Name: Project Arts Centre
Rating: 5.0

Project Arts Centre

Project Arts Centre🎭, Essex Street East, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

1-90 Years

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Description

Project Arts Centre is a fantastic choice if you are searching for the best things to do with kids in Dublin. Situated on East Essex Street in the heart of the bustling Temple Bar district, this vibrant multi-disciplinary arts centre provides local families with a brilliant gateway to modern performance culture. It serves as an inspiring, educational day out for families wishing to introduce older children, pre-teens, and teenagers to bold visual exhibits, independent theatre, physical dance, and innovative live music tracks right in the city centre.

General admission to the main contemporary gallery space is completely free, while ticket prices for theatrical, musical, and live performance shows generally range between €0 and €25. Families can explore multi-level structural layouts and changing local visual displays without worrying about steep commercial prices or hidden booking fees. The highly accessible ticketing system makes it an exceptionally budget-friendly spot to drop into spontaneously while touring the historical university campus paths and river quays nearby.

If you are looking for the best place for a day out with family and kids, this multi-stage creative hub seamlessly connects community learning with global themes. It gives children a chance to experience intimate stage layouts and introduces them to diverse cultural stories through regular public workshops. Because the building places accessible, thought-provoking community interaction at its core, it provides an excellent environment for young minds to discover new creative ideas.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Key Features

Multi-Stage Layout Space: The venue features two dedicated theatre spaces alongside a public gallery, giving families access to a rich mix of art forms.
Educational Day Out: The center supports immersive workshops, interactive learning tracks, and public discussions designed to spark young minds.
Inclusive Accessibility Focus: Staff provide regular bookable touch tours, Irish Sign Language events, and dedicated companion tickets for families with additional needs.

Detailed Highlights

The Ground Floor Public Gallery: This minimal, bright visual space opens straight onto the cobbled pedestrian paths of Temple Bar. Kids will love stepping inside to look at changing, large-scale contemporary projects from global and Irish creators. A helpful peer note: children are usually fascinated by how the massive front display windows allow them to look right into active artistic installations from the street grid outside.
The Space Upstairs Theater: Spanning the upper tier of the purpose-built 2000 reconstruction, this represents the largest main performance room. The black-box design holds up to 200 seats arranged around a central stage layout. It is highly engaging because the steep seating rows give children a clear, birds-eye view of active dance, music, and dramatic spectacles.
The Cube Performance Space: Reached via the main reception halls, this highly flexible, intimate studio accommodates up to 80 viewers. The compact size makes it far less overwhelming for younger children to digest live storytelling. It serves as a perfect spot for up-close viewing of independent seasonal plays, youth projects, and interactive acoustic gigs.
The Upper Foyer Workshops Area: Located on the upper level, this light-filled community zone host seasonal hands-on interactive gatherings. Curious kids can join in custom writing groups, music production labs, or standard arts tracks. It helps children learn that they can create their own artistic responses instead of simply sitting back and watching others.
The Main Reception Foyer Hub: Positioned right inside the front entrance, this welcoming, open hall acts as a lively community meeting grounds. Children enjoy reading through the colourful posters, independent arts guides, and custom performance portfolios. It serves as an inspiring, educational space to pick up an independent publication before taking your seats.

Inventory of Shows, Areas & Exhibits

Named Sub-Exhibits & Live Shows (2026 Line-Up)

