaborate here?
• Do you have photos, posters, or programmes tucked away?
• What moments have stayed with you?

Whether on stage, backstage, or sitting in the dark as the lights came up, your experiences are part of what makes Galway Arts Centre’s Nuns Island Theatre so special.

As we look ahead, we want to honour everything that has come before and all the scenes that stay with us.

Share your memories and be part of this living archive!

Email : ourarchive@galwayartscentre.ie