Every Tuesday, a group of young people aged 10 to 18 gather at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre to do something quietly radical: learn by doing. Working with a professional facilitator, they explore acting for stage and screen, scriptwriting, directing and improvisation — and in doing so, discover things about themselves and each other that no classroom can teach. The ethos is built on opportunity, empowerment and artistic excellence, and the ensemble bond that develops is as much the point as any performance. New members are always welcome — registration opens each term.

The ‘rambling house’, once common in rural Ireland, often refers to an activity rather than a place – people dropping in and entertaining each other with stories; some old, some new, some made up and some told in song. Long before our history books and hourly news bulletins, the stories of our past were passed on in the spoken word, no doubt accompanied by a healthy dose of gossip.

Led by Birr Men Together in collaboration with local artists Hazel Greene and Christor, the project documents memories of the rambling house while re-imagining it in a modern context through a recorded ‘rambling house’ session. 

This community photography project explores the themes of refuge and identity for Ukrainian women currently living in Birr. The project draws a powerful parallel between the contemporary lived experiences of these women and Cáin Adomnáin (the Law of the Innocents). 

They are mentored and guided by photographer Michael Molamphy (Coolbawn Cross Photography).

Supported by Offaly County Council under the Creative Ireland Community Grant Programme 2026–2027

London-based public artist Cristina Ottonello worked with young people aged 12–14 from the Ashbrooke, Chesterfield Close and McAuley estates to explore the extraordinary botanical world on their doorstep. The resulting large-scale artworks were not botanical replicas but imaginative reinterpretations seen through young minds, exhibited at Birr Courthouse as part of Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival.

Inspired by the Just Transition from peat harvesting in Offaly, Futures Lab brought younger people and older adults together to capture stories and skills at risk of being lost. Through STEAM-focused workshops, participants explored how intergenerational creativity can help build resilient rural communities.

Birr has one of the great astronomical heritages in the world, and this project asked what it would feel like to inhabit that sky rather than merely observe it. Science communicator and artist Dr. Niamh Shaw collaborated with local cross-stitchers, night-sky watchers and researchers