The Cathedral School Project has been developed through a consultation process with current IYSC participants, trainers and performance artists, local community groups, schools as well as the general public.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Project

The following FAQs address some of the most common questions. If you’d like to know more about the project please get in touch with Ciara, our Heritage Project Manager.

Email: ciara@inyourspaceni.org

Why choose the Cathedral School as the building for a new Circus School?

IYSC had been searching for a suitable home since 2014 but nothing that we’d seen had been quite right until the day in 2018 when we stepped inside the Cathedral School. Immediately it felt perfect for us. The height, the location, the space, the light. We fell in love with it immediately.

As one of just five buildings that exit directly onto the historic city walls, this building provides a perfect setting to help us reach our potential as an organisation and to bring the community together using circus and the arts, in some very special and unique ways. Most importantly we felt it would help the children, young people and artists that we work with feel proud and want to keep learning, playing and growing with us.

This building was created as a school and we want to retain that heritage but to reinvigorate it for a new generation – transforming it into a place of fun and a school of circus.

Do you need planning permission?

Listed building permission was granted to IYSC in February 2025. We also received planning permission to restore the spire which originally was part of the building when it first opened. The Cathedral School is a B1 listed building, designated as being of special architectural and historic interest. Any changes to the building require listed building consent from The Historic Environment Division of the Department of Communities.

Planning permission has been granted for works at the Cathedral School. More information is available at NI Planning Portal

Who will be able to use the building and its spaces?

This space will be open and available to everyone.

Our aim is to create a centre for circus excellence which will attract artists and performers from all over the world to train, perform and teach in this building. The additional space will enable IYSC to offer more circus classes to a wide range of people.

Our training rooms will have a wide variety of uses. They will be used by community groups, events and fitness classes. The room will also be available for private hire to help financially support the ongoing running costs.

We will create a new café where you can enjoy a brew with a view of the walls. We want the café to be space where everyone feels welcome, where people can come to meet and mingle, share ideas or just take some time to treat themselves to a cuppa and a bun!

How is the project being funded?

IYSC are raising funds specifically for this capital project. Fundraising work has already started. To date we have been generously supported by: Architectural Heritage Foundation, Arts & Business NI, Community Ownership Fund (UK Government), Esme Mitchell Trust, Foyle Foundation, Swire Charitable Trust, National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Our fundraising strategy includes a major gifts and sponsorship campaign as well as a community fundraising campaign.

How much money is needed to deliver the project?

The cost for the whole project is an estimated £3.6million. The project will be completed in a series of phases to help us raise the required funds. Funding for planning stages and Phase 1 construction work was completed in 2024. We are now fundraising for Phase 2 construction costs.

Who is designing the building?

The Cathedral School was designed by architect John Guy Ferguson who was responsible for creating many important buildings in Victorian Derry-Londonderry. He also designed the Apprentice Boy’s Memorial Hall and the Londonderry Guild Hall. The Cathedral School opened in 1891 as a school for children aged 4-14 years.

Designs for the Cathedral School Circus School have been created by Mullarkey Pedersen Architects, who specialise in conservation architecture – helping to transform historic buildings and give them a new lease of life while celebrating their original quality.

How will the project consider environmental sustainability

In choosing to become custodians of an historic, listed building we are taking positive steps to ensure its sustainability and long-term use. Huge amounts of embodied carbon is locked-up in existing historic structures. The conservation and restoration of our historic buildings is a sustainable form of development which avoids the use and waste of scarce resources associated with demolition and redevelopment.
We will opt for renewable and low energy appliances, including an air to water heat pump. This will maximise our use of renewable energy and ensure we no longer rely on fossil fuels.

As an organisation with mostly in-person audiences, travel can account for high amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. The Cathedral School’s City Centre location makes it an environmentally sustainable option for audiences and participants to access the arts more readily through the use of public transport, walking and cycling. The building is located within a 15 mins walk of well-connected local train and bus stations. This project also will significantly reduce the travel and transport required for the artists and equipment necessary for our regular programme of projects and classes.

What was the building in the past?

The Cathedral School was a centre of the community for over 100 years providing a space for social activities and community life as well as being a primary school. Sunday schools, choir practices, mother’s union, music lessons, cubs, scouts, brownies and youth club activities were all hosted within the building. There were concerts performed by local singers such as Joseph Locke and Hugo Duncan as well as community Bazaars and fancy dress fundraising events. It’s clear that performance and community have always been at the heart of this building.

Why isn’t the building being used for something else?

A building covenant means that any tenant of the Cathedral School must have an educational purpose. This rule has previously limited the potential re-use of the building. Education is central to the ethos of IYSC. We are delighted to have the opportunity to restore the building’s original purpose as a school – this time as school of Circus.

When will the Cathedral School Circus School open to the public?

The project is being completed in phases to help with fundraising. We are hopeful that with continued support the project can be completed by mid-late 2027.