Northern Ireland Theatre Association

Northern Ireland Theatre Association (NITA) is the body for professional and semi-professional theatre in Northern Ireland, providing a collective voice for the theatre sector. It is based in Ballycastle, County Antrim, incorporates the Theatre Producers’ Group (NI) and undertakes lobbying and advocacy on behalf of Association members, delivers sector-specific training, provides networking opportunities, information exchange and circulates details of employment opportunities. NITA aims to raise the quality and profile of theatre, act as a ‘think tank’ for theatre, drive innovation and creativity, be a passionate and proactive advocate for theatre, and champion the benefits that theatre provides to Northern Ireland and its people.

NITA is currently delivering Behind the Scenes, a 3-year Arts Council of Northern Ireland lottery funded training programme, delivered in partnership with the Independent Theatre Council.

Membership

Association members are drawn from a wide area of the theatre community and includes all the major theatre venues and production companies in Northern Ireland, as follows (at April 2009):

Production Companies

• Accidental Theatre
• Aisling Ghear
• Big Telly Theatre Company
• Bruiser Theatre Company
• Cahoots NI
• Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company
• Glass Ceiling Theatre Works, Belfast
• Green Shoot Productions, Belfast
• Kabosh, Belfast
• Prime Cut Productions, Belfast
• Ransom Productions
• Replay Productions
• Sole Purpose Productions
• Spanner in the Works
• Sunlight Productions
• Tinderbox Theatre Company
• The Playhouse
• Ulster Theatre Company

Theatres and Arts Centres

• Alley Arts and Conference Centre, Strabane, County Tyrone
• Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
• Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards, County Down
• Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre, Cookstown, County Tyrone
• Courtyard Theatre, Newtownabbey, County Antrim
• Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick, County Down
• Grand Opera House (Belfast)
• Island Arts Centre, Lisburn, County Antrim
• Lyric Players' Theatre, Belfast
• Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre, Armagh
• Millennium Forum, Derry
• Newry and Mourne District Council
• Old Museum Arts Centre, Belfast
• Waterside Theatre, Derry

Festivals

• Belfast Festival at Queen's
• Young at Art (Belfast Children's Festival)