Mayor Brian Tierney takes a trip down the Alley to celebrate reopening

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Brian Tierney, with Alley Theatre staff at the official re-opening of the service.

The Alley has partially reopened with reduced hours of 11am – 4pm from Monday to Friday with a number of measures in place to ensure social distancing and hand sanitising.

The gallery has reopened and is hosting the exhibition Arcadian Views II by Catherine Hearne – a beautiful exhibition in canvases full of colour and pattern which is about time, place and memory.

Strabane Visitor Information Centre is also open to the public, and staff are looking forward to welcoming visitors who are travelling and discovering what the island of Ireland has to offer.

Locally produced gift items are available to buy from Studio One Craft Collective located within the Alley Theatre Foyer.

Mayor Tierney took a tour of the facility and spoke to staff who he wished well ahead of the gradual reopening.

“It is fantastic to see the Alley’s doors reopened to the public and I was delighted to meet with staff who have been hard at work preparing the venue to be a safe and enjoyable experience,” he said.

“I enjoyed the exhibition by Catherine Hearne currently on display in the gallery and I was pleased to see that tourists from near and far can re-access the very informative Visitor Information Centre.

“I would appeal to anyone visiting Council venues to be patient, they are operating at reduced capacity so there may be queues at busy times, and please follow the signage and advice of staff to ensure social distancing and a safe and enjoyable user experience for all.”

Café Horizon and the theatre remain closed but the Alley are delighted to offer top class entertainment virtually with a full summer programme of events available to watch on the facebook page www.facebook.com/thealleytheatre or by joining private facebook groups.