THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE KH BARN – Tuesday 27th September 2022
A brand new state of the art, dynamic performance area. An inspiring space for dancing, singing, acting and performance art, as well as a quiet place for relaxing, yoga and meditation.
The Barn. Director of Performing Arts Kerrie O’Reilly welcomed the Board of Governors, Headmaster and staff and the performer’s parents to the official unveiling of THE BARN.
Originally a storage space for equipment and machinery, the barn offered huge potential for a much-needed dedicated performing arts studio and thus the idea of repurposing an outbuilding came to life..
Kerrie provided the design and Facilities Manager Eddie and his team have worked tirelessly clearing, building, fitting out and finishing the project to an exceptionally high standard.
‘’We now have a state of the art performing arts studio in which to teach, collaborate and inspire each other.’
Kerrie thanked The Board, Headmaster and Head of Finance for acknowledging the need for such a resource and supporting the department to realise their vision.
Director of Music Ciarán Kelly spoke of how impressed he is with the level of talent found among the students in the school and he hopes this space will encourage more to join in the many opportunities the school offers in the Performing Arts.
As the barn has a partitioned wall, it can accommodate consecutive classes, so acting may happen on one side while dancing takes place on the other.
The space will accommodate classes for over 250 students who are already visiting the barn on a weekly basis, not including the rehearsals for the school play and musicals, which will also take place at The Barn.
The Barn, though open to everyone is benefitting our female students hugely as it is mostly female students who choose to take part in drama, dance and yoga although the first year boys show great interest in coming along too.
The position of the barn lends itself to an air of privacy, a safe space for students to express themselves, and where the performing arts department hopes to unlock their potential.
The barn is also kitted out with a springboard floor specially made for dancing. As a result of the floor’s ability to absorb pressure and landings, the joints are eased and students can spring up and down freely.
The Marley covering is anti-slip and is used on stages and professional studios throughout the world. Dance Teacher Damien Gutherie was gushing with appreciation to work in such a professional space which he believes will really benefit the students.
Additionally, it has wireless Bluetooth speakers in both rooms for different music and audio and is easily connected to phones and devices for easy playback.
A grand opening of a Performing Arts Studio would not be complete without a performance from some of its students and the TY performing Arts Strand students did not disappoint.
Performing ‘Defying Gravity’ from the musical WICKED, the students put on a showstopping performance that they have only been working on for three weeks together.
If this is what The Barn can inspire them to do in just a short time, we cannot wait to see what’s next!