Eating the Sun Exhibit: A specialized visual project by artist Liliana Zeic displayed inside the main ground-floor gallery area.
0800 Cupid 2026 Tour: A fast-paced, highly energetic live music tour performing inside the main theatre space.
Disrupt Disability Arts Festival: A dedicated multidisciplinary series of live stage pieces, digital projections, and community art tracks.
Uncouth by Moss Russell: A striking live premiere performance featured during the venue's collaborative spring schedules.
Let Go Screening: A specialized film projection project by Louise Bruton held inside the main theatre hall.
Unveiled by Max Whelan: A heart-warming, comedic debut play exploring communication methods, tailored for school-aged kids and teens.
The Arc of A Heart Shaped Curve: A collaborative physical movement and contemporary dance showcase by Sighile Hennessy and Cindy Cummings.
Mark of a Woman Performance: An expressive, authentic historical storytelling project produced by creator Chisato Minamimura.
ISL Disco with Sarah-Jane O'Regan: An innovative, highly interactive musical dance event incorporating Irish Sign Language basics.
Bealtaine Festival 2026: A sprawling multi-week national arts gathering hosting digital films, workshops, and music showcases across the building.
Lust for Poetry Workshop: An interactive 90-minute creative laboratory led by writers-in-residence to help pre-teens build short written works.
ILU OSU West African Drumming: A hands-on, high-energy drumming workshop letting kids practice traditional rhythms from Ghana and Nigeria.
Beginners DJ Workshop with DJ Blkcnvs: A practical tutorial session allowing teenagers to learn how to mix music tracks on real digital decks.
Filmmaking on Your Phone Laboratory: A specialized modern media workshop teaching beginners how to record and edit cinematic films using a basic smartphone.
The Human Library Showcase: A unique social event where children can sit down to converse with living "books" about diverse personal backgrounds.

Facilities

Toilets: Fully accessible and public restrooms are situated on the ground floor and upper seating levels of the main complex.
Lockers & Storage: No dedicated public storage lockers are on site; large bags and backpacks must be avoided.
Buggy Parking: Strollers are welcome into the main entrance level, and a passenger lift connects down to the lower gallery floors and theatres.
Food Options: No full restaurant is inside, but a central foyer bar serves quick snacks, and dozens of family-friendly bakeries line the immediate street grid.

What to see

What Visitors Love

The public gallery costs absolutely nothing to enter, providing a cheap, high-quality cultural stopover during a family walk.
The compact layout is highly accessible, featuring excellent passenger lifts and ramps that make navigating with a buggy very easy.
The front desk assistants and theatre stewards are exceptionally welcoming and happy to guide children through the different seating levels.
Its central position means families can easily pair a short show with a stroll across the Ha'penny Bridge or a local lunch.

What Visitors Don't Like

The building is located directly within a lively pedestrian zone, meaning the immediate cobblestone paths can become very busy during weekend afternoons.
The specific performance schedules alter frequently, meaning theatre spaces may be closed between major seasonal changeovers.

Pro-Tips for Parents

Best Time to Visit: Drop by the public gallery between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM on weekdays to enjoy total quiet before the lunch crowds hit Temple Bar.
Weather Strategy: Keep this multi-stage venue bookmarked for wet Dublin afternoons, as it provides a dry indoor sanctuary packed with visual art tracks.
Age Suitability: Best suited for pre-teens and teenagers who can engage with abstract themes, though younger school kids will enjoy the interactive drumming labs.

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Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

The main gallery and box office desk operate on a permanent year-round schedule but remain strictly closed on Sundays.

Monday to Saturday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Performance Evenings: Remains open later into the evening depending on scheduled show timings.

Address: Project Arts Centre🎭, Essex Street East, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

Post Code: D02 RD45

Council: Dublin City Council

County: County Dublin

By Car: Drive into central Dublin towards Wellington Quay or Dame Street. As East Essex Street sits inside a pedestrian-only zone, you must use public multi-storey car parks like the nearby Fleet Street Car Park or Jervis Street Car Park.
By Train: Take the local DART rail service to Tara Street Train Station. From the station exit, it is a flat 10-minute walk west along the river quays straight into Temple Bar.
By Bus: Multiple Dublin Bus lines stop directly along Dame Street and Aston Quay (Routes 11, 16, 37, 39, and 46A). The centre door sits just one block inland from the quays.
By Luas (Tram): Take the Luas Cross City Green Line and disembark at the Westmoreland stop, then walk 5 minutes west past the Bank of Ireland building.