Alley Theatre (Strabane)

The Alley Theatre is a theatre based in the heart of Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The venue hosts an auditorium, art gallery, tourist information centre and the famous Irish statue "Where Dreams Go" by Martin Heron or known locally as "Ambrose the Pig".

This modern arts complex was open in 2007 by Edwin Poots MLA and Margaret Ritchie MLA, and has since gone onto host various arts festivals, shows and exhibitions. In addition to running arts, music and drama workshops/performances, the Alley Theatre hosts three major drama festivals each year, Stagewrite (for primary schools), North West Schools Drama Festival (colleges) and the Strabane Drama Festival, which is now one of the biggest drama festivals in the North West of Ireland. The Alley would also host the North West Music Festival, the largest brass band competition in the North West of Ireland and the Johnny Crampsie Festival, an Irish Trad music festival.

The Alley has won the Green Apple Award for environmental regeneration, Building of the Year 2009 from the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust for UK Personal Safety Workplace 2010 and the Access Award 2009 for disability access.

Ambrose the Pig is situated within the grounds of the Alley's piazza. An 8 ft bronze pig with Celtic swirls on its body, Ambrose is situated outside the Alley staring at the sky. Ambrose was commissioned to highlight the history of the Alley Theatre site, which was once the cattle and pig market for Strabane in the 18th and 19th century. The site also used to accommodate the various travelling circuses.

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