In Your Space Circus have been given the exciting opportunity to lease the Cathedral School and transform it into our new home.

The Cathedral Primary School opened in 1891 and was a school for over 100 years until it closed in 1995. The building is owned by Saint Columb’s Cathedral.

A Historic Building

Watercolour painting of the Cathedral School by artist Laura McLaughlin

Both In Your Space Circus and the Cathedral are excited to be breathing life back into the building and reinstating its school status, this time as a school of circus.

The building is currently a shell. The roof, walls and general structure has been made sound through an initial £1.5m restoration project in 2015 but the building continues to deteriorate while it has been empty.

The development costs to create a new Circus Arts Venue at the former Cathedral school will be approximately £3.5 million but we are excited and ready for the challenge.

When complete the space will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the city and the region. It will become a place of magic where artists, participants and audiences can learn, explore and develop their creative talents.

“In Your Space Circus is about inclusion, diversity and individuality which is the future of Northern Ireland I want for my children. This is a beautiful building that, if restored can offer a place for young and old to feel connected.”

Circus School Parent